Cancun - 2025

This year the BACC Mission Team is in Cancun and each day a member of the team shares their experience. You can see how God is moving through the week here.

Thursday, June 12th - As we all got up this morning (way earlier than any of us wanted), we had the harsh reality that we were going home. We each packed our bags, stuffing them full of stinky clothes, sandy bathing suits, and slightly damp towels. Up and ready to leave for the airport by 7am. Leaving the house we had called home as a great big family for the last 5 days. It was bittersweet to leave it behind, but we weren't leaving empty-handed!

Before we left a week ago, we had put in a lot of time and preparations to be ready to go, we had been covered in prayer many times over, and each of us was expectant of what God had waiting for us. We knew that He would use us, and that our time away from our families would not be wasted.

From the very beginning we banded together at the airport in Dallas, encouraging each other despite being hungry and tired, none of us sure of how long that day would actually be. Once there, we were quick to swap out with a team member when we could see they were exhausted from the heat and hard work we were doing at the community center.  So many deep conversations, getting to know each other better, and learning more about each other, about ourselves, and about this God that we came to serve by loving on some of His kids - whatever that happened to look like! 

Despite sick team members and interns, spills that required extra clean up, minor conflicts that tried to distract us, and exhaustion that could seem overwhelming at times, we persevered. We banded together with the common purpose of serving this great, amazing, faithful God that we serve. This week truly felt like the Kingdom working together for His purpose! And even though we are leaving Cancun, we know that our work is not done yet!

Even as I write this on the plane, God continues to work through us, as I comfort the woman that was sat next to me, struggling to be at peace during the turbulence. Even in these moments He calls me to serve...in my every day!

So while we are exhausted physically, I think I can speak for each of us and say that none of us are coming back the same. God met us in the unknowns this week, and He was faithful in answering the prayers that were raised both before and during this trip. We are excited to continue moving on what He has put on our hearts, and to share with those who want to know more. And we hope that many will want to know more and ask us!

We come back revived in our spirits, ready and willing vessels to be used in whatever way we are lead (although I think any of us would tell you how much we look forward to our own showers and our own beds, and maybe even temperatures that don't instantly make you feel sick as soon as you step outside). Now we look forward to sharing these stories that God has now weaved into each of our stories!

Crystal

Wednesday, June 11th - One thing that stuck out to me today (6/11/25) was during time with the kids. They were in a social studies type class. We were watching a documentary on a Kenyan tribe, and I must say, it was VERY interesting. It was in Spanish but that doesn’t matter to what happened. Actually it doesn't really matter that we were watching a documentary because it was right as we were leaving after the documentary. Anyway, this one kid was waving at the translator right next to me then he moved back to sit with her. I was looking over there and then he saw me and I waved. We then waved for a good three minutes and kept pretty strong eye contact. It was pretty awkward before that because me and my group were just sitting there. Watching. Waiting. Anywayyy, it was fun!

Jimmy

Tuesday, June 10th - Woke up this morning around 7 am! Ate breakfast at 7:30 which was cooked by Bo, Jimmy, and! They made eggs and bacon that were extremely fueling for the long day we had ahead of us!

We left the house at 8AM and went to the community center (centro comunitario de tres reves) to form more connections! We got to the community center and met the social work team. The social workers took us into the houses of families who have children in the program. We all packed into the vans and headed to offer prayer and deliver food to those families. We brought the families back to the community center and divided into two teams, the tortilla team and the salsa team! Each team was working together to create their food. It took Isaac about 17 times create a singular tortilla and Bo got up to 2 tortillas per minute!!!!

Once all of our food was created, we shared a meal with our group, families, and staff!

For the next few hours, we participated in quiet time, small group, and lunch! While in quiet time and small group, we focused on “ hope in the face of the impossible “. Lunch was prepared by the back-to-back staff and was certainly delicious. During lunch we made the staff try American foods (they decided sweet tart ropes and nutri grain bars were the favorites )

After lunch, the kids started to arrive. We started off as a group and played telephone with actions instead of words. from there, we split off into groups of 3/4 and went into the different classrooms. The classroom that Nicole, paige, Peyton, and I were in we learned about firefighters, which is “Bomberos” in Spanish! We made crafts participated in icebreaker questions to get to know each other a little bit better. In the classroom that Bo, Isaac, and Jimmy were in learned about patience.

