Spring Break: Nuevo Progresso

Tim Walsten is on student ministry staff at Orchard Hill. He and his wife Shelby and one other staff led 12 high schoolers on the trip to Nuevo Progresso. Tim writes the following for an interview that was in the local high school newspaper:

*What do you think is the most rewarding thing about taking high school students on mission trips? I think the most rewarding aspect of taking students on mission trips is giving them the opportunity to experience a different culture, build real and authentic relationships (no technology needed) with each other and leaders, and seeing God at work in their hearts and in the hearts and lives of those they witness to all over the world. It really pumps me up to see students having tons of fun actually serving on these mission trips that they pay to go on! It's not a burden and in fact for some it's one of the best trips of their life! They serve, they love, they learn, they grow, they're challenged, and they slow down to truly experience God in their life and in the location they are serving.

*What was your favorite experience from this trip to Mexico?My favorite experience this year was seeing God's work through an opportunity that we've never experienced before. A couple weeks before the trip a mom of a student going felt God tugging her heart asking her to donate a hundred dollars to help with whatever I thought was appropriate. During the house building process one of the retired men, Gary, who was helping realized that electricity would be available in the near future. He offered his electrical expertise to help us wire the house for electricity and lights! When I asked Gary how much it would cost, he said it would be about a hundred dollars! I was awestruck at how God works in amazing ways. It was so rewarding to see the students complete the construction of the house and be able to install some lights with a generator. Shelby, my wife, and I have never had the chance for students to install lights in any of the previous years of building. I found so much joy in seeing the families’ reaction to there new home with lights and electricity and getting the opportunity to pray for them and their future is such a neat experience year after year.

*Do you plan on taking another mission trip to Mexico next year? Yes! One of our mission strategies is to build long lasting relationships with those we serve and work with to serve. It’s our strategy to go serve in the same places year after year where we’ve built relationships with those living, working, and serving permanently in that location. While we may be serving different people every year, we work with those people who are experts in knowing the culture where we’re serving. To be able to continually work with these experts, it all comes down to the relationships we’ve built with them. For my wife and I, it’s truly a blessing and honor to partner year after year with Bob and Esther Scott and their retired friends who spend their winters in Pine to Palm RV Park and serving in Nuevo Progresso, Mexico.