WHY to Fitness
The WHY to Fitness podcast is dedicated to supporting Christians in achieving peace of mind and heart in all areas of life because every aspect of life affects our health and fitness.
Hosted by Aaron O'Connell, an IFBB Professional athlete actively pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychological Studies, the podcast's goal is to assist Christians in discovering their divine purpose while triumphing over spiritual, mental, and physical challenges related to their well-being.
At the core of this journey is the belief that God serves as the ultimate WHY, i.e., the ultimate driving force behind existence.
In this context, fitness is our ability to overcome the obstacles standing before the goal. It extends beyond exercise and nutrition to encompass relationships, mental health, finances, spiritual growth, and life experiences.
Tune in on a biweekly/weekly to access valuable insights, mindset strategies, theological discussions, interviews, and more to achieve success, which translates into attaining peace of mind and heart across every facet of life.
WHY to Fitness
Bringing the Kingdom Down to Earth with Nathan Alpert and YUGO Ministries
Join me as I sit down with Nathan Alpert, the dynamic president of YUGO Ministries, who is making a tangible difference in Ensenada, Mexico. Our heartfelt conversation centers around the ministry's fusion of an outward-focused mission trip with an inward-focused Christian conference. Together, we reflect on the power of collective prayer, the beauty of community support, and the life-changing experience my daughter had on her 7th birthday mission trip to Mexico. Nathan also shares stirring tales from the back alleys of YUGO Ministries, offering a window into the impactful work they do on the ground.
Have you ever pondered the intricacies of 'Bringing the Kingdom Down to Earth'? Nathan and I unravel this profound concept, walking through Jesus's mission of establishing a unique, eternal kingdom and our role as conduits of divine love and peace. Let's explore an interesting parallel between a pizza box and our purpose as vessels of God's kingdom. We also examine the importance of spiritual wellness through love and service and the grace that covers us when we falter.
In the latter part of our conversation, Nathan shares enlightening insights on the perceptions of Mexico and conservative Christianity. He emphasizes the significance of leading with love before truth-telling, drawing from Jesus's ministry as a guide. He paints a portrait of the warmth and welcoming spirit of the Mexican people, challenging the media-driven narratives of hostility. As we wrap up, we invite you to join us in a prayer of gratitude for the work of YUGO Ministries and Journey Church. We hope this episode ignites a spark in you to engage, understand, and take action.
There's a psychological and physical impact on us when we don't walk in purpose and not in kingdom purpose Anti-illegal immigration from conservative news sources becoming anti-Mexico stories is a very real thing. We're going to love people, we're going to pursue excellence and we're going to do it with joy.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Y2 Fitness podcast. I'm your host, aaron O'Connell, and today I am joined with Nathan Alpert, the president of you Go Ministries down in Ensenada, mexico. How are you doing today, nathan Doing?
Speaker 1:great, you make me sound so important.
Speaker 2:I would say you are important. When I was down there just earlier on in this year, you gave a fire message. You always were there just encouraging everybody. That's only in the forefront. I can only imagine what you do in the back alleys of you Go Ministries and all the intertwinings that you get to do.
Speaker 1:You're too kind. Yeah, it's great to be here with you this morning. Yeah, it's cool that we get to be through the miracle of technology. I'm coming to. You live from Ensenada, mexico, on the west coast of Mexico, about two hours south of San Diego. It's almost like we're in the same room.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's amazing. I wanted to ask how did the families that you help out and you Go Ministries hold up during that little hurricane or tropical storm that came through the other day?
Speaker 1:Praise God it came out really great. The hurricane actually dissipated when it got over the mountains and actually tracked just a little bit to the east of us, got in the mountains, slowed down and we did have some significant rain but no real wind and praise God we dodged it.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, for sure, Because I know at our church was praying over the family that we built the houses for, Because we're like we just built houses for them. Can we imagine just all of a sudden they get washed away or something like?
Speaker 1:that.
