Looking Back, I wouldn't Change it | Gabe & Kari Wendt | Trevor Schmidt

Trevor Schmidt joins us on this episode of Wendt For It to share his story of growing up as a missionary kid in Mexico. Hear personal testimonies, honest reflections on the highs and lows of life between cultures, and the lasting impact those years had on his faith, identity, and calling. Raw, thoughtful, and inspiring—don’t miss this candid conversation.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Welcome back, everybody, to the Went For It Podcast. Carrie does that every time. It's part of our intro. The woop-woop. Welcome back. Thanks for tuning in. We've got a fun episode planned for you guys today. We've got um our best friend, Trevor Schmidt, in the studio with us today. Welcome, Trevor. Yes, thank you. Thank you. So excited to have you with us. And yeah.

SPEAKER_04 0:46

Wait, I have a question I don't think I've ever asked you.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 0:49

Has anyone ever called you Schmidtie? No. Like, you know, like off New Girls? I know. You have the I have never gotten that.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Nope. I've gotten T Money before T Money before Schmidtie.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

Never Schmidtie. Is Schmidty okay? Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

That wasn't convincing.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

He's like at the point in his life now where he's like, it's gone. The moment's gone.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

It would be cool. You know, people have like their last name as their nickname. That never happened either, even after New Girl. So I somehow wish that would happen, but it hasn't.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

We'll make it happen or perfect. All right. Well, thanks, Trevor, for coming and hanging out with us. And we're excited to have you with us. We've been talking about doing this for a while. And honestly, since like before we even invested in podcast gear, like we've talked with you and you know, Emily, your wife, about like some of our ideas and visions, and we're like, we gotta have you guys on the podcast. So we'll get Emily on here with you at some point. But today we are blessed with Trevor Schmidt, and it's gonna be awesome. So to start off, why don't you just tell us a little bit about yourself and we'll go from there?

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Okay. Uh so I was born in Costa Rica and lived there till I was five, moved to Mexico when I was uh five and lived there till I was 16. So my parents were missionaries. So grew up in Latin America most of my life. Uh my family's from Alabama. Uh, and so when we'd come back to the States, we would go to Alabama, so I got to spend some time there. I am an Alabama fan. Uh, and I was born and raised that way. So that I always have to make sure people know I have to make sure people know that. Uh, and then um went to college in Springfield, Missouri, where I met my wife. And um we've been married now uh since 2018. So what is that? Uh eight years? Wow, that is eight years. Eight years. So been married eight years. We moved to Iowa after we graduated. She got a job at Principal Financial Group a semester before I did, and then I got a job at principal, and we've been there now uh close to a decade. Uh and uh we had our first baby uh almost a year ago. Her birthday is in April, and um it's been incredible, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

So that is crazy, yeah. A whole with the baby already. I know it's been a whirlwind. It is insane. Um well, what also is insane is the fact that you were born in Costa Rica and then grew up in Mexico, which a lot of people don't have that story, and so we're gonna talk a lot about that today. Yeah. But we kind of came up with a fun little get to know you type game. But first, let's talk a little bit about how like we know each other. Okay, because that would also kind of help play into the game, I think, a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 3:59

That's a good idea.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

Um, so we met when was it like 2020, I think it was during COVID. Yep. And we attended church together. Yep. And you're a drummer. Yep. And I'm also a drummer, and so we met through worship team relations, and 2020 was, as everybody knows, a crazy year, and we needed some drummers. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:21

And so we're friends.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

Yeah. Well, yes. But this is priorities, come on. Yeah. So that's how we met is Trevor joined the worship team. Yes. Yeah. By force, actually. It was very forcible.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

It was like, hey, you can play the drums, right? On Saturday.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Yeah. Because from what what I remember how this all came to be was yes, 2020, crazy, everybody getting sick, getting COVID. Uh the church had the rules, and you know, the state had the mandates and all that stuff. And we had um been attending for uh like two months, and um I didn't know you yet. Uh we knew one of our mutual friends, and both you and the other drummer lived together, and you both got sick, and you both had to quarantine. Yeah. And at that point, I hadn't played drums in a very, very, very, very, very long time. And I pretty much was just forced to get on there. It was a high pressure to to try and play. And so I did that a couple weeks, and then um you came and did um, I think you maybe played guitar or something like that where I played, and that's that's how we met. Yeah, and then just kept playing on the worship team.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Yeah, just kind of thrown into the fire, which is usually happens for worship team members.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

