The Pan de Vida Youth Group finished their series on Missions by doing an overnight Mission trip to Amealco. It is home to the indigenous Otomi people where many still speak their own dialect, and wear handmade traditional clothing. The team stayed at "Casa Otomi", which is a Christian Community Center planted by missionaries and is partnered with Children of Hope.
The team did lots of preparation for the trip and organized a few outreaches. Upon arriving, they pitched in to paint the playground equipment, all the doors and trim on the building. In the afternoon they walked around the community, which is very spread out, and went door to door inviting other youth to come watch an evangelistic movie and fellowship with a hot dog and marshmallow roast. That evening, an hour past the time to start, not a person had showed up. The team then rallied in prayer that the people would come. Soon, about 30 people showed up. This in itself was a testimony to the power of prayer. After the movie, Paco gave a message on salvation and God having a purpose for our lives.
The following day, the youth planned a soccer game. The leaders had wanted the teams to mix the players together so that it would not be a competition of Pan de Vida youth vs. Otomi but the Otomi boys were not too receptive of the idea. They weren't there for the sportsmanship, they wanted competition. So they started as opposing teams and after a while, the Otomi team became more welcoming to the Pan de Vida players and then swapped up some. After the game, the team served refreshments. Kike gave a Biblical message and the youth then did 2 skits. One was a dryme, which is a skit acted out to the words of a song and the other was a cardboard testimony.
This mission opportunity was not only a way to minister to the people in the Otomi Village, it was also a way for the youth at Pan de Vida to grow in Christ and in unity with each other. They learned to serve others and also how to have a Christian attitude when others are not open to God and His love for them. It has really stirred in them a desire to do more in serving God because they witnessed that building the relationships and earning the trust of others in order to minister does take time.
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