After classrooms, we were able to play with the kids. The boys played soccer and the girls played board games. It was most of the kids last time seeing us so we wish them farewell and headed back to the house for dinner. For dinner we had steak tacos, which were absolutely delicious.

After dinner we did our reflection time and talked about ways we see God moving in our lives. A significant point was an activity lead by Janice which was each person wrote down something they were “leaving” in Cancun. For example i left athletic validation. 

After reflection we did our nightly candy salad and game time! Candy salad theme was based off of your first initial. Example: Paige brought Peanut M&M’s. We ended the night with charades!

Grace

Monday, June 9th - Today I woke up extremely exhausted. I wanted to go right back to bed but I got up anyway. We had an amazing breakfast and then we moved into quiet time. I almost fell asleep many times during quiet time. When we left for the community center I got a pounding headache and the day wasn’t looking up for a while. We started our work day and I was hot and sweaty and my head was hurting very bad. I didn’t want to say anything because I thought people would be mad at me for some reason so I was quiet until I couldn’t handle it and I sat down. People checked up on me and asked if I was okay and no one seemed to be upset at me. It made me realize that no one would be mad or upset at me for feeling bad, which is a big step for me because I have thought that for a long time.

After working for a few hours, we had lunch together and then went to hangout with the kids. We went into their classroom and they were learning about firefighters today. We each went with a kid and we did dancing activities with them. We then split into groups and we had to make a firefighter on paper. I was with Ben and David and 4 kids. One of the kids was a little girl that I bonded with last year when I came. She is a very quiet girl and she was sitting in the corner a bit. Everyone else in the group was putting together the firefighter while she was sitting watching. She looked like she wanted to be involved but she just didn’t know how to join in. I was using a crayon and I looked over and pointed to the crayon and then the paper and her face lit up and she started coloring with the crayon. She then wanted to make a beard with cotton balls on the firefighter. When I got my hands dirty she went out of her way to get me a paper towel without asking and it made me so happy. She kept being creative and being more of herself. 

When we were finished and went back inside, I saw her a few times and waved at her and she would smile and wave back. When I was leaving, she waved at me first and smiled. It made my day worth all the headaches just to see her smile and wave at me when I was leaving. When I was a kid I was just like her. I wouldn’t talk and I would stay out of things. But when people made me feel seen, I would open up more. It made me happy to make someone come out of their shell a bit because I know how it feels to be shy and anxious. I think God was reminding me of how I was and how it feels to be a quiet girl and that I should reach out to more kids like myself to make them realize it is okay to be quiet and people still do see you even if you feel invisible.

Aaliyah

We left church for the community center, where we congregated for a nice lunch, crafted by Paige, Bo, and myself. We sat around a giant table under the palapas, and chatted, and had a conversation about why Cancun was chosen for a mission trip, presented by Dan and Janice. After that, we were given a tour of the community center. Post-tour, we were delivered a job, which was sanding down the pergola, and we stained half the poles, that kept it suspended, and some of the overhead bars. We then proceeded to Parque de Palapas, where we ate probably too much food. I personally had a birria taco, a pollo de empanada, a pollo de quesadilla, a horchata, a marquesita, and a gelato. We went home, where Janice gave a debrief, Crystal sung (and played) Goodness of God, then we did one-word answers to different aspects of our day to describe it, then we made a candy salad together, and we rounded off the night by playing cards.
Isaac

Saturday, June 7th - On friday night I went to play pickleball with Riley, John and Pete. We got there and Pete and I won a few games and we were about to start another game when Riley threw me the ball. I guess I was running over to grab it and collapsed, I honestly can’t remember what happened. I opened my eyes and looked at my knee and knew I messed it up and I immediately started saying things like call 911 and call my mom. Riley comforted me the entire time holding my hand and telling me everything was gonna be okay, she even got to ride in the ambulance with me. They gave me some meds and before I knew it, it was back in place, and apparently me on meds is pretty funny  .