Speaker 2:We were thinking horrible. So I know there was a lot of prayer going into that. But just to start off, if you could just, for our listeners, talk about you Go Ministries and what you guys do down in Mexico and how you're helping out down there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. You Go Ministries came to Ensenada, mexico, in 1990 with this idea that man God's people need to get outside the four walls of their church and they need to have a way to go serve. And at the same time, we were being invited by these pastors who are saying, hey, we're reaching out to our communities here in Mexico, but they don't have basic food and water resources, they don't have housing resources. And the idea popped up how do we marry this great need for people who want to follow Jesus in the United States and Canada with this great need that happens in Mexico and through that?
Speaker 1:You Go Ministries was born with this idea of the one week missions experience, where people could leave their homes for one week, come to Mexico and, in the span of just one week, meet a huge physical need the need for housing and at the same time, reach into the spiritual need of the family.
Speaker 1:And as soon as that happened, what we started seeing was this spiritual need was being met in the lives of the people who were coming and we were like, wow, so we can use this ministry platform that Jesus has given us to meet these needs in Mexico and, at the same time, create this amazing life change in the hearts and lives of the people who are coming. And at this point we describe you Go Ministries like this A week at you Go Ministries is where a missions trip and a Christian conference collide. So we've built these weeks to where they are 100% an outward focused missions trip but they're also 100% an inward focused Christian conference where we're trying to reach into the lives of the people who are coming as well. So that's kind of what you Go is and what we do, and I get the joy of being able to kind of lead that.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's amazing.
Speaker 2:You're 100% correct, because I know when I went with Journey Church on the Go and Love Global missions trip, I brought my daughter down there and she turned seven and had a birthday there and I thought it was the best way to give her a birthday.
Speaker 2:You know, all in one, and I just remember because we went there and we built two houses for two different families and our team split up and just through that, just seeing her grow at seven years old, like you said, a conference for us Just how much it instilled me as a father of just like seeing her with her hands raised high, nearing all the chapel times because you guys have those defined chapel days every single day that we were there and just being amongst other Christians because it wasn't just our church there, there was other churches there as well building other houses and being able to just, you know, just have fun. You know so many people in the thing look at the Christian world of like it's not fun, it's like no, no, no, no, no, no. God, when Jesus was down here, he had fun. I'd love to say that he had joked around, had a lot of fun, but he also was on mission, which that's what you guys provided for us.
Speaker 2:You gave us that missions trip to come down, work hard, build a house in four days for a family in need, but also, at the same time, we were getting to know each other that much deeper. We were having fun. There was jokes, when the kids we had kids in our time we're playing, talk, catch with them and just you know, whatever there was to do, it was always fun and I think you guys are really encapsulating that, that missions of providing that not only missions trip but also, you know, a conference as well. I think you guys are doing really well on that.
Speaker 1:I should hire you as one of our reps. You sound like you're you're. You can describe it really well.
Speaker 2:Well, I, you know, I, I. It changed my life when I was there. It was, it was really the catalyst, because I I'll be the first to admit I would probably fell in the Pharisee land for quite a while and I realized even while I was there. I started my journaling shortly before there, I started asking a question and I said, lord, I know all about you've been through the Bible, all these things but why can't I go and love the way that I want to love? Why don't I help people when I know I could help them that much more with my podcast, with my message, with all these things?
Speaker 2:And it always came back to I'm only volunteering, going on mission trips, all these things.
Speaker 2:Because I get something out of it.
Speaker 2:I get, you know, I make, it makes me feel good, it gives me prestige in the church and, and which is the first time I've had any friends that really care for me, and during that time I just going through that hard time of working hard, I took time away when I was building, I walked out into the desert and just would be talking to God and he actually, during that time, met me when I walked away and it was just silent around me.
Speaker 2:I couldn't hear all the banging of the hammers and stuff, but I saw this house in the distance and you just saw the family that barely had anything, just laughing and playing together. You could probably see I didn't know if it was grandma or grandpa, you know with the parents just all together laughing. And God just said to me less is more in that time and that really started getting me to think. There, and from there, I would say just a couple weeks afterwards, is when God really met me and showed me the last part that I needed to die to to be able to really understand who God is. I knew who, I knew of God, but I didn't really know God and just being there just helped me just take that next step and and really solidify my relationship with Christ.