Anywhere and everywhere. Yep. But yeah, I remember like um the first time I had a conversation with you. I'm very much like a uh warm up to you type person, and I feel like you are very like you're you're just an easy guy to talk to. Like you can go up to someone and have a conversation, and you just walked right up to me and started talking to me about shoes. And I was like, what's happening right now? So who is this guy, anyways? And then eventually we became like best friends, and um I'm very grateful for you. And we're very grateful for you and Emily and your baby. And uh we love you guys. So thanks.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

Yeah, it's now it's crazy to think that we've been here in Iowa for so long, and it feels like a blink of an eye. It feels like home now. I mean, it's crazy, and it's the people that we've met and the people that we've been able to do life with, and it's it's crazy. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 6:56

Emily and I get the joy of listening to you talking about drumming, terminology, your beatboxing, your hand drumming fee. Oh, so much fun being married to drummers.

SPEAKER_02 7:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Felt a little sarcastic, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

I can't wait until we get to have like all four of us on together. I know. And that will happen very soon. So let's get into the game.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:23

This is just like a fun little, like, not even a long game. It's just it'll just be quick. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:29

So it's called Choose Your Challenge.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

Choose my challenge. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 7:33

So you're gonna give, we're gonna give you two options, and you have to choose which challenge you're gonna go with.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

And to preface this, just so everyone knows, we've talked about it, but Trevor and Emily are about to have a one-year-old on their name. So they they have a baby. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 7:49

And so let's go ahead and get the first one locking in a perfect drum rhythm during worship or getting your baby to stay asleep after you set them down.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

Which one getting the baby to sleep when you set them down? That's more challenging. Oh, that's sorry. That's what is more challenging. What is more challenging? So yeah. Oh, yeah. The baby, oh, for sure the baby. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:14

Okay, next one. Finishing a woodworking project without mistakes or leaving the house on time with the baby.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

Oh, the mistake, the woodworking mistakes. That is way harder. Really? Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Absolutely. Trevor's Trevor is a really good woodworking. Like he's started some fun little projects with that.

SPEAKER_04 8:32

Incredible. Okay, next one is explaining a retirement plan to a client or figuring out why your baby's crying. Which one is harder?

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Explaining a retirement plan to a client.

SPEAKER_02 8:48

Really? Yes. Would you have said that like six months ago? Uh yeah. Interesting. So it's is it is it are both like really hard, or is it easy now to just be like, oh, I know why the baby's crying?

SPEAKER_01 9:07

I mean, the baby, you get like four things that why they're crying. Okay. And so you just cycle through them and one of them will work. Our baby is very easygoing. I will say this. I know that there are some parents out there that have had some tough experiences, but for us, she's a pretty chill, relaxed baby. So it's been pretty easy to keep her happy. Nice.

SPEAKER_04 9:28

All right. That that is totally not what I expected on that one.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

How many more do we have left, too?

SPEAKER_04 9:33

Uh yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

Two more left.

SPEAKER_04 9:35

Two more left. Okay. Next one launching and running your own golf game business or surviving a night of no sleep with a newborn.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Uh, the golf game business, for sure. Um, so I have a company called Yard Golf Co., uh, which allows you to have your own personal golf course in your backyard. It's a bigger cup that you screw in and you hit pickleballs um pretty much around your yard, allows you to hit it as hard as you can. You kind of make up your own course. Uh, but what entails is I have to do a bunch of social media videos and I have to do a bunch of marketing, and I have to always videotape myself, and I'm just that is not who I am. I like to be kind of behind the scenes and just kind of the production part of it. Yeah. So that's always tough doing that every single day and keeping it up.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Yeah. It is a lot to do stuff like that. Yeah. But yard golf is so much fun.

