in Spanish

During Hispanic Heritage Month, IMB highlights the contribution of Hispanics to global missions and celebrates the growing number of Hispanic churches committed to reaching the nations. Resources on Hispanic Church missionary work are available through the IMB..

The first seven months of Yemile Flores’ journeymanship have been busy – jam-packed, actually. This summer, she supervised university students serving in Guadalajara, Mexico, as part of the International Mission Board’s Summer Sojourners program for students. Flores is a product of Summer Sojourners and served as a university student.

Yemile Flores, a city in the city center, is in charge of a photo with some readers and Mexican Christians after a biblical studio. Part of the Yemile tarea consists of local reading books. Photo by IMB

Before the summer began, Flores and her teammates adopted a university, scouted the campus and developed a plan for the student team.

Flores is familiar with college ministry, having served on two campuses for Baptist Student Ministries in Texas, but this was her first time ministering on a campus where there was no visible Christian presence. After visiting her chosen campus, she saw no opportunity to minister there because of limited access and the number of places she could minister.

University campuses in Mexico are highly secure and use facial recognition, so even physical access to campus is a challenge. Anyone found proselytizing will be expelled from the campus.

She called her team leader, discouraged because he didn’t know what to do or where to start.

Her team leader encouraged her not to give up, even though the challenge of taking on a new job seemed overwhelming.

Flores learned to trust the Lord and the training she received from the IMB, so she set out to build a ministry from nothing.

Open doors

Flores said her team’s goal is to engage short-term volunteers and empower and train local leaders.

Her IMB team and national partners train local leaders who are part of a student mission team. Her experience with student mission in the U.S. has given her the knowledge to seek out and invest in leaders who are committed to reaching their campuses.

Norah, a summer host, shares the gospel with a student in Guadalajara, Mexico. Norah was one of many students Flores worked with this summer in Mexico. IMB photo

Five groups of summer visitors came to help for five consecutive weeks. Flores delegated roles to national leaders and partners who had a vested interest in growing and learning more about their role on campus.

Christian university students were hesitant to work with the Sojourners because doing so could result in them being expelled from the university. One of the leaders was initially hesitant, but over the course of the summer the Lord softened his heart and awakened in him a desire and hunger to share. He showed a willingness to step out of his comfort zone. The Lord gave Flores the words that propelled him forward in times of discipleship and in times of fear.

The Summer Sojourners, the first group of volunteers and Mexican leaders, went to work building relationships on campus.

Coffee and campus access

Kate, a volunteer from a BSM in Texas, opened the door for pastoral care on campus.

Flores had to make split-second decisions about how and where to involve the students. After a quick visit to a printing shop, Kate, Flores and friends went to a cafe to cut out and prepare flyers for an English club. Kate got talking to the barista named Valeria. Kate and Flores asked Valeria if they could hang a flyer in the café.

Valeria passed the request on to the owner. The owner texted and asked Flores if they would host the English club at the cafe. Flores took the time to talk to him before telling him that they were missionaries and wanted to host a Bible study after the English club for anyone who wanted to stay.

“The Lord gave me a lot of peace and understanding in this conversation, so I had to be very cautious with my answers,” Flores said.

The owner told Flores she was different – she “didn’t force Jesus on him.” He said they were welcome to attend the Bible study.

Flores was surprised that he agreed, because the cafe is known for being progressive and she hadn’t thought it would be welcoming to Christians. The relationship building she did made all the difference.

In Mexico, Flores explained, building relationships is crucial. She said that this may seem counterintuitive because she was taught to introduce Jesus quickly in conversations. That may be the right way to go, but IIt is important, discern whether a person is receptive to the gospel before rushing to share it and checking off the proverbial box. Flores said that sometimes this requires establishing a common relationship base to increase that person’s receptivity.

Kate and Flores first built a relationship with Valeria and were later able to share the gospel with her.

Hindsight is always 20/20

Flores and the Mexican student leaders are now looking back on the summer to determine what is sustainable and can be replicated throughout the school year.

Looking back, Flores said that while it was difficult to build a ministry from scratch, it also had advantages.

Yemile Flores, far left, prays with Mexican student leaders and Summer Sojourners. During the summer, the group spent time building relationships on college campuses. IMB photo

“Starting new things is hard, but there’s something pure about it because the vision is clear and simple,” Flores said. “Ministries that have been around for a while have a history that can shape the current ministry for better or for worse. So there’s something pure about starting over.”

The summer caused Flores to rely more on God.

“The Lord has broken down my understanding of my strength and rebuilt it around Him, and I am very grateful,” Flores said. “Something I have learned during this process is the unwavering, undying love that God has for us,” Flores said.

The daily grind of getting started in the ministry is exhausting. She had to try four or five times before she found something that worked.

“The trust I have developed in the Lord has shaped and nourished my understanding of His love for me, for Guadalajara and for lost people,” Flores said.