Speaker 1:Amen, that's great to hear. We have a. We have a saying that we like to say around here in Spanish, morir es vivir, and it just means to die is to live, and just like a seed that gets planted in the ground and has to, has to really die to truly live. We see that happening on mission strips and it sounds like it happened to you. There has to be a death and a crushing and a willingness to kind of die to this own personal idea of that we're number one in our life, is number one in order to truly live and be influenced by Jesus.
Speaker 1:Implemented.
Speaker 2:Jesus, oh yeah. And acts. 2035 says, right there, it's more blessed to give than to receive and being doing all that, you guys were giving away a house, were giving away so many different necessities to to a family in need, and I really did feel that blessing. And also, 2540 says, truly, I say to you, as you did to one of the least of these, you did it to me. So our service is really a direct reflection of our service to God and you guys are doing that fantastically.
Speaker 1:Yeah, proud of you for your involvement in that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I hope that this podcast inspires people to not only get out and serve in their in their own community, but also maybe go to their churches and reach and talk to their pastors and say, hey, there's this excellent ministry, you go ministries in Mexico that we can maybe partner with and be able to experience all that you guys are providing not only for your community but, like you said, for the churches that partner with you as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, another thing that we like to highlight is for the person who is just like man I don't know where I'm going in life, I don't know where my Christian walk is going.
Speaker 1:I feel like a mission strip or a you go mission strip is a great way to do that. But also for your listeners, who kind of do have it on the right track and are involved in a local church and are, you know, serving and walking with Jesus, we would also suggest that a you go mission strip is actually a better, cost effective and a better kind of way to do missions than some other trips. Although you know there's need everywhere, there's need all around the world, a trip to you go can be an international mission strip at such a less cost than other places that you can go all around the world that seem to be crazy expensive. So we feel like we're in a great position with that too, because when you come to you go all the way to just go into San Diego, california, so it's a, it's a, it's a domestic flight, and then we drive into Mexico. So it's like, really, we've set up this international mission strip at a very domestic cost. So we we love that too. We think that's a huge advantage for you.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, and I love the missions trip in general because I've I've seen and been on other missions trip as well, where they just go to different countries, wherever it is, and they try to preach the gospel and but, like you guys have so much of it just planned out, you have all the materials for the houses there, you have every single day mapped out this is when we're here, this is when we're done. You have all the food taking care of. You have everything literally right there for the people that want to join in. That. It takes all the thinking out of it and you know, because you got the planning in the background and the blessing is just all around.
Speaker 1:Well, we believe that God deserves our best and one of our core values is excellence and we take it very, very seriously and I think you'd agree that in every area of our lives whether it be our health, whether it be our finances, whether it be our spiritual life or whether it be even the planning of a mission trip the effort that we put in on the front end to plan and have a strategy and go in and really dedicate that. I think that's a reflection of who we are. But then also, the more we plan on the front end and the more we prepare, the better product that we're going to have and that's you know.
Speaker 1:We do that because we believe Jesus deserves excellence and deserves our best.
Speaker 2:And that reminds me of Colossians 317 whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, a father. Through him, you know, and that's and that's what you guys are doing. And when we were down there you said that this year's theme was bringing the kingdom down to earth. Because we know Matthew 6, 10 teaches pray your kingdom come, your will be done. And that's not a passively but a powerful declaration of our role in manifesting God's kingdom on this earthly plane. You know, we need to be those agents of, in vessels of his love and instruments and his peace. And I really I loved when we were there. I forgot who said it, I don't even know who's you, but they're during the chapel.
Speaker 2:There is the image of the pizza box. They're saying this pizza box worthless, it's five cents at best, that's. You know it's, it's worthless, you can just go find it anywhere, cool. But when you show up with a pizza if I showed up in my hand just holding it to your door, holding a pizza with no box, you wouldn't want that pizza. And that's where the value of that pizza box comes in, because when it comes in that pizza box it's protected. It then gives the pizza so much worth. But if we just left a little bit of mold, a little bit of junk in that box, you know just a little bit, and now you open up that you're gonna be like what's this on my pizza? I don't want that pizza, and it just gives it that much more reason to be an empty vessel for God to bring his kingdom in. I loved that. I learned that. Well, I use that metaphor so many times.
