Ten days in Veracruz
After a little over an hour’s drive, I arrived in Veracruz by bus from Orizaba. There, Nayeli, a sister from a local church, picked me up by car and took me to her house in Boca del Rio (literally “mouth of the river”), a place that has grown together with Veracruz over time.
I stayed there with her and her mother Judith for ten days before continuing on to Hermosillo. They set up a separate room for me with a bed, air conditioning, and even my own bathroom. I really enjoyed staying there. The two of them took excellent care of me and provided me with everything I needed. Within a very short time, I felt like part of the family.
Since I already had a contact in Veracruz before my arrival, some brothers in christ there were able to prepare some activities for me.
Saturday
On Saturday, I slept in because I didn’t hear my alarm clock in vibration mode again due to the humming of the air conditioner. But that was actually good for me because I really needed some extra sleep. After I woke up, it was already time to prepare lunch. The day before, we had quickly bought most of the ingredients for schnitzel and fries, which we now prepared for ourselves and two other borthers from the community. The schnitzel was very tasty and the Mexicans liked it as well.
Later, Nayeli showed me the most important and beautiful places in the city. In the afternoon, we drove to the beach at Boca del Rio, where we took a walk barefoot in the sand. This was actually the first time I had been to the beach in Mexico. Later, we went to the Malecón, a beautifully landscaped square at the harbor where there are numerous small shops. In the center, Nayeli bought me some traditional dishes, including a traditional ice cream made from jocote.
Sunday
On Sunday, we went to a church in Boca del Rio and attended two services there. This gave me more time to get to know the people from the church. Afterwards, we went to a café with a group of young adults from the church and stayed there until the evening. We had a very good time and many interesting conversations. On Nayeli’s recommendation, I also tried a taro frappé, which I really liked.
Monday
Early in the morning, I made my way to another part of the city, where I met Ana Keren, a friend of Nayeli, and her mother. Shortly afterwards, we set off for a remote part of the city, which was obviously much poorer. The roads were very bad and full of potholes, and the appearance of the houses also reflected the poverty of the area.
Finally, we arrived at a school, which is actually the home of one of the two teachers. Because many immigrant children do not have papers, they cannot attend normal schools. That is why the two teachers volunteer their time to provide a good education to about 30 children of different ages. This at least gives the children access to education, even if the conditions are not ideal with only two teachers for all age groups and a lack of equipment (e.g. no air conditioning).
That morning, we took time for the children to relieve the teachers. We also brought some toys, clothes, snacks, and drinks. We played various games with the children and told them about Jesus. I told them about some of the things God had done in my life. The children were very happy about the visit and also had some questions about my home country, Germany, which they had hardly heard anything about. Around noon, school was eventually over, so we said goodbye to the children, thanked the teachers, and made our way back.
Ana Keren and her family then invited me to lunch. We had good and entertaining conversations and then played a card game. I really enjoyed the relaxed, friendly, and entertaining nature of the family.
Tuesday
I used Tuesday morning to do some work on my computer. In the afternoon, I prepared a sermon, for a service of a small congregation in the evening. I focused on the Kingdom of God, particularly Matthew 6:33 and what it means to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you! ~ Mat 6:33
Those who focus on the Kingdom of God do not need to worry about the everyday things they need to live, because God already takes care of them. I think that is a powerful promise from God. I invite you to meditate on this verse yourself and what it means to be a citizen and ambassador of this kingdom. I would like to explain the whole sermon here, but I think it would be better to write a separate article about it when I have the opportunity.
Although it was the first time I preached in Spanish, I was able to express myself quite fluently. The Holy Spirit strongly supported me in finding the right words and thoughts.
After the service, a few church members invited me to dinner. They ordered some flautas (also called tacos dorados) and prepared a few other snacks. Since they ordered for more people than were present, I was able to eat three plates with a total of twelve flautas.
Wednesday
I also used Wednesday to work on my computer. In the afternoon, I went with Ana Keren and two sisters from the church to the boulevard to evangelize. Since the other two were a little late, we started evangelizing. When the two finally arrived, we split into two teams of two people each. We had many good conversations that day and were also able to pray for most of the people. I am sure that in many cases God sent us to the right people at exactly the right time that evening.
Afterwards, there was a prayer meeting at Nayeli’s house. We had a very fulfilling time of worship and prayer there. We prayed for each other and for various projects in Veracruz, while the presence of the Holy Spirit was clearly felt.