Now that was friday night and we left on saturday morning, so obviously we were all asking the question of if I could go and if I should go. I knew I needed to go and I didnt want anything to come between that, but I was also scared because I'd never done anything like this to my body. I wasn’t sure if the pain would stay the same or if it would progress, I had no idea of knowing. We decided that I would try and go because I have a knee brace and crutches which makes the pain bearable.

It took me 1 1/2 to fall asleep because I was so scared that if I moved my leg or positioned it in a certain way I would dislocate it again. Obviously the doctor said that wasn’t possible with the brace on and I knew that, but I was scared. I ended up getting two hours of sleep which is exactly what you need for the day we had ahead of us.

We woke up at 3:20 and got everything ready to go before we picked Grace up. We headed to the airport and we walked in and I could see the look of concern on everyone’s faces. I tried to reassure them saying I’m okay and it’s okay, but I feel like they could read the concern and worry. Nicole got me a wheelchair and I got to roll through the airport in style. The TSA line was super long, all the way to the parking garage long. We got in line and waited and when we got up to the scanners I learned I would have to walk on crutches through the scanner and then be done. Well my brace had metal and I couldn’t stand so that didn’t work. so I got my first pat down and had to take my brace off for the first time. We wheeled and walked our way to our gate and met a kind woman named Josie. Josie helped me get an aisle seat and aisle chair. Crystal and I were the last ones to enter the plane and I was wheeled through the isle to the back of the plane. which trust me it’s just as embarrassing as it sounds.

We landed in Dallas and it felt like it took forever to pull the plane up to where we could get off. Crystal was sitting in front of me and she said me and her were probably not going to be able to make it until tomorrow. When she said that I felt defeated and I was so upset. because everyone else was capable of running to the other terminal and making it on that plane…in theory. I was determined to find a way, so Crystal grabbed our stuff and I hopped like a bunny down that aisle ready to get to that terminal. But of course we didn’t make it. I got in the wheelchair and a escort says he had bad news for us, and he said we missed our flight. My heart felt like it sunk into stomach because it was because of me. We got wheeled to the american airlines help desk where we were met with a not so pleasant woman.

This woman obviously was ready for her airport day to be over and was tired of customers. She got our passports and started looking for a flight for only me and Crystal. She made that very clear that it was only for me and Crystal. She called our gate before telling us our options and they said they had closed the gate. But Nicole sat in row 9 so she could run and get them to hold the plane. She hadn’t called or texted to say they would or wouldn’t hold it…Nicole hadn’t made it and neither had the rest of the team.

Slowly but surely more and more seats on different flights throughout the day starting opening up. Even though a lot of them were standby and not confirmed. This felt like the biggest miracle because before we didn’t think a single one of us would get on another plane today. As more and more seats opened so did this woman’s heart. She would try every way and anyway to get someone on a flight. Finally we all were on standby and everyone but David had a flight for today. So we made our way across the airport from terminal B to terminal C, going up and down escalators, elevators and trams. We finally made it to standby and we waited and got food. When someone came on the announcements for our flight and said no standby passengers. Horray-no one got on a plane! Jk, that was sad because David could have been on that plane. But, alas. Next we headed to terminal D, me Nicole and Ben rode elevators and trams talking about why the airport was set up like this but we were all calm about this whole situation. We had about an hour until our flight left and just enough time for food. We were all starving because CVG was so backed up we had no time for Chick-fil-a :(. But of course with our luck there was two places to eat and 1 grab and go store. I grabbed a “fancy” or not so good charcuterie board and called it a day. We waited till our boarding groups were called and hopped on that plane. Aaliyah, Crystal, Nicole and I had tickets for this flight. I knew this was all God the moment I found out we had extended leg room and seats all together. My brace forces me to keep my leg straight all day every day, which as you can imagine isn’t ideal for a plane. But I was comfortable on that plane - well as comfortable as someone can be on a plane. Then slowly team members started trickling on. Ben, Bo David, Jimmy and lsaac. And then we heard that Janice and Grace may or may not be able to get on the plane. Then we saw them- Grace and Janice got on the plane!!! We were so excited and exhausted that we just starting cheering and clapping our hands in joy. We all got on the SAME FLIGHT ON SATURDAY!! No one can tell me that wasn’t all God. GOD IS GOOD!! ALL THE TIME!!