SPEAKER_03 10:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

I've got to play it a lot with you and some of our other friends. And yeah, it's fun. It is. I have my very own kit. You do, yeah. I live on a golf course and I have my own kit, so it's that tells you anything.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

It's in Iowa, you only get a finite amount of nice weather, and people like to spend it outside. And we know we love our our games, our yard games, and this just allows you to play golf whenever at all times. Yep.

SPEAKER_04 11:08

I have not played because I'm pretty sure I would hit the house or break something. But that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

You can hit the house because it's a it's a pickleball, it's not gonna break anything. Don't worry. I have also hit my own house a million times for testing purposes.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

For testing purposes. It's seriously so fun to watch you guys play, though.

SPEAKER_02 11:28

It's like if I hit the ball at a million miles an hour, will it destroy the house? It's it's proofed out, everyone. You can hit your house. You can. You can hit the glass, you can hit the everything.

SPEAKER_04 11:38

Yeah, we'll definitely have to have another podcast where you can talk even more in depth about it.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

I would love to.

SPEAKER_04 11:43

Just the process, because it's been really cool to get a watch. Yeah you like start into where you're at today.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Yeah. It's and it's a fairly new company, so it's been fun to learn and grow as the process um keeps going. Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 11:59

One more. Sinking a clutch putt to win the game, or successfully completing a diaper change without chaos.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

Sinking a clutch putt every single time. Because I have yet to do that. I have changed a million diapers. And yes, it is harder when they get a little bit bigger, they turn into little alligators and they want to roll and they want to do all that, but you really just gotta hold them down and then you're good to go. When it's like to win the game and putting, no, I have never done it. I will miss it every time.

SPEAKER_04 12:31

Maybe your next uh invention needs to be something that makes diaper changing uh easier when they're at that alligator stage.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Not sure what that would look like. I don't think it would be legal to do what I would need to do.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

We'll talk when we're done recording. Yeah. I don't think that would work out too well. Oh, that's hilarious. Um thanks for playing our fun little game.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

I feel like I want to conclude the game with the challenge accepted from how I met your dad.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

Yeah, challenge accepted. Yeah. Well, I what I learned through the game is that Trevor is already like a master dad. Yeah. But he won't make the master's golfing. That's what I've learned. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Bar set really hot for the master.

SPEAKER_02 13:31

Uh okay. Let's get into the content here.

SPEAKER_04 13:35

Yeah. So Gabe kind of already hinted at in the episode. Um, we're gonna be talking a lot about just growing up in Mexico and what it was like um having your parents in the mission field and just your childhood and um just sharing some more insight of what um that was like. Because if you listen to a couple episodes ago, we had our good friend Elena on and she talked about working for a company um that helps just prepare and send out missionaries and support them. And so we thought it'd be so fun to have you on and just give some more um information on just what it's like actually being in that and in the world, um, the mission world.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Yeah, yeah. And just kind of like what it's like, you know. I think the first thing I'd want to ask, like, what was it like growing up? Like, obviously, I feel most of our listeners are from the United States. Yeah. And so what was it like actually being a missions kid and growing up in a different country? Like, just what was that experience like?

SPEAKER_01 14:37

Yeah, it was uh definitely unique. Uh, I am the youngest out of all my siblings. So I kind of just again, I was born in Costa Rica, so I kind of just remember it as that was my life. Yeah. Uh my sisters had a little bit different situation where they were told we're leaving the United States, we're moving to Costa Rica. So they had kind of a bigger transition. Um, but I'm also um a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, uh super white kid growing up in Latin America. Yeah. And so I remember my mom having to put a leash on me uh because I was also a very active uh kid, so I'd always want to be running around and stuff, but people would just come up and touch my head because I had golden, you know, I have blonde hair, and that's just not very common in those countries. Okay. So people would come and they would just touch my hair, or they would just grab me, or they would, you know, it would be kind of just a weird situation. Um, and so that was me as as a kid. Uh, and then of course growing up, you know, uh throughout my childhood being the only kind of really the only like white kid around. Um yeah, it was unique. Um I I mean I was it was I definitely stood out in in these countries. Um when I grew up and the movie Remember the Titans came out, and my nickname was Sunshine because that's what all the kids would just yell sunshine because I, you know, the blonde haired, yeah, blue-eyed kid. So yeah, I mean I I knew from the start that I it was different. Um, I had access to different things. Like for Christmas one time, I got a case of root beer because we don't have root beer. There was no root beer in Mexico. And so I remember getting IBC root beer as like a wrapped-up present, and I was thrilled to get that. Uh, and then we would come back to the States and there would be unlimited refills. And I mean, it was just this it would culture shift, it was crazy to see the differences. Uh, and then you'd go back and you'd have to, I would only be allowed one, you know, one drink if I ever got it, because every time you got something, it would cost. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:05

