The Church is for every day of the week

Yola and Misael Cruz Trejo are both originally from Mexico City, Mexico, where they now form an integral part of a CMF team in Mexico City that ministers to hundreds of people. Through this ministry, they’ve seen transformation happen in the lives of individuals, families, and specifically the communities of Fuego Nuevo in Iztapalapa and Xalatlaco on the west side of the city.

For the past eight years, Misael and Yola have participated in full-time ministry while raising their children in Fuego Nuevo, a community that has often experienced challenges such as abuse, drug trafficking and family dysfunction. Misael leads the Zona Maranatha Church and directs the Zona 10:14 Community Center, helping train leaders in several ministry initiatives.

Yola and Misael got connected with CMF through Steve Palich, a CMF missionary and staff member from the US , who served in Mexico City with his family for several years. He was looking to help initiate holistic ministry among churches in Mexico City, to address not only spiritual needs, but physical needs as well. The pastor of Yola and Misael’s home church at the time connected them with Steve, and things took off from there.

Yola and Misael are firm believers that the best way to know and love God is to love others—and to show this love to their neighbors in practical ways through the resources that the Church has, since, to them, “the Church should function every day of the week, not just Sunday.” For them, holistic ministry looks like many things in the communities they serve in, including academic tutoring, providing food resources to families, starting Discovery Bible Studies (DBS), connecting people with medical attention, counseling services, Celebrate Recovery programs, and teaching English.

¿Cuál es la lección más grande que han aprendido de sus años de servicio en el ministerio?
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your years of service in ministry?

“Es que con los recursos que El da y con Su palabra se puede transformar las comunidades—y quiere usar a nosotros para eso. Él usa lo que tenemos. No tenemos mucho en nuestras manos, pero lo que tenemos, Dios lo usa. Y a través de eso, Él transforma.”
“That with the resources that He gives and with His word, communities can be transformed—and He wants to use us to do this. He uses what we have. We don’t have much in our hands, but what we do have, God uses. And through this, He transforms.”

¿Qué consejo darían a alguien que comienza en el ministerio?
What advice would you give to someone who is just beginning in ministry?

“Primero, que tenga una relación con Dios. Si no se tiene una relación primero, ¿como se pueda hacer algo? Antes de nada, ser feliz con Dios.
“First, that you have a relationship with God. If you don't have a relationship first, how can you do anything? First of all, be happy with God.

Y también, despierta todos los días convencido de que no sabes nada. Nuestro Jefe sabe todo—no sabemos un poco de lo que Él sabe. Si piensas que saber todo, no vas a poder aprender ni crecer. ‘Haceré lo que digas, pero no sé como’-- a través de eso, Dios va a hacer cosas increíbles.”
And also, wake up every day convinced that you don’t know anything. Our Boss knows everything—we don’t know a bit of what He knows. If you think you know everything, you won’t be able to learn or grow. ‘I will do what You say, but I don’t know how’-- through this, God is going to do amazing things.”

A message and blessing from Yola and Misael: