My First Week as a Missionary in Mexico [Photo Journal]

William Santiago • May 20, 2016

Follow one worker's journey as he establishes a new life and ministry in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.


Ever wonder what a missionary actually does? Well, today William Santiago, TEAM worker in Puerto Vallarta, shows us how he’s navigating his first week as a missionary in Mexico, where he intends to engage in discipleship through creative arts. Follow along as he establishes a routine in a new home with new challenges.


Day 1

I’m exhausted. I stayed up too late preparing, and I couldn’t rest well because I was excited! I felt kind of like a kid trying to get to sleep on Christmas Eve. Note to self: Setting out to the airport at 4:30 a.m. is not nearly as exciting as waking up on Christmas morning.

Although I love traveling, I do not enjoy flying. Every flight is an exercise of faith as I remind myself of the Lord’s absolute control over every pilot’s hands and every jostle of turbulence. The sun rising over the clouds this morning was a wonderful testament to his sovereignty over all creation and over every step I take in this new adventure in Mexico.

Walking up to the apartment that was so generously provided to me. What a reminder that the Lord opens the doors he has called us to walk through.

No day is complete without a little adventure. My first step in my new home was through the window, which is a way better story than walking through the front door.

I’m home! Settling in and unpacking really made me appreciate that this is more than a pit stop. That realization was quickly followed by panicked doubt: “Why am I here? There’s been a mistake! I’m not a missionary!”


But those are all the whispers of the Enemy. I look at the ways the Lord so clearly moved me here.


I can stand in confidence and say: “I am in Mexico because the Lord has called me here.”


And because he has called me, he has equipped me. He is the God who works all things according to the counsel of his will, and I can rest in that knowledge tonight — and really deeply rest. Because I’m exhausted.


Day 2

Great start to the day with time in the Word and an encouraging message from a friend. It’s wonderful knowing that while I am here, I am not forgotten by my church family.

The heavens declare the glory of God, even when people do not. It’s amazing that his presence can be denied by so many in a place where his handiwork is so wonderfully displayed.


Day 3

I love this place! What a blessing that the Lord has placed desires in our hearts and satisfies those desires in his calling. He gives us the desires of our hearts.

I spent much of the day reconnecting with my ministry teammates and catching up with some of their local contacts. Puerto Vallarta is such a huge tourist destination, and I wonder what I have to do to stand out from the crowd. People come here to consume. How do I show that I have come to give and to share?


Day 4

I believe that art is a language that can cross cultures and stir people’s hearts. I’m excited to use art to creatively connect with people as we seek to start Bible studies in homes across this city and region. I can’t wait to see what will be created in my time here.


Day 5

Trying to make healthy choices. Starting with a regular breakfast and the beginnings of a routine. I know it’s important to maintain my physical health as well as my spiritual health. This week: regular breakfast. Next week: regular exercise.

This weekend, we welcomed our team leaders from Guadalajara. It’s exciting to see someone see the city for the first time.



Day 6

Today, I saw several women carrying buckets, and it reminded me of the woman at the well. I prayed as we walked that they would discover the source of living water and the one who would carry their burdens.

Santa Muerte: This idol is worshiped and gaining popularity in the area. Our team stopped to pray against the darkness and specifically for this idol’s removal.

I felt selfish here because I was praying for myself. I was having a difficult afternoon, and I prayed that the Spirit would keep me from further spiraling into isolation. I was reminded that as the kingdom advances, the darkness will push back. The Enemy would love for our team to be divided and bitter. Fighting to guard team unity is part of the work of the kingdom. I’m so grateful for this team, and the Lord has so clearly brought us together.


My prayer now is that I would remain sensitive to his Spirit. That I would place unity over preference and clarity over comfort.


Day 7

Today’s painting was a result of the weekend’s inspiration. The village we visited on Sunday is soaked in New Age and mystic spiritualism. We brainstormed how we could talk about the church in a way the seeking population would understand. This little sample was a result of that thought and my reflection on John 1.


After Day 7

With my first week as a missionary behind me, I’m settling into life in Puerto Vallarta. My focus now is to explore how to engage my community through art and discipleship. My teammates and I hope to start Bible studies in homes across the city and region. Please pray for me as I seek to develop meaningful relationships in my new home.

