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