Reflections of a first timer on the Power Ministry trip, week 2:
Days 1 &2- 88 guys from about 10 different states, all-coming together for a week of intense outreach. Purposeful outreach with eternal results=POWER MINISTRY. I wasn’t sure what to expect. After a circuitous route getting here (I am sure everybody has a story to tell about the trip to San Antonio), we all came together for a meal, then hopped in the vans for the 3-hour drive to Del Rio, Texas.
We were warned numerous times to wear earplugs when we sacked out in the dormitory rooms at the church in Del Rio. Now I know why. A chorus of snores in our room of bunk beds would not let me go to sleep. Then a tapping on the window sometime after midnight- the van cleanup crew was locked out. I guess I drifted off to sleep, because when I woke up around 5:30 am, I didn’t feel too bad.
The first day in Mexico was a whirlwind. After a morning devotion, we all got our work assignments, and navigated through Del Rio, across the bridge on the Rio Grande River, and with prayers made it past the guards on the Mexican side of the border. Once in Acuna, we all separated to different locations for our projects.
My van, along with another, spent the morning manually setting wood trusses at a church that was established by staff from the church in Del Rio. Oh, and it was a good thing that we worked our butts off, as the temperature was in the 40’s, with a 15 mph wind blowing in across the plains. The skies spit at us, but the rain never materialized. We stopped for a welcome lunch inside the church, eating tortas cooked up by our Mexican hosts. Then new work assignments.
I got in a van with a different set of guys, and drove a short distance to one of the faithful church families, where POWER MINISTRY was building an addition to their house. I put up wood trim on the outside walls with another volunteer and a couple of young Mexican kids trying to help. Then the drywall crew needed help inside. Then I climbed up on the metal roof to help finish screwing it down. We stopped at 3 pm for more prayer. The day was long, but before we knew it, we were packing up to get back across the border before night fell.
Another group of POWER MINISTRY men spent the day ministering to the local Mexicans, sharing the word, and praying for family members. With more prayer, we made it back to the USA, and back to our dorms and a dinner and hot showers. Wow, truly an incredible start to our week serving those across the border!