Speaker 1:But talk a little bit more on that, on that topic of bringing the kingdom down to earth, and so, like you, like you mentioned, this year's theme is the kingdom, and we pick a theme every year that we feel like God's leading us to help with our mission. And and you're right, we did talk about the pizza box and the way we say it is that it's actually not the vessel that gives value to the product, is actually the product that gives value to the vessel. And we talk about how you know God, god's message in us is what adds value to us. So we don't have to look at ourselves as worthless. We can look at ourselves as a very valuable vessel when we're talking about bringing the kingdom. But yeah, we, you know, we looked at, we looked a lot and we continue to teach and look at how Jesus came proclaiming the kingdom. He claimed he came talking about this idea of a kingdom that was different than any other kingdom that had ever come before or had ever come since, whereas every kingdom of history has always had a clear king and has always had a clear beginning and a clear end.
Speaker 1:Jesus came talking about this kingdom that Isaiah said of this kingdom there will be no end, and so this baby is born and he comes and he brings in this kingdom.
Speaker 1:That isn't physical, but it's spiritual. It isn't somewhere, but it's kind of everywhere and it's available to us. We've been Colossians says that we've been rescued from the dominion or the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light, and we're so thankful for that. And then we're sent out to bring others into the kingdom, and it's not one of those kingdoms where there are these walls around it and you can't get in. We're actually as Christ ambassadors. We're able to go out and find other people and bring them into the kingdom and as soon as they come in, they're able to put their feet under the king's table and sit as prince and princesses, as sons and daughters of the king. So yeah, we're talking a lot this year about about the kingdom and what it means to join that. But yeah, we believe that there's a kingdom to come, but that God's kingdom is about right here, right now, where we are.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, 100%. And it just reminds me of all the times the disciples got it wrong, thinking that he was going to overthrow Rome and do all you know and establish his rule. And you know, even even when the sun's a thunder, are like, hey, can we have that place on the right or your left? And your left, you know, thinking that it was going to be this kingdom right there. And so many times they were like, wait a minute, how? What do you mean? You're going to die? What do you mean you're then going to raise again? Because they were so focused on having a worldly kingdom and what that looked like and thinking that's what it was going to be. That's even why all of most of the Jews thought, oh, it's not Jesus, because you know who's this weak guy coming on a donkey's colt.
Speaker 1:I knew he was Jesus, but they didn't think he was the Messiah.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes exactly and like, because so often we get things wrong and backwards, like, and that's why I even do this podcast. And it's all about, yes, your health and fitness. Because I believe, as Christians, if we're not spiritually in order, if we're not doing what we're called, we're going to have a level of stress and that stress, and when you're all about self, you're all about selfishness. If you're copying over only patterns of this world, you're, you're going to be unhealthy, because scientific studies actually have shown that acts of kindness and generosity trigger the release of endorphins and the body's natural feel good chemicals. So when we're helping out people, when we're serving, when we're doing all that, we get those do it the dose of joy hormones, and that gives us happiness, satisfaction, and we know God designed us to respond positive for love and service. So when we align it with the kingdom principles, it's conducive to having well being. And that's why I want oh, it's so good, and that's why I wanted to get you on this podcast to really inspire people to go out and serve.
Speaker 2:Because when people think, oh, I need to be healthy and for my kids, for my purpose, for for God, whatever it is, they usually turn to diet, they usually turn to exercise and all these things that are patterns of this world, things that I can do on my own power. But we already know that Proverbs has a peaceful heart leads to a healthy body. This is Proverbs 1430, and jealousy is like cancer in the bones. So it's that peaceful heart that leads to a healthy body. And and I don't know about you, but when I'm serving others I'm at the most peace. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:I think that's probably why, over the last 20 or 30 years, that outside the Bible, like one of the most selling books, has been the purpose driven life by Rick Warren, because he found this niche and he found this idea that there were millions and millions of Americans, even Christian Americans, that were living our lives day to day and really didn't know about the purpose and there was a psychological and physical impact on us when we don't walk in purpose and not in kingdom purpose.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I mean I'm with you, I agree that once we can find out, once we know God and have found a little bit of freedom, to be able to discover a little bit of purpose, to understand why we're on this earth, on this planet, and so that we can go out and make a real difference in the world around us. I know that journey is big, on those phrases as well, but they're they're important here at you go as well, because I think there is an absolute physical and spiritual and psychological impact when we're walking in our kingdom purpose and not just kind of living for the day 100%, and that's that's why I I created.