We landed and found our way through customs, which was super quick! Then to find our bags and pray that Dan and the rest of the staff were there waiting for us. They were!!! They greeted us and we met the new and returning interns and praised God. We drove to the house and unpacked and got settled in shortly before dinner started. FYI, if you love food you should join us, it’s delicious. We then played games to learn more about back2back and what the Cancun site does and obviously my team won- duh. Then we came inside and started my favorite part of the day, debrief. We share what our picture of the day is, or thoughts and feelings of the day and answer questions Janice provides for us. Picture of the day is your favorite moment or a picture from the day, just something you want to remember. We all share and it’s cool to see what everyone loved from that day. My picture of the day was sitting on the tram with Ben and Nicole and just talking. It was cool to see nicole in a stress free way- well as stress free as she can be . And to just hang out with Ben, he’s a pretty cool guy. Overall today was great day. definitely one i won’t forget!
Paige

Mission Trip - 2024 Cancun

This year the BACC Mission Team is in Cancun and each day a member of the team shares their reflections on how God is moving through the week. You can follow their trip here.

Saturday, June 15th. After months of planning, preparing and fundraising, most of our alarms went off before 4 am this morning to make the trek to Cancun. As we stood in the airport, with many vacation travelers rushing to get their vacations started, we stood and prayed together, knowing our connecting flight was going to be a challenge, and wanting to make sure we were open to whatever God had planned for our team, and He took many opportunities throughout the day to show up for us. 

Most of us had never been on a mission trip, and only a few had ever been to Cancun. But we stood in line and checked our bags, then made it through security to wait for the first flight. Overall a simple, straightforward morning, but we knew there was still a long day of travel ahead of us. 

As we got off the plane in the Dallas airport, the next flight was already boarding. So all 11 of us crammed into the tram that gave us the best chance to make it, leaning against each other to stay standing because there was nowhere left to grab on. Three stops later we all quickly got off, headed down the escalator, and rushed to find the gate. 

As we passed the last bathroom before the gate, we questioned whether we had time. In that moment, a team member received a text that the flight had been delayed by 30 minutes. We went from rushing, hungry, desperately needing to use the restroom, to being able to take a deep breath. We now had plenty of time to get food if we wanted, and to make sure we were all ready for the next flight. God made it pretty obvious that so many people were praying, and that He was all over us, so that we didn’t have to worry.

As we boarded the plane, we had a plan to swap some of the seats, to let the teens sit together. It went flawlessly until a family with a baby stopped and said that I was in their seat. Since I had switched, I checked to make sure, and sure enough, we had both been given the same seat. When we checked with the flight attendant, she confirmed that the family had been assigned that seat, and we tracked down my new seat. 

When she gave me the actual seat assignment, someone else was sitting there as well. As I debated what to do, a fellow passenger offered one of the 2 empty seats next to him. As soon as I got settled in, though, those 2 passengers came to claim their seats, and I had to move again, this time to the correct seat. It was definitely the most I have had to change seats in a flight. But as I sat and chatted with the friendly passenger I was now sitting next to, I realized how thankful it was me, and not one of the teens that I had switched with, that had to figure out that situation. Yet again, God made His plan better.

After the last few weeks of trials for many team members, it was great to sit back and see the relationships deepen, and see God working throughout the day with provisions that I don’t think I would have ever thought to ask for. As we arrived at the house and got settled in, then we had dinner, and ended with debriefing. There is a sense of excitement, despite the exhaustion that most of us feel. As we shared and prayed over the coming week, we are anticipating the many more ways that we will see God move throughout this week!