So you talk about like obviously from a pretty young age, already knowing like I am different, like to everyone else in this culture. Like, how did that feel? Did you feel like mad about that? Did you have like appreciation for being different? Or was it kind of a mix of emotions?

SPEAKER_01 17:23

Yeah. It was a little bit of a mix because I um also didn't always fit in. Um, I got bullied pretty heavily, and so there was groups of people that I could be around and uh it would be fine. But a lot of the, you know, kids at school that I would go to, you know, they were all, you know, they'd play soccer or they had just a different, you know, life that I had, and we just did not get along. And so um I didn't really, you know, there was that side of it where I didn't really have a lot of friends and it was hard. Um, but then it was, you know, really cool looking. But you know, I as an adult, I look back at it and I think, wow, that's an experience that nobody else had. Yeah. Yeah. Um, but growing up, it was hard to be kind of isolated, and I wasn't allowed to play any of the sports uh that all these other kids played because um kind of like in the United States with football, I mean, parents can be crazy, kids can be nuts, and I was already having a hard time making friends and stuff like that. And so my parents didn't want to put me in like a situation where all of a sudden the parents also hated me as well. Um and so it just like stuff like that, where I just wasn't um able to do the same things as uh the other kids. So it was hard at some time, and then like learning the language. I remember having to learn it. I was in a class called Special Spanish, where they would put all the kids who didn't know how to speak the language, they had a whole separate class for native speakers because they didn't need to learn it. They were doing the history, you know, they were doing all the more advanced stuff, and so then I was isolated in that all of a sudden, and um I mean you definitely were the I was the odd man out when it came to to my class and the people.

SPEAKER_04 19:17

So were there any other like missionary families with kids anywhere like near where you guys were at where like you at least could meet with others that were kind of in a in a similar position? Um so you felt like less isolated, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Yeah, so we uh there were there were other missionaries that were there. Um none of them were my age. And so, but there were people that we could go and um you know, we'd have dinner with or hang out with. Uh and I, you know, I did have some friends in in other places that were, you know, uh Mexican kids that I was friends with. It just wasn't uh all the time in at my school. Uh one thing that was really cool is growing up, there was another ministry called Engage, where college students would be able to come and do two years uh abroad because they wanted to go into missions. And so this would be at like schools like Southeastern University or SAGU, uh, which these are assemblies of God universities that had these programs where college kids would come, they would do two years abroad doing missions work, and then after they would finish up their degree in missions or in pastoral care or whatever it may be. And so I was like a 13-year-old kid hanging out with college students, and every weekend we'd go and we'd do outreach. So we'd go to these like really impoverished areas and we would, you know, do kids' ministry, or we would go out and do a food uh ministry where we would serve families and stuff like that. So seeing my parents do it, and then also that just being a place where I felt comfortable and I actually had, you know, a fun time hanging out with these people and they took me in, but I also got to see the country and how impoverished it is and how important it is to go out into the community and help people.

