A Hurricane Destroyed Her Neighborhood — and Led Her to Christ

Bethany DuVal • Oct 13, 2021

“I remember that my mother told me, ‘Now that you know about the word of God, are you ready to wear a straightjacket?’”

Those aren’t the words you expect a Christian mother to say to her newly-saved daughter. But Gaby knew her mom’s teasing came from a place of inexpressible joy.

Gaby married and had children young, so she spent years trying to recapture her youth. While her husband “worked all the time,” Gaby says, “I really like to be in the streets.” Her mom tried to tell her about God. Gaby thought it was madness to give up freedom for a set of religious rules and submission.

“I used to tell [my mom] that she was crazy, fanaticized with a God,” Gaby says.

But when Hurricane Odile swept through Gaby’s community in 2014, God started her on a journey that would transform not only her life but also the lives of many in her community.

Today she says, “Here I am, wearing my straightjacket.”

The Worst Place for a Hurricane

In 2014, Gaby and her family had moved to a new neighborhood in La Paz, Mexico.

In this case, “new” didn’t mean polished and fresh. Mexico allows squatters to claim a piece of land by marking out a plot and building on it. When enough people build there, the government officially recognizes the community and connects it to electricity and water.

Gaby’s neighborhood hadn’t been recognized yet, and most of the houses were temporary structures made of wood and metal sheet roofing.

It was one of the worst places to be when Hurricane Odile hit.

Realizing God’s Love

Gaby was working away from home when the category 4 hurricane tore through La Paz. She arrived the next day to see the hills strewn with sheet metal roofs and other debris.

“There were many people left without a home because their houses had been destroyed and their belongings had been lost — completely lost,” Gaby recalls.

Thankfully, Gaby’s neighborhood wasn’t alone.

Years before, God had established Rancho el Camino , an outreach that serves underprivileged neighborhoods on the backside of La Paz. The ranch staff observed the damage and then got to work. They helped people rebuild their homes and started a food kitchen for those in need .

“It was surprising because I didn’t expect so much help from them, and that there were such good people around,” Gaby says.

Soon, Gaby found herself helping, too , serving her neighbors in the food kitchen. It was a simple operation, run in the home of the ranch’s cook, Jazmin.

“We were making tortillas by hand, and that’s time consuming,” says Emily Johnson, co-director of Rancho el Camino.

Day after day, tortilla after tortilla, the women in the kitchen talked. Emily invited them to come to a Bible study about Jesus, as well.

Slowly, Gaby became curious about the religion she had spurned . She says, “I began to realize the love of God.”

Gaby often asked Emily if the ranch needed any help. She helped cook at major events and came to the ranch when she needed a time of rest. Several years passed that way, and then Jazmin got an idea.

While serving at the food kitchen, Gaby became curious about God. After the kitchen closed, Gaby started volunteering to cook at Rancho el Camino events.

While serving at the food kitchen, Gaby became curious about God. After the kitchen closed, Gaby started volunteering to cook at Rancho el Camino events.

Joining in Ministry

Jazmin suggested that Gaby come to the ranch as a housecleaner for the summer. Both Gaby and Emily agreed, and it was soon evident that God was moving.

“[I] really got to see how she was giving her life to Jesus … and how God was transforming her,” Emily says. “And so we spent many, many days crying in my kitchen and just praying through things.”

Emily asked Gaby if she would take a bigger role in serving the young people at Rancho el Camino . There were opportunities to mentor young people and help them finish high school. Emily could clearly see that Gaby had a natural gift for working with teens.

“She’s very vulnerable with them because she’s experienced so many of the same things they have. And so she’s able to take what God brought her through to really bless them,” Emily says.

In addition to leading the high school diploma program, Gaby serves as the ranch cook. She also works with Emily to build deeper relationships with parents so they can feel safe sending their kids to activities at the ranch.

Discover the ministry that captured Gaby’s heart. Learn how you can intern with Rancho El Camino this summer!

Gaby runs the high school education program at the ranch, helping young adults finish their diplomas and pointing them to Christ.

Gaby runs the high school education program at the ranch, helping young adults finish their diplomas and pointing them to Christ.

Serving with God’s Presence

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Mexico, the ranch began organizing food distribution again. This time, Gaby not only helped, but she served as a major leader in the program.

“I used to serve without the presence of God because I didn’t know Him,” Gaby says. But today, she radiates the love and joy of Jesus Christ. “Knowing God and then living in Him is the best gift I have ever received.”

Each day at the ranch is a chance to share the truth that she missed for so long: Following Jesus doesn’t mean being bound; it means being set free.

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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