Sunday, June 16th. We started the day with a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs and leftover steak from tacos  the previous night. It was fun trying to decipher what the flavors of yogurt there were because they were in Spanish. I am still not sure what flavor of yogurt I ate but it was yummy.

We start most days with some training. Todays was on how we develop healthy and unhealthy belief systems. That lead into a teaching about how trauma effects children.

Next we piled into 2 huge vans and went to church. The music/worship was awesome as was the sermon.  We each had a headset and young man in a back booth translated the sermon into English.  We all felt blessed.  The sermon was on The path to transformation through service. The minister even mentioned the Bengals! ( just kidding Andy). 

Next we went to the community center for our work day.  Some of the group power washed and cleaned the play ground equipment. Others of us sanded down and painted stain on the men's and women's bathroom doors, door frames and mirrors.  It was hard but rewarding work.  We all felt a sense of community with the team work.  Lots of conversations about our lives, dreams, family’s ,work, etc while we worked. 

We went to a special park with lots of food vendors for dinner.  Lots of fun, interesting choices, especially the desserts!

We came home for debriefing and sharing our highlights from the day. Then off to bed in preparation for another day of learning, loving and serving. Tomorrow we get to spend time with some of the kids at the center; that should be fun.

Monday, June 17th. We started the day earlier today than yesterday, but somehow we all made it down to eat a delicious breakfast of eggs, waffles, pb&j, and more! Next we met for Trauma Competent Care Training, where we learned about the different parts of the brain responsible for the fight/flight/freeze response, learning and emotional regulation. It gave us a glimpse into the science behind the problem behaviors of kids from hard situations. It made me think about kids in my own life and what I can do differently going forward to understand, provide better for their needs, and alter my expectations of their behavior.

Next, we left for Tres Reyes, just as it started pouring rain! The plan had been to paint and do some other work outside, but instead we were tasked with cleaning and organizing inside the Center. Some of us organized giant bins of craft materials, decorations, and activities and games, while the rest of us swept, mopped and dusted all around the Community Center. During this time, we also split into 2 groups and had the opportunity to be part of a session in the Educational Program, which was fun and educational even for us! 

After this we cleaned up our projects and had lunch, which was turkey sandwiches, lots of fruits and veggies, and… MORE PB&J! Obviously the Mexican PB is a huge hit! After lunch we had a little time to relax and have some quiet time before more kids arrived to spend some time hanging out and playing with us. Some played Uno with us, some played cars, a few puzzles, a huge tower of blocks turned train, and some of us did crafts with older teenagers. I was one of the group who volunteered to hang out and do a craft with the teenagers. We got to help them make a keychain craft, which involved dough made from smashed white bread, vinegar, and lotion! I was blown away when i found out the recipe, because it looked and felt just like playdoh. I sat down at a table with another volunteer and 3 teenaged boys, not sure what to say or do. I took 4 years of high school Spanish, but I didn’t think I remembered much at all. As we sat and tried to help them decide what to create with their clay, I thought of a few words I remembered and tried to speak with them. I think they understood a little of what I was saying at times, but either way they seemed very amused by my attempts, which was just as good in my opinion. We looked up some pictures on the computer and eventually found out some of the boys’ interests. One boy searched for an image of something he wanted to create and showed it to me. Amazingly it was a 4-leaf clover he wanted to make! This was so amazing because I have an uncanny ability to find 4-leaf clovers, especially when I’m going through especially hard and emotional situations in life! I expressed my excitement and showed him a picture on my phone of a bunch of them I found in one day a while back, and we started work on his project. He let me sculpt 2 of the leaves and then he very carefully molded the rest and painted it green, and even let me help paint a couple final details. When it was time for them to go, he held out his fist for a fist bump, smiled and said, “Gracias!” It was an amazing experience for me and I hope he enjoyed working with me and laughing at/with me too!