Thursday
On Thursday afternoon, I was invited to a youth meeting at another church. We used the time for personal exchange, and I shared some of the things I had experienced with God during my time in Mexico. I was also able to encourage the young people to follow God, because anyone who seeks God and follows Him can experience just as much as I have, and even much more. I really enjoyed this personal way of sharing my testimony and talking with the young people, and they were also very interested in my experiences.
Friday
I had no activities planned for Friday. Because I had heard that you can rent inline skates on the boulevard, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity. So in the afternoon, I met up with Ana Keren and her sister Andrea to go skating. The rented skates weren’t ideal, and one of the wheels on one of the shoes was even wobbly, but I quickly got used to them and was still able to skate quite well.
First, we stayed in a spot where there was plenty of space to practice tricks. Then we skated a good distance along the boulevard. The benches, bollards, and bus stops on the boulevard allowed me to use the path like a parkour course, and I was able to navigate elegantly around the passersby. Overall, I enjoyed it very much - especially since I hadn’t been skating for months.
Saturday
On Saturday, I got up very early. First, I helped Nayeli for a few minutes to prepare tortas (sandwiches), which she later distributed with some brothers and sisters from the church in a hospital. The group meets regularly to serve people in the hospital, show them Jesus’ love, and proclaim the saving message of Him.
After we finished with the tortas, Nayeli took me to the house of two brothers and sisters. From there, we set off for the mountains, driving for about four hours through the state of Veracruz.
The state of Veracruz offers a varied landscape. From the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico to the largest mountains in Mexico. The mountain regions are particularly interesting because the population still lives in a much more rural and traditional way, as many villages are still difficult to reach. There are now many roads, but some of them are gravel roads, and the drive takes several hours from the last major city, Orizaba, through countless curves to the small villages.
We visited the village of Cuahuixtlahuac. The contact was established through a villager who moved to the city to study and was converted there. For some time now, church members have been traveling there regularly to talk about Jesus and pray for the people.
Once there, we visited the families who live there one by one. To do this, we simply drove along the only road in the village. Each family greeted us with joy, as they already knew my companions from previous visits. We asked about their well-being and talked a little about their current situation. Afterwards, we held a short service and prayed for the families.
Although the families did not have much, they were extremely hospitable and offered us drinks, food, and fresh fruit. Most of the people there make a living from agriculture, growing bananas, mangoes, papayas, or corn, for example. The working conditions are hard and the standard of living is lower than in the cities, but globalization has now reached this area as well. Although there are no windows and some of the roofs are made of corrugated iron, the walls of the houses are almost entirely made of stone and there is usually some form of water supply in the houses. A few small private shops can also be supplied with products via the road.
We spent the night in the house of one of the families. As it had rained a little beforehand, it wasn’t quite as hot. Nevertheless, I didn’t sleep particularly well on my air mattress.
Sunday
On Sunday, we got up early, had breakfast, and set off on our return journey at 8 am. It was very interesting for me to get to know the different families and see how generous they were despite their poverty. I would have liked to stay there longer, because the families need someone to teach them how to live as new creations in Christ and in divine health. This is especially necessary there, because access to medical care is difficult.
This time, I found the drive through the mountains a little more pleasant - probably because we covered the winding part first and then got on the highway.
We returned to Veracruz just in time for the service, where I met Nayeli, Ana Keren, and many other brothers and sisters whom I already had to say goodbye to. Afterwards, we went to a restaurant where I tried pozole (corn stew) for the first time, which I really enjoyed.
In the evening, Nayeli and I visited a friend who suffered from a rare disease that made her extremely sensitive to light and caused her to spend most of her time in her dark room. At first, she told me her story, how the disease had started and how she had gained insights into the spiritual world in the hospital and, among other things, could see angels. I was able to encourage her with my healing testimony and the Word of God. Afterwards, we had a long time of worship and prayer. To be honest, I haven’t felt the presence of God as strongly as I did in that moment for a long time. It was truly wonderful, and Nayeli prayed powerfully for her friend.
Monday
On Monday morning, I quickly packed my things, had breakfast, and then we set off for the airport. Nayeli and Judith accompanied me, and just as we arrived at the security checkpoint, we ran into Nayeli’s aunt and cousin. Her aunt had recently prayed to reconnect with Judith due to personal circumstances and was overjoyed at this encounter. How wonderful our God is, bringing people together in the most creative ways. There are numerous flights between Mexico City and Veracruz every day, and it is extremely unlikely that you would book the same flight on the same day and then run into each other before security.
After we all said goodbye, I had some good conversations with Nayeli’s aunt and we encouraged each other in our faith, because we were even sitting next to each other on the plane. During the stopover in Mexico City, we parted ways, as she flew on to Tijuana and I continued on to Hermosillo.