Speaker 2:Why to fitness? Because the ultimate why is God. But so many times. And fitness, I take the paradigm of the ability to overcome the task at hand or the barrier standing in front of your purpose, whatever it may be. That's your fitness level. Because we know in, Timothy says hey, physical fitness is of some value, but spiritual fitness gives you benefits in this life, life and next. So that's what the whole why to fitness is about. But so often we think, at least in the fitness world, that fitness is all about self and purposes over here, and you know, and I that's why I marry the two.
Speaker 2:But what you were even saying before just reminded me of a translation six to that says bear one another's burdens so that we can fulfill the law of Christ. Because when we willingly shared those burdens of our brothers and our sisters, we find that our own burdens become lighter and that weight of stress and worry diminishes, and it really, and it really creates a place, a place for Christ to dwell in us when we're, when we're burying each other's burdens. And that's what a lot of people don't get is they're going through life with these burdens and they don't think that helping somebody else is going to help them. But it says it right there in Galatians when we bear each other's burdens and I really believe there's that inverse relationship of when you go help somebody, especially those that are less, have less than you, you also get a transfer. You know, because it says in Romans 12 to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You get that renewing of the mind where it's like wait a minute, I actually have it so good.
Speaker 1:Half of that verse actually says that that's how you can find purpose. Now, when you get transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will know what is that good and perfect and will be able to test and approve what God's will.
Speaker 2:Is this perfect and pleasing will? Yeah, exactly, and I love the purpose that you guys have there. So back to you just a little bit. What would you say? Some strategies for achieving success in your ministry are that you guys really hold on to? For?
Speaker 1:achieving success. Well, you got to go back to the why. Just like you said, you're looking for the wider fitness, we look for the wide emissions, the why, our why, is like we exist so that, so that Jesus Christ will transform lives in Mexico, in the world. So we go okay, here's why we're here. We're here so that Jesus Christ can transform lives in Mexico and the world. So how are we going to do that? So we get into more of our how. How are we going to do it?
Speaker 1:So we say all right, how we're going to do it is this we're going to mobilize and equip God's people to reach the forgotten. So what does that mean? Mobilize is to help someone get prepared to go. We're going to take every single obstacle that's keeping you and your family from coming to Mexico. We're going to try to take that out of the way. Financial, I don't. I don't know how I'm going to do it. Logistical I don't know about these flights, I don't know about the border, I don't know about safety issues. We want to take all of that out of the way, and so we're going to mobilize and then equip. We're going to put a program and a plan in place so that you can be the best ministry possible. So we're going to.
Speaker 1:Our strategy is to mobilize and equip God's people to reach the forgotten. So then at the end of that statement, we need a group of people that can be our ministry outlet. And we found here an insinuit of this forgotten group of people. So then we say, all right, here's our, here's our why. We're here so that Jesus Christ can transform lives. Here's our how we're going to mobilize and equip God's people to reach the forgotten. So what's our behavior going to look like? How are we going to behave? And so we say that we're going to love God, we're going to love people, we're going to pursue excellence and we're going to do it with joy, and that's what we teach our staff and that's what we do. And so we have developed this thing around here and I know that you've experienced this in your own life and your daughter has experienced it.
Speaker 1:We have this thing around here that we call radical hospitality. We try to radicalize hospitality, and that means that when we have guests here that are here to do missions, from the moment they pull up on our dirt road to our, to our campus, to the moment that they leave, we want them to feel like our staff here has done every possible thing that we can do to help them have the best missions experience possible. And here's what we believe.
