1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (Message) says, “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
The church overflowed with children, the altar was filled with people desiring to make decisions about their faith, and everybody had on eyeglasses! On July 4, 2009 Boyd Baptist Church and Iglesia Bautista Camino Real (Real Way Baptist Church) embarked on a journey to Mata Redonda, Mexico. This was the second year for our two churches to travel to this city near Tampico and aid Iglesia Bautista Movimiento de Fe (Movement of Faith Baptist Church) as they continue to seek God in reaching the unbelievers in their area.
While there, our two churches from Bonham and Denison, TX used many different methods in order to share the gospel with the local people. We conducted an eye clinic, Vacation Bible School for the kids, Revival at night, and clothes drive; as well as putting in a new air conditioner for the church and cabinets and running water into the Pastor’s home.
Although we did many “activities” while we were there, our main desire was simply to love and serve the people in whatever way possible. Ronnie Coonrod, Boyd Baptist member and deacon said, “To think that we can be as inefficient as we are, but that we can go help God spread his word and see people saved. When we were there on Sunday night and 25 people went to the front [of the church] and asked Jesus into their heart…ain’t nothing like it.”
Coonrod has traveled to Mexico many times; 3 times in the past year, as well as several times about 20 years ago. When he went last summer, for the first time in 20 years, he said “it re-introduced him to what he was involved in before.”
He said this about his mission experience in Mexico: “The first time I went, two things happened: I realized the need [the people had] and realized God’s power.”
It is almost impossible for someone to continue in their life unchanged after traveling to a place where they have so little compared to us, yet they still have so much faith. As we were in Mata Redonda, we saw many people believe in Jesus Christ as Savior for the first time, some baptized in the Ocean to make their faith public, as well as scores of people desiring to grow deeper in their faith and tell others about it. It was an incredible experience for all involved.
When asked what is one of the best ways we can show God’s love to those in need, Coonrod said, “Serving them, showing them that I’m not any better than they are. [Being] willing to sweat and give time to help them, [being] willing to wade in the ocean to baptize them, [and do] whatever we can do to help...I just love it.”
I believe that everyone that went on this journey to Mata Redonda, Mexico would echo the above statement of showing love to those in need. It is one of those things in life that you need to experience for yourself. Nobody else can fully explain the life-changing power that comes when you allow God to use you in a way like this. However, allowing this kind of change into your life is a bit scary and uncomfortable…but completely worth it! I don’t just want to talk about it; I want to be in on it, as the verse above says.
Will you allow yourself to be moved and changed? Do you want to be in on it?