Eric Pyon

 

Mexico Mission Trip 2008

 

            I felt no excitement when the time to leave to Mexico was drawing near. Perhaps I didn’t because no one had really talked about it, and the training we did for it was a week before. So I just got in the car and left. On the way we picked up Alex, and it was good seeing him after a year. A couple hours later, we arrived at Mexico. My first impressions for the country were bad. There were broken buildings, litter, and graffiti everywhere. Basically, all the broken buildings, litter, and graffiti I have ever seen in my life were summed up in Mexico. Well, maybe not that much, but you get the point. The first day was chill, but the second day was when we started to do our mission. We woke up early to do Bible study. Later on that day, when we were about to leave to the Church, there was a watery bump on my leg. My Youth Pastor used the mornings Bible verse, which spoke of courage and other things, and ripped it open. So from the very beginning of workday, I wore a bandage around. Anyways, the groups were divided into two. One group was to evangelize, while the other tiles the Church. It was hot, but I worked hard for God. During break time, I went in front of the air conditioner and stood there. After tiling, we went to the other churches the missionary built. Then we went to the one where we were to do all of our activities. We went around passing our booklets and invitations, while the Spanish-speaking people did all the talking. When we went back to the Church, I really doubted that people would actually show up, but when time came, the Church started filling up, and after awhile, there were not enough seats for everyone. I was surprised. We sang two songs for the congregation then went to do VBS with the kids that showed up, and I was in charge of soccer. The kids pretty much played on their own, and they didn’t need me to ref. The following day, we did the same routine. The tiling work I was doing at the Church was actually enjoyable compared to the other jobs that were offered. I was scraping the cement between the tiles to make them smooth. After that, our missionary team went to pass out tracks to people around the town. I didn’t worry about people attending the Church today since many people came yesterday, but my stomach was hurting and was putting me in a bad mood since no matter how many times I seem to diarrhea, it still hurt. So I prayed and didn’t ask just to feel better, but I asked for a stronger endurance, tolerance, and better attitude and will to do God’s work because I noticed my attitude became worse. Sports ministry seemed more under control. Then it was time. We were going to eat at the Taco restaurant we were supposed to eat at lunch. I heard a lot of good stuff about this restaurant, but I wasn’t too excited when we were going there. Although I was praying to God to let me stomach pain go away since I wanted to enjoy some authentic Mexican tacos and it came true! We were originally supposed to go for lunch, but it got postponed. Then around dinnertime, my stomach was feeling better. After we ate, everyone was saying that last year’s tacos were much better than this year. I really didn’t care, the only regret I had was the fact that I grabbed a drink they just put into the refrigerator and had to drink a warm drink. But I thanked God because that was my second drink, and my first one was cold, and the fact that he even provided me with two. The next day we went through the same routine. We did VBS twice today however, and it was feasible since I got used to it. Thankfully, the VBS we did at night wasn’t hot but it was humid since it had just rained. I loved the humid weather, and I had heard people prayed for it. I thanked God for the weather although surprisingly, many of the kids preferred hot weather to humid. When we got back, many people stayed up since the next day was going to be a car ride for many hours. So I stayed up, but I went to sleep because nothing fun was happening anymore, and I didn’t want John’s mom to tell us to sleep again. In the car the next day, it was really uncomfortable. The swimming pool we went at Palm Springs was really fun. Then we stayed in the car for the rest of the ride after dropping Alex off, and stopping for dinner at In-N-Out and refilling gas at gas stations. The whole mission trip made me think of how blessed I am. I thanked God for letting me be introduced to Christ at such an early age, and also that fact that he let me go to a mission trip and let me experience God was truly a blessing. I enjoyed this mission trip and realized the mission trip won’t be the same anymore when I’m older. So I decided to cherish every moment of the trip that was left. I wish I had realized this and cherished every moment of it, but I started to at yesterday night. I even cherished the car ride because of the fact that I was with all my friends, and had drivers that were willing to drive the entire way there and back. The mission really went by very fast, and I am truly thankful to God for the experience. I also wanted to thank the people who made food for us, and my Youth Pastor who drove most of the way there. This mission taught me many things about God, and brought me closer to him. It showed me how blessed I am, and that I must take nothing for granted, not even the car ride because it wasn’t crowed most of the time, and we had air conditioning and music. And also because I could sleep whenever I wanted to, while other people did the driving. I want to thank everyone who came to the mission trip with us or prayed for us. I want to pray for the blessing of the three Churches we went to, and the missionary who is working in them. And I pray that the Church without a Pastor will be given one with a dedicated heart that God can use to lead his people. I enjoyed this experience, and I pray God can use me like that again for is work.

 

멕시코에 도착했을때, 멕시코에 대한 첫 인상은 좋지 않았읍니다. 그곳에는 부서진 건물들, 곳곳에 쓰레기와 낙서가 많았읍니다. 첫째날은 도착해서 쉬었고, 둘째날, 우리는 일찍 일어나서 묵상의 시간을 가졌고, 모두가 출발을 하려는데, 제 무릎에 얼마전에 상처가 났던 곳에 물집같이 물이 고여 있는 것을 발견했읍니다. 전도사님이 아침에 묵상했던 담대하고 흔들리지 말라는 성경말씀을 하시면서, 상처난 부분의 물집을 터트려서 치료해 주었읍니다.

선교활동을 할 교회로 도착한 우리는 두 팀으로 나누어서, 한팀은 교회 바닥에 타일을 깔고, 다른 한팀은 전도를 나갔읍니다. 더웠지만, 하나님을 위해 일했읍니다. 너무 더워서, 에어 컨디션앞에 서 있기도 했읍니다. 타일을 깔고 나서, 오후에는 볼런타드 교회에 가서 통역해주는 사람들의 도움으로 전도지와 여름성경학교 초청장을 사람들에게 나누어 주었읍니다. 교회로 돌아왔을때, 저는 초청을 받은 사람들이 몇명이나 올까하고 의심했었읍니다. 그러나, 예배 시간이 되었을때, 사람들이 몰려 오기 시작했고, 자리가 모지랄 정도로 많이 왔읍니다. 그것을 보고 저는 놀랐읍니다. 우리는 준비했던 스페니쉬찬양 두곡을 사람들 앞에서 부르고, 아이들을 데리고 여름성경학교를 했읍니다.

그 다음날, 우리는 그 전날 시작했던 타일과 페인트를 마치고, 그 교회 목사님의 요청으로 여름성경학교를 그 다음날 점심시간때 하기위해, 전도지를 돌리고, 동네 아이들을 초청했읍니다. 그런데, 갑자기 제 배가 아프기 시작했고, 설사를 해서, 기분이 좋지 않았읍니다. 저는 배가 아프지 않게 해달라고 기도했고, 또 아픈것을 참고 견딜수 있는 힘과, 긍정적인 자세와 하나님의 일을 할수 있는 의지가 생기도록 기도했읍니다. 저녁에 볼런타드교회에서 두번째 여름성경학교를 무사히 마치고, 돌아오는 길에 말로만 듣던 멕시코식당에 Taco를 먹으로 갔읍니다.  Taco를 먹을때 쯤 되니까, 기도했던 아팠던 배가 더 이상 아프지 않았읍니다.

마지막날에는 여름성경학교를 타일을 깔았던 교회와 볼런타드 교회 두곳에서 했읍니다. 감사하게도 저녁에는 오후에 내렸던 비 때문에 그다지 덥지않았읍니다. 저는 하나님께 감사를 드렸읍니다.

멕시코 단기 선교는 제가 얼마나 많은 축복을 받은 사람인지 생각하게 했읍니다. 예수님을 어릴때부터 만나게 해 주신 하나님께 감사드렸읍니다. 단기선교를 갈수 있었던 것과 하나님을 체험할수 있도록 해 주신것은 축복이였읍니다.단기선교는 하나님에 대한 많은 것을 제게 가르쳐 주었고, 그분께 더 가까이 오도록 해 주었읍니다. 제가 얼마나 축복받은 사람인가를 보여주었고, 당연한 것으로 생각했던, 많은 것들에 대한 감사함이 생겼읍니다. 음식을 만들어 주신분들과 운전하신분들께 감사드립니다. 단기선교를 함께 갔던 모든 사람들과 기도해 주신 모든 분들께 감사드립니다. 저는 우리가 갔었던 세 교회와 선교사님을 위해서 기도하기를 원합니다. 그리고, 담임목사님이 없는 콜로소 교회에 목사님이 오실수 있도로 기도합니다. 또, 하나님께서 저를 이번 단기선교때와 같이 쓰시기를 기도합니다.