Speaker 1:We believe that if people come from a church maybe somebody comes from, let's say, boyden Beach they get on a plane and they fly all the way across the country to San Diego. They don't know what they're expecting. They come on a mission strip, they drive down to Mexico. If we can help that person, who's never been on a mission strip before, have an amazing missions experience, we believe that then they could be inspired to go back home and to begin to live a missional lifestyle on purpose, on point, on task, with purpose back home and not have to do that only on a mission strip. So that's kind of what we do. But I do want your listener and you and everybody that we hear to realize we're not trying to get people to only just come to Mexico every year. We're trying to see life change in the hearts and the lives of the people who come. So that would inspire them to change what they do on a day to day basis.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, the pastor, amanda, actually said it. Well, and she said this and I think they say it after every mission strip is remembered that just because this mission strip is over doesn't mean that your mission ends. Yeah, because your mission is in your local community, it's in your church, it's even with your own family, you know, because we're supposed to be strengthening one another constantly and go in and making out disciples. And you know so many times people think, oh, you know, I'm only going to serve in church, but we're supposed to be walking testimonies and showcasing the brightness and the light shining in a rain. For just from like, almost like when Moses came off of Mount Sinai. And I know everybody that comes home from a mission strip usually goes back to church and everyone's like you're glowing, everyone's just so happy because you're so fulfilled after pouring in, so, so, so much, because when we pour out Christ, christ is going to come in and fill us back up.
Speaker 2:You know, and abundantly, and that's and that's just what I want people to get is when you go out and serve, when you go and just share your testimony. Because we had I had Matt Tumas on the podcast. He's part of the Timothy initiative and he gave an ability. One of the best ways to share your testimony, share God's story and just working underneath him. I know that it's mission strips that fill me up and when I talk about God and like when I'm just saying my testimony and you know, and leading people to Christ, those two things right there there's nothing compared to it and I can only imagine the health that happens in your body when you're sitting there going. I am doing what I was born to do. That's great.
Speaker 1:That's so, and speaking of doing, what you were born to do.
Speaker 2:I really believe that you were created for you go and to be doing what you're doing. And I have a question for you how would you describe your leadership style and how do you think it aligns with the values of you go?
Speaker 1:So so I have a. I have probably the good things about my leadership and the bad things, definitely, definitely. You know a very great, a great college football coach that is real popular here in the where I'm from in the state of Alabama, once said that a natural leader always leads. A supernatural leader knows when to lead and when to follow, and I really, I really strive to to act as a supernatural leader, led by the Holy Spirit, and know when to let the guys that work for us, and the especially the local Mexicans, to know when to let them step up and take leadership and organization. And the reality is we we're getting to where we have a lot of staff. We've got in the summertime we have probably 100 people on staff and through the winter we're probably 53. So we've got five or six people who report directly to me and I try to, I try to lead them well.
Speaker 1:I try to be a very, very involved leader without micromanaging.
Speaker 1:I would say I probably tend a little bit more toward the micromanagement men side than the hands off side, because we want excellence. So so, so much. But I would say what we talk about around here is look, everybody's good at what they do and in all, all missions organizations know what they're doing and know, know kind of how to do it. So we're not as worried about getting better at what we're doing. We're more worried about being healthy. We want our organization to focus more on health and really getting better. So when I meet with our people, the way I lead is I'm asking about family, I'm asking about, I'm asking what we're reading, what we're where our minds are going on something big. I want to really focus in on the health the spiritual, physical, emotional, financial health of each one of my main leaders, because I know that if we can focus in on the health, then they're already good at what they do and I can put them in a position to be the very best they can possibly be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it sounds like you're doing almost like that servant leadership style of leadership, where you're serving them and saying like hey, what are you reading and really caring about their needs and their values, more than trying to impart some hardcore wisdom on them. This is what it sounds like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we do some wisdom stuff, but we're way more concerned about the health, both organizationally and personally.
Speaker 2:Yeah, mark 1045 says even the Son of man came to be not to be served, but to serve, and he's the greatest leader, the King of Kings. And that's all about that serving others. And when you can pour into the value, when you can pour into that and care about their families, when you feel that intrinsic value, that you are valued, it automatically creates within people the desire to step up, and I feel like that's even what you were doing. You mentioned that you work with the local Mexicans as well to empower them, and because it's not just your organization, you're affecting a community.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we have been in the community long enough now. We've built our organization on the principle that we want to create jobs here in the local economy. We want to be part of the local. We want to be part of the picture here locally. We don't want to just be a white American missions organization business in a brown world. We want our face to be brown and thankfully we're about 85% Mexican right now. So we do have some people in the ministry that are American and Canadian, but we have a huge majority of people in our ministry working that are from right here in Mexico.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. Yeah, what would you say that the biggest challenge is currently facing Ugo are, and how do you plan to address them?
