Pam opened up a bible for the first time when she was 60 years old. Although she did not have a life-long relationship with Jesus, she was given an opportunity and found herself truly putting her trust in the Lord when she visited Temoaya, Mexico. This is her story:
Pam noticed that her friend Sharon was radiating with joy, love and compassion after she had returned from a Beyond Borders Compassion trip with Eastside. After hearing Sharon’s experience, Pam became very excited and wanted to learn more about it. She decided to attend a meeting at Eastside that discussed a trip to Central Mexico. There, she fell in love with the idea of spreading Jesus’ love by replanting a refurbished playground from San Diego, CA, to Temoaya, Mexico. As much as she wanted to participate in the trip, she was hesitant and fearful. At that time, her husband Steven recently had back surgery and would not be able to join. They had been married for over 45 years, and this would be their first time being apart. Steven knew how important this trip was to his wife and reassured her that she would be able to make this journey without him. His support gave her the confidence to sign up. Soon, Pam dedicated her extra time to baking cookies and selling them to raise funds for her trip. She also was leery of traveling abroad alone, yet after meeting and developing a bond with the Eastside team, she felt safe being amongst her new friends.
Pam was excited when the airplane finally landed in Mexico City. From there, she and the team took 14 passenger vans and traveled an hour and a half to the small town of Temoaya. They checked into their motel and visited the church. She was able to meet many of the local families and was greeted with the utmost hospitality. The next few days were filled with fellowship and laughter. With the collaboration of the organization Kids Around the World, Pam and the Eastside team worked to install a playground…the first playground many of the kids living in Temoaya would ever see. After the playground was installed, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, and the children of the town excitedly ran onto the playground after the ribbon was cut. Pam felt so much love and happiness watching them. She prayed and thanked God for using her to spread His love. Shortly after, thunder clouds came rolling in, and it began raining, but it did not last long. As the clouds began to dissipate, a brightly colored double rainbow appeared over the new playground. Pam, the Eastside team, and the locals stood in amazement as they witnessed God expressing His joy. Since then, Pam has radiated with joy, love and compassion that still shines today.
If you were inspired by this story, we would love to tell you more about Eastside. We have a relentless love and commitment for all to know God. We are committed to finding unique ways to serve in our local communities and help our global neighbors. If you want to learn more about ways to make a difference in your community and around the globe, visit eastside.com/compassion.
We volunteer in local and global communities, and we also meet together every weekend if you would like to join us in person or online. We believe that this is a place for everyone, wherever you are on your journey. If you would like to find out more about Eastside, please visit eastside.com.