Yucatán, Mexico
Kanunilkin, a Mayan village of 20,000 people in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico on the Yucatán peninsula offers an chance to be a part of planting churches and working with Baptist trained indigenous pastors who are experiencing great success in evangelizing in this area where the first evangelical churches are just now being planted through our efforts and the efforts of other Southern Baptist churches. Pastors are trained in the nearby Cancun Bible Institute and mission teams evangelize, prayer walk, conduct children’s ministries, adult ministries and the usual work that goes along with church planting. This is a well developed and organized partnership that just needs willing volunteers to invest a week of their life for the gospel. Cost is surprisingly low for an international missions experience at approximately $1400. Travel time is short. You will be back in a week with a changed life and testimonies of God working in a people group that has inhabited this part of the world for several thousand years.
Trip dates:
- 07/02/12 – 07/07/12 (Led by Nick Floyd)
When I was shopping at a Christian Book outlet store about 3 months ago, I felt like God wanted me to buy a pink leather, travel size New Testament. I picked it up and put it down several times, thinking I had plenty of Bibles. I eventually bought it.
As I was packing for the mission trip, I decided to take it with me instead of my heavy study Bible.
After our last evening service, a lady named Rebeca, who had been translating for us to the children, told me that she was going to be studying English so she can speak it better to be able to help us translate when we come back. She said she was praying for an English Bible. God prompted my heart to give her my New Testament and I felt so blessed to be able to meet that need for her. She was so excited and I have no doubt she will use it and be able to help more when the next team goes to Cancun.
I learned that when God prompts you to do something, you don’t have to understand why. Just be obedient.
He showed me this when He told me to give my testimony in the Monday evening service. I am not comfortable speaking in front of people, so I had to trust that He would say what He wanted to say through me. With His help and the prayers of my team and prayer partners, I wasn’t even nervous to get up and speak because I was being obedient and trusting Him.
-Julie Salsman Spring Yucatán Team, Send Me 2012
The Lord took me on this amazing journey to give me an attitude adjustment and a heart for the Hispanic people in our area. These lovely and loving people were so gracious. After serving alongside the Mexican people for the week, my heart goes out to welcome them in NWA and to try to learn more Spanish so that I can communicate with them and show them the love of Jesus. May God forgive me for my previous attitude and help me communicate to others what I have learned.
- Robbie King, Spring Yucatán Team Send Me 2012
When we drove out into the neighborhoods the first day to prayer walk the streets around the churches I was stunned by how the houses crowded the streets and each other with the juxtaposition of poverty next to much more comfortable situations… I was frustrated by my lack of ability to communicate even the basic message of the gospel to the children through the bead bracelets, but the children were so patient with us and usually an interpreter showed up even if it was someone not cast in that role. I was most blessed when the Lord caused a harvest of souls the very last night in response to a prayer that God show his power to encourage us. Many of those same people who came forward had been there each of the previous three nights, God just chose to move that night. I hope it was an encouragement to the pastors of the churches…
-Carol May, Spring Yucatán Team Send Me 2012
My biggest revelation was “why do I feel so close to the people in Cancun and have a very different feeling about the Hispanic people in NWA?” I realized that I haven’t taken the time to get to know the people here in NWA, like I got to know the people there in Mexico. Since being home I have had an interaction with a Hispanic lady and went beyond my normal courtesy and extended myself to the lady and came away with a completely different feeling than I did before the trip. I now have a copy of Rosetta Stone in Spanish ordered and on the way to our home.
God continues to open our eyes to what He wants for us as individuals and churches. He wants us to reach out with the love He has provided us. I know He must see me as even more pitiful that I saw the Mexican people. Lord help me to love others like You love me.
–Harvey Bowman, Spring Yucatán Team Send Me 2012
