How do you manage living in another culture? Where is the justice? What should mission look like?
These are a few of the questions Noemi* wrestled with as a young adult who was passionate about living out her faith. She had always been part of churches that were more inwardly focused, and something about that rubbed her the wrong way. When her friend told her about Resonate Global Mission’s Cohort Central America, she was intrigued.
Cohort Central America—known locally as Caminantes (“those that journey”)—brings together young adults from Latin America and North America to live in community, serve in a grassroots ministry, and engage in deep spiritual formation. Resonate offers opportunities for young adults to serve with cohorts in Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
Noemi had just finished dental school in Mexico and was searching for a job, but she decided to serve with Resonate for a year instead.
“She came into Caminantes seeking a space where she could connect her faith and vocation and could rethink mission,” said Rachel Beveridge, who leads Cohort Central America.
Noemi moved to Guatemala and started serving with the community health programs of a local ministry called AMI San Lucas. Because of her background and interest in dentistry, she led workshops on oral health in rural areas and supported other church-based community development projects.
It wasn’t easy. Noemi had never lived in another country before, and even though Mexico and Guatemala were neighboring countries, she quickly noticed the different customs, traditions, and nuances in language.
But Noemi felt supported by the community. She said she learned a lot from her colleagues at AMI San Lucas, but also from the community of Caminantes. She met regularly over video call with Beveridge and other members of Caminantes serving in countries across Central America. They read the Bible together, prayed together, navigated living cross-culturally together, and explored together how to live out their faith.
“In the midst of this process, I have been able to see God in multiple ways, where people are valuable, but so is the entire creation, and our mission must be holistic,” said Noemi.
“As a Caminante, (Noemi) was incredibly curious and engaged,” said Beveridge. “(Noemi) thrived in spaces where people asked hard questions or suggested novel ways of understanding God, the church, and mission. She asked great questions, didn’t accept easy answers, and put in a lot of effort to understand herself, the context where she was serving, and the ideas she was being presented.”
Resonate hopes that Caminantes walk away from Cohort Central America “with a prophetic voice and a pastoral heart,” Beveridge said.
Noemi is back home in Mexico now, but she’ll always carry with her a piece of Guatemala and her experience with Cohort Central America.
“It was a year of a lot of learning,” said Noemi. “I hope not to stop here, to apply everything we know. … I want to practice the proclamation of the Word, fellowship, and community.”
*Names have been changed for safety.