SPEAKER_02 21:13

That's really cool that you had that to kind of like go with the really hard part about the not fitting in and the bullying and just feeling like an outcast, like and just isolating. Yeah, the isolation. Like I'm sure, I mean, I know that doesn't feel good ever, you know. And so I think that's just really cool that like you were there as a missions kid, but God also sent other missions people to be that for you. Yeah. And to like uh serve you in that way. Like you were there serving with them, but really like as you were serving, like they were helping to serve. I just think that that parallel is just really cool to me. It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

I mean, if I didn't have some of those people Um, I I don't know how I would have gone through it. Um, a lot of missionary kids have different experiences. I mean, there's some I know missionary kids that love the country that they're in, and they even turn up to be missionaries and go back to the country and they have this incredible experience, and it is just you know what you think of it when you, you know, when you picture a family abroad that goes and and then there's kind of like my situation, which my sisters had a completely different situation. They had a lot of friends and they would go out and they would go do all the the fun stuff. And it, you know, again, as an adult looking back, it is an incredible experience, but it it was hard. I mean, it's it I longed to come back to the United States because I felt like that's where I could I had because every five years you go back and you itinerate, which itinerating is essentially my parents have to come back every five years, they go to these different churches and they try and raise money again for the next five years. Yeah. So you do five years in the country, you go back to the United States for a year, and then you come back to the country. So for me, doing five years of absolute hell, going to the United States, having fun, having friends, yeah, assimilating almost instantly because it just it it worked, it fit, and then getting told we're going back. Yeah, and then doing another five years, and then doing that, it it was it was tough. And as I got older, it got easier. And yeah, you know, you find kind of the people that you want to hang out with, but it it was tough. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:27

I like how you brought up though, like as an adult, looking back, you can see like the things that you appreciate about it and how it's helped you um as an adult. Cause I definitely can relate to you, not in a in a way that I've like lived outside of the US, but obviously being born with like a limb difference. Yeah, from a very early age, I knew I was different. I was bullied, picked on, felt like an outcast, just felt different. Yeah. And it's just a lot of like adversity from a young age. But when I think about it now, it has made I feel like God has gifted me with just a resilience now that it has taught me like, even as a Christian, like we're gonna experience persecution because we're living life so differently from the world.

SPEAKER_00 24:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:15

And I feel like it's helped me manage that better or just like choices I've made of like not drinking, like purity, like and until guy got married, like it made those decisions easier because I started off life just being so different. And I'm I know that's like not everyone's case, but I think um it does help build this like strength and resiliency, like through the hard times.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Yeah, you can you can either make a choice to let it ruin you, or you can make a choice to make it make you stronger.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

Um, and that can be hard. I mean, again, growing up doing that as a kid, it can be hard to do it, but I mean, we're here, we've done it. I mean, a lot of a lot of people do, and so I look back and I'm thankful for it. Um but it is yeah, it's hard when you look back.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

Yeah, it sounds very hard. Yeah. Um, so you moved to Mexico at you said you were five. I was five. So you were there until ten and then you came back to the states for a year. Yep. And then wow, so at 10, then you go back at 11 and then you're there for five more years. Yep. Wow.

SPEAKER_04 25:25

Yeah, I didn't realize that there was that transition every five years.

SPEAKER_02 25:30

Yep. How would you say, like, I know you're like pretty young between like five and ten, but like would you say like when you went back at age 11, was it just like you realize like life for someone who is from America is like different than what I just lived the last five years? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:49

Like, oh yeah. I mean, it was it's a complete shift. I mean, the first time, so this is the craziest thing. I we because born in Costa Rica moved uh to Mexico when I was five. Um I I pretty much had the language down, and then we moved back to the United States and I completely forgot everything. I forgot all of my Spanish. And so then we go back after a year and I have to relearn everything. Um and it yeah, again, you see the culture, the people, how things are in the United States compared to how they are in Mexico, the kids, even. I mean, there's it's set up completely different, the schools are completely different. Um, I did go to like a Christian school when I came back to the United States, uh, because I was just, I feel like my parents wanted to do that instead of putting me in the public school system and then taking me out within a year. Um and so going from like a Christian environment in a school, then to go back to a secular school where it's just a completely different setup. Um yeah, it's it was hard to do that and assimilate back into to Mexico.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Yeah. Would you say like that had a great effect on like your faith, like today, like who you are as a believer today, like would you say it kind of got you to where you are today or yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