We had some quiet time and small group time before heading outside to the Palapa to experience an inspiring time of worship with the Back 2 Back Staff. We worshiped in both Spanish and English and it was clear to everyone that God’s presence is in all places, all languages, and all people!

Afterwards, we piled back into the vans to head back to the house to have a delicious dinner prepared by the wonderful kitchen staff at Tres Reyes. Tomorrow we will get a chance to visit some of the families and kids at their homes, which I am greatly looking forward to!

Tuesday, June 18th. Being completely honest, today started off as a bit of a struggle. I woke up feeling so tired and didn't want to get out of bed. But eventually, I dragged myself downstairs to the irresistible smell of bacon and peanut butter. With a full belly, I was ready to tackle the day.

Stepping outside, I realized it was wet and unfortunately slipped and fell. Shaking it off, I hopped onto the "party bus" where music filled the air, and we chatted and laughed all the way to the community center.

Upon arrival, we met the social workers' team and kicked off the day with a fun morning dance in the palapa. We got our energy up, running around and being goofy. Then, it was time for our prayer visits. My group met a wonderfully sweet and connected family. They welcomed us with open arms and big smiles. We prayed over them, and it was a very powerful moment.

Afterward, some of the team members connected with the mothers by cooking a meal together. Meanwhile, my friends and I played with the kids, engaging and having fun. Once the cleaning was done, we spread out for some quiet time and read our devotional books. Reading always makes me sleepy, but I managed to read through it all, and it was truly impactful. I even dozed off on the chair for a bit.

Lunchtime came, and we gathered with our small groups to discuss what we had read. I enjoyed two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and some apples. After lunch, we had more time with the kids, playing, connecting, and coloring.

One particularly sweet moment was with a little boy named Rovsiel (I hope I spelled that right). I sat next to him and drew a picture with his name, a big heart, and phrases in Spanish like "Dios te ama" (God loves you) and "Nada es imposible con Dios" (Nothing is impossible with God). His happiness was so evident when I gave it to him. He even gave me his drawing in return and hugged me. It truly made my heart happy.

As the day wound down, we had some time to reflect on our experiences. We shared our thoughts and feelings with each other, which brought us even closer as a group. The sense of community and the bonds we formed today were truly special.

Before heading to bed, I took a moment to journal about the day's events. Writing it all down helped me process everything we had experienced. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to be here and make a difference in the lives of these wonderful people.
Maya McKeehan

Tuesday, June 18th. I was on breakfast crew this morning and I woke up feeling like it was going to be a great day. My alarm went off at 6am because we had to make sure we had time to make the requested bacon for breakfast! We had an amazing spead for the team to eat (FYI … humidity and smoke from bacon don’t mix well). 

We packed up the vans & headed to the community center. When we arrived, we met with the social workers since we were doing home visits. During this time, they played a song & taught us a dance. We got in a big circle and danced around laughing and having so much fun. Once we were pumped up, we got back in the vans and headed to the houses. 

My group got to visit with a mom who had 2 children and a husband. We were able to ask if she had any prayer requests and pray over her and her family. It was truly a beautiful moment to see the love and faith this family has for each other. After the home visit, we took the mom & kiddos back to the community center to have connection time with the moms. My favorite part of the drive back to the community center was when Dan asked the mom if she would prefer to make homemade tortillas OR salsa (I was hoping she said salsa) and sure enough, she did! My inner foodie was SO excited! I was beyond excited to learn how to make authentic salsa. 

We arrived at the community center & started on our salsa. Our group made verde, pico de gallo, and guacamole. The smell was *chef’s kiss*. The other group made tortillas with the press which was really fun to do. It might have been the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. 

When that activity was over, we had quiet time/small group which brought on really great conversation and connection within our group. We then transitioned to hanging out with the kiddos … soccer time!! They played their little hearts out until it was time for their class. 

We split off into smaller groups and got to participate in the acitivity. We made keychains with them and my kiddo and I made a yin and yang symbol. After the activity, we went out to the palapas where the moms of the town had their tables set up with things they’ve made. We were able to shop around and support them which felt like a true blessing. I wanted to buy one of everything! You can tell they put their heart into the work they do. 