Speaker 1:Yeah, the biggest challenge we have is this sort of perception that Mexico is violent, and I believe what happens is if you don't mind me spending a few moments just kind of explaining I'd like to explain what I think causes that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What do you think we can get a little bit more into? What I think we can do about it. I would say that in Christian circles, in circles of people who maybe have just met Jesus or have been following Jesus for a while, especially in white majority white Christian circles, there tends to be a little bit more conservative thought. There tends to be even politically, probably more conservative thought than some of the more liberal thought, and that's not always the case, but we do find that to be a majority rule. And so I think what happens is is that, since most conservative thinking people tend to get their news or watch their news from more conservative sources, what happens is is that, because we would all agree that illegal immigration is wrong, doesn't honor God breaking any kind of law is always wrong, doesn't honor God and we would all have conservative views toward illegal immigration.
Speaker 1:I think what happens is is that the more conservative news outlets tend to take that anti-illegal immigration thought, which is healthy, and it becomes lathered into anti-Mexico thought, and what's interesting is is that the country of Mexico is not illegal. The Mexico is a beautiful country with a rich history and beautiful people who need Jesus in the same way that Americans need Jesus and the idea of anti-illegal immigration from conservative news sources becoming anti-Mexico stories is a very real thing. Of course, there are statistics that we can show that. But what happens is is when conservative news outlets and newspapers and TVs run these anti-Mexico stories, a lot of times we as believers see that and we develop this Mexican Mexico is dangerous mentality and that's what we're being told and that's what we're being sold. And the reality is Mexico is a huge country and the crime rates are what the crime rates are. The crime rates can be compared to US cities and they're all available on our website at ugoorg slash safety concerns and when you look at the real numbers, you see that Mexico and the Baja Peninsula of Mexico are very, very safe destinations. But we're fighting against this perception that Mexico is more dangerous than it is.
Speaker 1:I think it happens because we're generally a conservative people. Christians, especially southern Christians, are so conservative. But yeah, what can we do about it? I think it's a lot of come and see. I would ask you, when you and your daughter were here on our campus, from the time you left San Diego to the time you got back, what did you see about cartel activity or what were your thoughts about the war, or tanks or guns?
Speaker 2:If anything, I would say that it seemed even safer than California. But no, there was nothing like that of the sort. It seemed protected, it's. Everyone seemed nice. The people there were amazing. Everywhere that we went it was just like we were welcomed with open arms and it really seemed like Sometimes we wonder.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would say sometimes we wonder, ok, lord, why this perception, when it's so safe and we're even safer than in so many US cities, and the Lord just keeps whispering back? Our wrestle is not against flesh and blood, but it's against powers and principalities and wickedness in high places. And the reality is that we're not in a war against guns and tanks, we're not in a war against drug lords. We're not in a war against gang violence. We're in a war against the prince and power of the air, who would like nothing more than to paralyze the US and Canadian church into just staying in their own seats and in their own jobs and not let them go. And it's literally a spiritual war that's happening, that's keeping people coming and that creates a challenge for us, because the only way that our ministry can keep going is by people being willing to step out, get on that plane and come down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it kind of goes in like you were saying the conservative, and kind of pinning that. You know, mexico, people are bad. It really reminded me of 2nd Timothy 3-2, where it says in those days people will be lovers of themselves and all the other things that it says, and I really think it's like the Mexican people are coming to take what is ours. And everyone knows that life is hard. Sin entered the world and life is hard. We have to work the ground by the sweat of our brow.
Speaker 2:We know that is to be true and with inflation, with all these things happening here in America, we look at it as like, well, anyone that's coming into our US is gonna make us weaker, it's gonna take away from the opportunity that we have. But I think that goes directly against of loving everybody. Not considering yourself better than anyone and considering others better than you is what the Bible says, and I think you hit that spot on that. The media loves to glorify conflict and almost conflict. Only that's what sells. So they're painting that picture of hey, Mexico is invading America, period.
