They occurred in a camp where 90 percent of the 600 high school students were non-Christians. The camp directors invited leaders from all over Mexico City churches to come lead discussion, serve as team captains and recruit students to come to the 12 camps throughout the summer. The purpose of the camps is for students to learn values and to make good decisions in their lives, as well as having fun in a healthy way. At the night sessions, they get to hear about Jesus through speakers, theater, drama and through Christian leaders and campers. They signed me up as a camper, and I felt almost like a secret agent for Jesus among all the students.
As a camper, I took the leadership to come up with ideas for our team cheer. Later, the team leader named me captain, and that's how it all started. I thank God for giving me strength to lead the team, highlight the unity and take them to the victory.
God allowed me to have favor in the eyes of my whole team. They respected me and followed my advice. We started the competition victorious over the other eight teams, and even the judges seemed determined that the team that starts winning doesn't end up that way. Taking on that pressure, our team could not afford to make any mistakes or they would use that and take points off. God gave me the words to give several pep talks to my team and remind them that no matter what happens, in our hearts we knew we were the best.?
Those three days, I felt like we made history. The many camps they have, they had never seen a team with so much energy, unity and passion for the competition. When we won and got our medals, a few of my players cried. One of my girls, Jazmin, told me she had never won anything before. You should have been there, it was truly a beautiful moment that I wont forget. The students had learn to do their best at all times. Learned that their true enemy was themselves, it was all in their minds, they had to think "si se puede," or I can do it.
I was constantly reminding them that I believed in them and that they could do it and needed to play as a team helping each other and cheering on even their competition.
Cynthia Peralta, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, served with Go Now Missions in Mexico.
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