Outreach Part 2: Cancun

Hello, friends!

As promised, I am back to share more of my Outreach adventures with YWAM Denver. We spent the majority of our time in Mexico in downtown Cancun. Our team lived in an apartment building in the heart of the city and did a variety of ministries there. Typically, we had one ministry activity in the morning, an afternoon siesta, and an evening ministry. Some of the different kinds of ministries we participated in include:

1. Door to door evangelism - We visited people in a couple of colonias (small living communities) and prayed with them, invited them to local church events/meetings, and simply tried to bless them in some small way. Here are a few photos of one of these small communities:

One of the most memorable experiences I have from visiting one of these colonias was stopping by a family's house who had recently accepted Christ and had begun going to church together. The father said that they had been fighting every single day until converting. At that instant, a peace came over their entire home that they could not explain. We were able to pray with them that the Lord would continue to bless them with grace and peace and that He would grow their faith individually and as a family.

2. Street ministry - We had worship sessions, performed dramas, and delivered testimonies in parks around Cancun to create ministry opportunities for passersby.

Group of us performing a skit called "Me" in a local park in Mexico

 While the idea of performing and making public declarations of faith may intimidate and overwhelm some, it opened up so many doors for us to talk to people about their walks with God. Many people were introduced to Christ because of our team performing dramas in the streets and asking if those present wanted to receive Him.

One man even yelled out in the middle of one of our presentations, asking what he could do if he does not know Jesus! A translator pulled him aside and told him exactly what to do while we finished our testimonies and dramas for the rest of the crowd.

3. Kid's Programs - We performed for kids in local colonias and helped out regularly with an after school program twice a week.

After school program

Trying to make 11-year-olds dance

 

 

The group I worked with was mostly middle school aged kids. We played games with them, taught them some English phrases, and shared a Bible story with them every time we met. Their favorite day was kickball day. It was great to get the chance to work with them over several weeks and to build relationships with these kids. Over time they began to warm up to us more, and we were able to share with them how they can have dynamic lives walking with God.

Other Ministries - We also visited a prison, a hospital, and a rehabilitation center, introducing many individuals to Jesus, praying for the sick to be healed, and encouraging whomever we met.

Of course there are countless stories and many more adventures to tell. There is no way any one blog post could give you a full picture of what our life was like in Cancun for 6 weeks. But here are a few snapshots of the activities we did and just a few surface pictures of the people we encountered. I hope to post a few more in-depth experiences in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading, and look out for Part 3 about our travels to remote Mexican fishing villages!