Speaker 1:Yeah because they're killing each other as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and, granted, through the illegal immigration, there are bad things happening and that is real bad and why we need to get a control on that. But in totality, I would definitely echo what you said, that Mexico is a great place with a rich heritage, with amazing people that work hard, that are receptive even of the word, because a lot of them haven't heard this good news, and that's why I'm so happy that you guys are there, that you guys are spreading the gospel, and not only just spreading the gospel, but you're starting out with love and then meeting with truth. You're not just beating everybody on the head with truth. You're starting out with love and then meeting into truth.
Speaker 1:That's so good, and we know that Jesus is the only one. From John chapter one, we know that he was the only one that was full of grace but was also full of truth, and that's what we seek to be. Look first, john 3.16 teaches us that this is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters who have a need, and that's the love that we wanna do. We know that we won't always feel a sense of love like that. We wanna hang out with or go bowling with or go work out with every single person, but we know that we can control the actions of love and that we can lay our lives down in the same way Jesus did. So that's what we wanna continue to do.
Speaker 2:Well, for sure, for sure and I just wanna encourage all the believers and people that are listening right now as well is that we should really view our lives as canvases where God's love and kingdom principles are painted through our actions, and the more we align ourselves with God's purpose, the more we are gonna experience that abundant life that he promises, and that's not just spiritually, but in our physical and our emotional wellbeing as well.
Speaker 1:That's John 1010.
Speaker 2:Good job. That's John 1010,. Yep, exactly so I love what you guys are doing. Is there any last bit of words that you would like to encourage any of our listeners, or anything that God lays onto your heart right now? Just to depart everyone with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would just encourage every one of our listeners In 2024, what if we made that the year that we got serious about getting away from the grind and going out and seriously considering mission, and whether that's with the go and love ministry through Journey Church who comes to Ugo Ministries, or whether that is in your local community, or whether that is to the ends of the earth, to Africa? What would it look like if we made 2024 the year that we got serious?
Speaker 2:Oh, it'd be. It'd look amazing, wouldn't it? Well, thank you so much for joining with me, nathan. I just love, like I said, I love what Ugo's doing, what you're doing with Ugo, and I look forward to next year because I'm most likely gonna be coming back down again. And also my buddy, rudy Hernandez, actually loved it so much. He just sent in his email that he's interested in being an intern there as well.
Speaker 1:Oh great, I saw our intern leader sent me that application and said hey, this looks like a strong candidate. I saw that literally yesterday, yeah our Roo Dolfo I think is his real name. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's a common nickname in Spanish for Rolfo. Yeah, he loved it so much.
Speaker 2:He's such a great guy. His dad is like the head maintenance guy for Journey Church and yeah, and he loves kids. He's in the kids ministry. He's actually on staff a little bit right now on Journey and he just my daughter loves him. She's like I told him I was like yo, he might be gone for like three months. She's like no, I don't want to believe, but that just goes to show how much you know you guys are doing that people want to be joining you guys and just be part of all the good that you guys are doing for the kingdom and I just want to say thank you for all of that. Awesome. Well, can I?
Speaker 1:close this out of your word of prayer.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, please, lord Jesus, we thank you so much for Aaron and we thank you for his ministry, lord, we thank you for Wada Fitness Podcast, where they would fall upon fertile soil. I pray that even the listeners that hear us today, god would be inspired to action. Thank you for the ministry of Journey Church. Thank you for Pastor Amanda Martell and the way that she loves to serve and the influence that she has. We do bring before you every member of UGOP ministries and pray for every single staff member. We pray for life transformation out in the communities of Mani, adaro, where we're serving, and also all the way back to where the purview of Journey Church. So we just ask that you would fill us up and, as we get filled up, that we would pour ourselves out in ministry. And we just love you and thank you and it's in Jesus' name that we've been hanging out here today and it's in Jesus' name we pray Amen.
Speaker 2:Amen. Thank you so much again, Nathan.
Speaker 1:All right, brother. God bless you. Man, Thank you for having me. You're welcome, Thank you.