After the ladies cleaned up, the team had dinner that was homemade by the B2B staff. Again, absolutely delicious! We packed up the vans and headed back to the house where we all found joy in spending time with one another. We finished the day by doing pilates, reading/journaling, card games, and my favorite so far, the pool (except I learned that I am not so good at pool games…). Reflecting on today, it was by far the most fun I’ve had yet. I am eager to see what our last day has in store for us! 
Alex

Wednesday, June 19th. Sadly today was our last full day in Cancun. And boy have I had the time of my life. I can confidently say I have made a deep connection with every single person on this trip. I have laughed and cried with this community here. And I couldn’t have wished for a better group, and today signified that for me.   

This morning I woke up absolutely exhausted. But I knew I needed to wake up, to have a great day. So I begrudgingly got out of bed and got ready. Walked down stairs to the smell of bacon and eggs, made by our wonderful breakfast crew. I ate bacon, eggs, and a waffle. Which I can confidently say was delicious. After breakfast I helped clean up the dishes and packed my bag full of everything I could need, including my beach items. Then me and Aaliyah went out front and played ping pong, both almost face planting on the slippery tiles. Then loaded up into the Party bus (The fun Van, where we jammed out and laughed so much). 

As soon as we arrived we sat under the Palapas with Dan and Darlene. And, asked a bunch of questions relating to B2B, the community, and how we can support them once we leave. Which was very cool and impactful. After that we went inside and got a big group of people together and played Giant Spoons. All you could hear was laughter and fruitful conversations everywhere you looked. 

After our awesome Giant spoons games we went back outside under the palapa. Where Crystal led us in a time of worship, which was not only insightful but impactful. Then we transitioned into quiet time where we went through our devotional and read Psalms 51. After spending time with the Lord we shifted into our small groups. My small group consisted of Charles, Alex, Crystal, and I. Where we opened up to each other about the people in our lives who build us up and support our walk with Christ. 

After lunch with the Staff. A whole bunch of us played a game of spicy Uno and waited to hear updates about the beach. During the duration of our trip it rained and rained, driving down the road had many pot holes full of water and what looked like pools of water on the sides of roads. And due to all this access water we sadly canceled our beach trip. But we were soon cheered up by mopping up excess water in some learning spaces at the community center. Which to some of you doesn't sound like fun, but that was when you connected  with each other the most (other than the awesome jam sessions in the party bus). 

Soon after starting a quick game of fishbowl we sadly got the news that it was time to leave. So we loaded up the vans and headed back to the house. Where Dan and Isaac talked about ways to stay connected with the kids. Then Handel led us in some amazing worship. Where each person connected on a deeper level with the lord. 

Dinner was delicious as always and then while I was talking to Janice, Maya knocked on the window. She had a FULLY GROWN COCONUT!! This entire week coconuts have been falling off the trees by the pool and obviously I have cracked every one open. And everyone had been rotten and unripe. Which has been so sad but so fun. So to say I was excited to see a fully grown one was an understatement. And after getting Meah (one of the interns) to help me we finally cracked it open. And once again it was rotten (nooooo). So I slumped inside and got ready for debrief with Janice, while she led us through an exercise and a picture of the day. 

Now after debrief is free time so you can do whatever you want. So I talked with the group and we decided if we couldn’t go to the beach we had to have a pool party. So in the pool we went, we laughed, we talked and everything in between. During our Pool party Janice decided we had to play fishbowl, so we played for what feels like forever. But after a downpour we decided to end the game. And we all went our separate ways some showered, some talked in the living room and some went to bed. Then around 11 pm. I decided I would go downstairs and see what everyone was up to. And sure enough they were getting ready for their nightly Pilates, so I joined and laughed while trying to follow our youtube instruster Nicole. And to end the night I played a game of Giant Spicy Uno with Abby. Someone I didn’t know before but now can confidently call her a friend, my banana split buddy. This was an amazing day on my first mission trip!!
~ Paige