Finding Christ in Cactus, Texas

Zachary Strouse (’22)

Cactus, Texas, smack dab in the middle of the panhandle is where the Lord planted me to grow and deepen my faith. I had no idea how deep my roots would grow during my first service-learning trip to the Cactus Nazarene Ministry Center (CNMC) or how much I would see Him at work in this special town.

I really enjoyed being able to spend time with the people of Cactus. The town has a population of about 3,000 people with more than 20 nations represented. There is more diversity in this small town than some major cities around the world. My first experience in Cactus was incredible and set up my desire to go back the next year.

Before my second trip to Cactus (my junior year), the director of CNMC came to Mount Vernon and spoke at a few Nazarene churches to fundraise for the ministry. He said CNMC’s summer needs included an English as a Second Language teacher/BLAST coordinator and helper. Immediately the Lord plucked my heart and told me that I needed to go and volunteer for the summer.

During my second service-learning trip to Cactus, I continued to think and pray about how the Lord could best use me there for the summer. In that week, the Lord once again assured me that Cactus and CNMC was where He wanted me. I met with the director and at the end of the trip, I was officially offered a summer internship!

This experience opened the door for me to use the skills acquired in the classroom and continue the center’s vision to be the hands and feet of Jesus while preaching that Jesus saves and provides for all their needs.

I adored the kiddos of Cactus and spending time with them. It was so awesome and amazing to see how they worked hard in their academics and to support their families, but also had so much tendered-hearted joy as they went about their lives.

The adults I taught did not know English, but used the gifts the Lord gave them to work hard to learn the language. Their goal was to become United States citizens and help bring the rest of their family to the U.S.

Every single day I was in Cactus was a huge blessing because one minute I would be hanging out with a group of funny, smart, and spunky kiddos during BLAST or playing soccer with them. Later, I would be interacting with people from Cameroon, South Sudan, Cuba as well as many different countries. That night, I would be riding in a firetruck with screaming sirens to do my best to help someone in their darkest hour.

In Cactus, I was able to look at the world through a different lens, and I found God everywhere! You see the Lord is working in so many areas of life which gives us a great reminder that we are not at the center of our own worlds, but we are blessed to be a part of what Christ is doing throughout the world.

Each morning, I would immediately see the Lord through his beautiful creation of the plains of Texas. I would see Him in the joy of the children as I picked them up every day for summer BLAST; and in the kind and gentle smiles or the waves of the men and women as they walked across town to their job at the local meat packing plant. But it wasn’t just in these mornings that I saw Christ in Cactus.

I saw Christ in the dedication older siblings had to their brothers and sisters. Because both parents would be working at the meat packing plant to make ends meet, the older children were often responsible for their siblings.

I saw Christ through the teachers and administration at Cactus Elementary in how they cared for their students and in their desire to be at Cactus Elementary teaching their students even though most of them struggle with English.

I saw Christ in the principal of Cactus Elementary’s leadership and the constant Godly encouragement that he brought to students and teachers. He was also provided the same leadership as a board member at CNMC.

I saw Christ in the first responders of Cactus; in the firefighters, captain, and chief I worked alongside. They practiced Christlike hospitability in letting me, a 20-year kid who is certified firefighter/EMT in Ohio, join their department in Texas. Christ was also in the Cactus police officers who supported firefighters in responding to every call no matter the situation.

I saw Christ in the care and compassion of the ministry teams that came to CNMC to help support what the Lord was doing in Cactus as well as love on the people of town.

I saw Christ in the ministry center director and the other ministry interns and coworkers as we collaborated to do our best to be the hands and feet of Christ and bring the saving message of Jesus to the people of Cactus.

All throughout this tiny town that is full of beef cattle, goats roaming the streets, hardly any cacti (which is ironic because the town is called Cactus) and many different people from many different places, God was working and is still working!

My experience with CNMC gave me the opportunity to practice what I learned in MVNU’s freshman core competency class called Discipleship of The Christian Mind, taught by Dr. Christina Jones (the best Discipleship of the Christian Mind professor). In this class, she taught us how, as Christians, we should look at the world through a different set of glasses — from a different perspective than our own. When we examine a new worldview, we begin to see how life is for others and how their perception of things is different than ours. This allows the student to have more Christlike compassion towards others even when we don’t understand their circumstances.

Service learning trips are important to MVNU students because they allow the opportunity for God to spark their hearts to go out and serve. I know for me, Christ sparked a huge flame in my heart for Cactus during those two trips and then he graciously opened the door for me to fan that flame even more during my summer internship. In fact, that flame is still burning as I hope the Lord will use me once again in Cactus.