Sweaty, Sleepy, and Seriously Blessed
Another day in the books—long, emotional, rewarding, challenging, hot, windy, and, of course, fun. Sleep? Not a lot. But despite the short sleep night, everyone rallied for breakfast, followed by an uplifting worship session led by Cody Gibbs and Mark Weber, and a powerful devotion from Pat Schmeling.
Pat kicked things off with a simple yet profound message:
“1 Corinthians 4:20: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”
That power—God’s love—is what fuels us to go out and change lives. He encouraged us to ask God daily, “Where do you want me to be today?” Then, he dropped a challenge: Do you really want to impact the Kingdom of God? If so, buckle up because he called this the most dangerous prayer you can pray—for the next 30 days, ask God for the King’s heart. But beware! If you’re not ready for what He might reveal, don’t ask. Without the King’s heart, we have nothing to give this world.
By 8:45, we were loaded up in the vans, in route to Instituto Bíblico Magdiel in Matamoros, Mexico. Quick note: when the leadership team at Power Ministries repeatedly warns you not to forget your passport, they mean it. Guess who forgot? Yep. This knucklehead. Thankfully, I realized my blunder before it was too late, and grace was extended—this one time only I was told.
Once at the Bible College, we spent hours connecting with students in their three-year program. We kicked things off with some wild icebreaker games—think marshmallows, spaghetti, and puzzles (because nothing says “let’s bond” like food-based engineering challenges). Then, each Power Ministries team member paired up with a student, breaking through language barriers to share our stories.
I was paired with Juan Jesus, a 32-year-old student set to graduate in May. Despite our language barrier, we talked about our families, the burdens on our hearts—especially for unsaved loved ones—and our hopes for the future. While we came from different backgrounds, our shared faith and longing to see our loved ones accept Christ bound us together in a way that only God can do.
Domino’s, Defeat, and a Dose of Humility
After lunch (Domino’s Pizza—what college kid does not love pizza?), it was game on. The men of Power Ministries took on the students in a heated soccer match. And let’s just say… we gave it our all. And by “all,” I mean we got schooled. One of the young women even scored on us, and the crowd went wild. Our egos may never recover.
As we loaded into the vans, the students cheered us on as we drove away..
Border Crossings, Barbecue, and Blessings
The border crossing was mercifully smooth, and we capped off the day with a feast at Rudy’s BBQ. We also had the privilege of hearing quick updates from Bruce Hepburn of Mexico Missions in Reynosa and Josh and Olivia Muse of Kaleo International, who are also serving in Reynosa.
Now, as we crash for the night at Valley Baptist Retreat Center, I can confidently say: Today was a good day. Exhausting? Yes. Humbling? Absolutely. Worth every second? Without a doubt.