By Madalie Garner, Miss GMA 2025
When I applied for the GMA mission trip to Mexico, I had no idea what I was getting into. And what happened was so much more than I could have ever imagined.
Leaving my house for the airport, I was so nervous. I felt unqualified and scared that I would be useless. I had never been on a mission trip before, and I definitely didn’t speak Spanish. But as soon as we landed in Mexico, I felt a peace beyond what I have words to describe. On the first or second night, I was talking to Mrs. Lane about the peace I felt, and she shared something that really stuck with me. She said, “You will always feel the most at peace when you are doing what God has called you to do.” This really sat with me, and it became a constant thought throughout the week.
Everyone we met was incredibly welcoming, and it was humbling to share time with them, pray with them and see how God was already at work in their lives. I went into the trip thinking we were there to bring love and joy, and while we did, what we received in return was so much more. We were welcomed with so much warmth, laughter and strength. This is where things really started to feel like home.
At one point, we had the opportunity to lead worship at the church in Huejutla, and it was there that I realized that, regardless of the language being worshipped in, worship is a heart position, not just an act. It reminded me of Rev. 7:9-10 (CSB) that says, “After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Worshipping in that environment, I realized, was the closest thing I had come to experiencing a glimpse of what Heaven will be like.
We ministered to the young girls and youth in the churches — playing games, sharing lessons and just being present with them. The relationships formed there are ones I know we’ll carry for a lifetime. One of the most powerful days was when we traveled to a small village called Pepeyocatitlán. There, we hosted a VBS for the local kids, and I had the opportunity to share my testimony. More specifically, we were standing in front of the kids, and Mrs. Lane told us that four of us would share our testimony. I remember standing in front of these kids, hesitant about speaking through a translator, but as I spoke, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. God was there. I wasn’t just telling them my testimony — I was also reminding myself of what He’s done in my life. And watching those kids listen reminded me that God can use anyone, anywhere, to speak His truth.
As the week progressed, our small team of girls grew closer, and we were able to see how God had formed our team with unique gifts and abilities to serve. Some of us were good with kids, some of us were great at connecting with the adults, some were good at teaching, some were good at cleaning or serving meals, some were good at playing instruments or singing. I also began to realize that the more Spanish I picked up and the more I learned to rely on the translators in our group, the less the language barrier mattered. Something that came up frequently when we would meet as a group at night was how we were a good representation of the body of Christ. We all had different gifts and abilities, but we were able to come together as one to serve.
When we returned to Querétaro, we spent one more night at the missionaries’ house before flying home. That night was quiet and bittersweet. None of us really wanted to leave. We had walked into Mexico as visitors, but we left feeling like part of a family. Before we left Huejutla, their GMA president was talking to us, and she said something that really stuck with me even now. “Welcome to Mexico. You’ll always have a home here, so come back anytime.” And honestly, that can sum up a lot of the trip.
This trip changed my life completely. It slowed me down. It helped me see that ministry isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being present. It taught me that God moves powerfully in small villages and big cities, through translation and even moments of silence. He shows up when we ask and when we don’t.
I came back different — more aware, more grateful, more in love with the way God works through people and places you’d never expect. And a piece of my heart stayed behind in every place we visited or stayed — with the girls we met, the friends we made and the God we served together.
I didn’t want to leave, but I know that what I experienced there isn’t something I have to leave behind. It’s something I carry every single day. Because we aren’t called to stay in one place forever. In Matthew 28, as part of the Great Commission, we are called to go. Go and make disciples who will make more disciples. So, as I leave not only Mexico, but also move back home from my summer mission field, working at camp and moving six hours away from home to go to college, I have to remember that I am not called to stay in one place forever, but instead to go and share my faith.