Bridging Dissonance: Finding Connection in Music and the Gospel

By Emily Sheddan • 18 Jul, 2024
TEAM worker Luke Standridge and his fellow musicians use music to build connections to faith in Japan. In music terms, dissonance creates movement or even suspense in a song. It invites tension. That tension is what helps grab our ear’s attention and the interchanging of these notes with pleasant melodious parts is what makes music such a delight. In a similar way, God is using music to grab people’s attention and catalyze Gospel impact in the largely unreached nation of Japan. TEAM Global Worker, Luke Standridge moved to Japan in 2019 with no clear direction on how he was going to use his passion for composing music while doing ministry. However, after Luke got involved with a local church and began developing deep friendships, the Lord opened unimaginable doors for Luke that in time, coordinating his creative skills with sharing the Word. “People Need to Come to Japan!” Growing up as one of ten kids in a family that was heavily involved in ministry and missions, Luke never considered that it would one day be a part of his own journey. In 2016, via a Japanese language learning class in Indiana, Luke and his brother had the opportunity to travel to Japan. Hearing, learning, and using the language in the context of Japanese culture was the goal. While it was Luke’s first international trip – even his first trip on a plane - it was also his first time hearing about the spiritual condition of the Japanese people. “And just through that, God did a huge 180 change on my heart,” says Luke. “More people should come here as global workers. People need to come to Japan!” The call God was laying on Luke’s heart is echoed when looking at the spiritual landscape of Japan. The nation is home to the second largest unreached people group in the world. It is one of the most difficult places for the Gospel to take hold and grow. Japan is also home to a deep and rich culture that prizes creative arts from pottery to ink to music to anime – a fact that would help Luke find his niche in life and ministry. God’s Guiding Hand In the short three-month timespan of that first trip, Luke found that opportunities came naturally to share about life, and people’s curiosity for Christianity grew. “I left Japan knowing I just had to come back,” Luke shares. “Even if I didn’t get back to the same area, I knew Japan was where God wanted me to be.” The Lord is good all the time and all the time the Lord is good. His plans do not fail. Luke returned to Japan in 2019, and less than a week after arriving, he was put in touch with a renowned composer in Japan. The composer saw some of Luke’s music and invited him to help write the music for a beloved in-country animated show. But God wasn’t finished yet! Fast forward a year, and more connections and opportunities allowed Luke to help with music for Pokémon - a franchise that has brand recognition around the world and was being developed into a TV series in Japan. Luke recalls how the Lord began using these connections in the production world to open doors for Gospel conversations. One night while having dinner in downtown Tokyo with famous artists and composers from all around the country, Luke was asked about his ministry-focused visa. This was a rare opportunity in a setting with people otherwise uninterested in Christianity. Luke shares, “The whole time I could see God’s hand in guiding the entire thing.”

Connecting in a New Kind of “Neighborhood”

By Lorena de la Rosa and Suzanne Pearson • 13 Jun, 2024
Through creative arts and other forms of innovative outreach, “The Neighborhood” is creating connections to the Gospel and the love of Jesus. CONNECTION. It’s a common word with powerful implications. Dictionary.com defines connection as a joining or linking together; a relationship between people or objects that unites or binds them together. God has created each of us with a deep need for connection with Him as well as connection with others. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks to this, as the writer exhorts, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This God-given need for connection lies at the heart of a creative and innovative ministry in Japan known as “The Neighborhood.” TEAM Japan global worker, Kelly and her family created The Neighborhood as a place where connections are formed through creative arts, educational opportunities, and simply just providing a space for people to be together. A Family Calling The journey to the creation of The Neighborhood began over 5,000 miles away from Tokyo, in California where Kelly, her husband Jeff, and their five children were living. The kids were the first to sense God’s calling to missions, and asked why their family wasn’t serving in this way. How Kelly and her family came to TEAM is a God-story in and of itself. “God placed a TEAM Japan worker at our lunch table the same week that the kids posed that question to us,” Kelly recalls. “We had never heard of TEAM and so we thought, ‘let’s check this out.’ After that, God just kept confirming that we were supposed to be here.” After a period of fundraising and with much excitement, the family of seven moved to Japan in 2014. For the first five years, Kelly and Jeff served as a part of other TEAM ministry initiatives, but they began to sense a stirring for something new. Creating The Neighborhood Kelly and her family truly have a deep gift for hospitality, and regularly opened up their home to others they met in Tokyo. They saw a great need for people to have a place to gather and connect, and they wondered what doors the Lord might be opening for them to meet that need. “About a year before we were to return the States on home assignment, we were just really thinking about our future in Japan,” Kelly says. “We saw a need for people to have a ‘third place’ – a place that’s not home and it’s not work. They didn’t have a church community or any other place where they could meet people and just connect.” Kelly goes on to explain that in Japan, the culture is such that people don’t generally invite each other into their homes, but as her family did so, people embraced that opportunity. “This idea formed in all of our hearts of a student ministry center – a place where we can create community and learning,” says Kelly. “It was born out of what we were already doing in our home, but seeing how we could expand it and have better space.” God’s Provision What happened next is a true testament to God’s provision. Kelly, Jeff, and the kids returned to the States and began sharing their vision for The Neighborhood with their supporters and churches who responded generously. Upon returning to Japan, the search was on for the right space. “We had a Christian realtor that we told our dream to, and he just went looking for it,” Kelly recalls. When the realtor found a 5-story apartment building, he said, “It’s kind of out of your budget but it has what you need and want.” The Lord provided the funds and the family moved into the space in November 2019. They now occupy all but the ground floor, with living space for their family as well as classrooms, areas to study or hang out, and guest rooms for exchange students or others who need a place to stay overnight. The first floor is occupied by a pizza shop – a welcome amenity for the many groups and students who visit The Neighborhood. “It’s very convenient!” Kelly says with a laugh. The Neighborhood began to see lots of activity right away until the pandemic hit in early 2020. During the height of the quarantine, Kelly and Jeff used the time to redecorate the space and plant gardens outside the building. Then as the restrictions eased, they invited individual students or families over for meals and fellowship. It wasn’t until March 2023 that The Neighborhood was able to fully open again as intended. Kelly shares that despite the setbacks of COVID, the Lord continued to provide the funds to pay the rent.
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