Um I think the the heart of um serving and going out and being the Lord's hand and feet. I think I think I I see such a priority where uh I don't even think that you can fully live out your your faith until you do that. Because I think at this point in the United States, there's a lot of project self where it's a lot of let me make sure I'm taken care of, let me make sure I'm good, let me make sure everything works for me. And it is easy, and I'm guilty of it even, I mean, now, where you get yourself into this little box and you hang around the same people and you do the same things, uh, and then you, you know, maybe go to church and then you, you know, you've done your you know, you check the box there. But to really go out and to see the the people that Jesus would go and hang out with, which were the outcasts of the world, uh it's a completely different different lens when you do that. Yeah, you operate differently when you're going out and doing instead of receiving.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

Yeah. Yeah. That's good. Because it's what we're called to do, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:42

Like I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 28:43

It's in the Bible. We talked about it in Elena's episode, like it, you know, we're called to spread the good news. You know, the workers are few, but the harvest is plenty, right? And um I think there's a lot to be said about the lack of missions work. Yeah. Even like, you know, sure, and like outside of America, but even like in our own neighborhoods, I would think. And yeah, like I'm not sitting here saying that like I'm the one who is doing all these missions works or whatever. Like, I absolutely need to be better at it. But like you just saying that was like convicting for me, where I'm like, gosh, like you actually what you just said was really powerful. Like, I don't think you can I don't think you fully lived out your faith until you've done something like that. Yeah. And I think that's true because that's exactly like you said, what Jesus did. Yeah. That's so good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:37

I was just thinking too, like, kind of back to like it was tough and hard, especially in those like childhood years, but God always brings like treasure out of the hard. And just thinking about like all the ways that He's been able to use your experience. Like, I've watched you get to use Spanish to connect with people at church that don't know English, and you got to serve them and make them feel so loved and so welcomed.

SPEAKER_02 30:03

Yeah. Um yeah, especially um at our at our last church, we would do something called um giving hope every Christmas season. And um, a lot of families from the 1040 window who had moved to the States would come to this. And so families who can't speak English, they've never heard the gospel before. And um, the whole idea is it of it was to bless a parent who, you know, typically can't afford to give their kids Christmas gifts, but also to share the gospel with them. And you were one of the translators and you would walk people through the gospel in Spanish and help lead people to Jesus in Spanish. And like that is just an incredible fruit that we've got to see from those tough years in Mexico. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:53

And to be able to do it so boldly, because yeah, I imagine even when you're sharing, like sometimes it's hard to like remember the language and just to step out in confidence and boldness that the Lord's gonna show up and be there. Um to use just your that gift and experience that you walked through. I also think like you've gotten to use your Spanish at work. And yeah, again, I think you have this very unique perspective and lens of what it is truly like to be the hands and feet of Jesus and just like an appreciation for different cultures, even like not just saying in what's comfortable.

SPEAKER_00 31:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:29

So much I can think of, like just really cool fruit that's come from it, even though it's been that it was like a tough experience and not always easy.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Yeah. But growth comes from going through hard things, yeah. Which again, as adults now we can look back and we all can probably do that with our own childhoods and recognize that. But um you just sometimes gotta go through it and then yeah, take what you went through and either use it to um, you know, maybe victimize yourself or use it to be the strength and to be a better person that God has called us to be. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 32:09

I'm gonna pivot us just a little bit because I want to know about maybe what are some of like your fun or favorite memories from living in Mexico. Um or even foods that you know you loved eating there that you might miss that America doesn't do the best at.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Well, we have Taco Bell.

SPEAKER_04 32:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:30

Yes, you do. And I will hey, I will eat Taco Bell any day. I just compartmentalize what it is. And I don't even think Americans would say that Taco Bell is actual Mexican food. So I think we're good there. I think we're good. Um, yeah, I mean, uh I did, I had great times. Um, you know, the even the the eating schedule is different, you know, for people like we eat dinner here at like five. There is something called cena, which is, you know, we would go out to these taco stands that are open until like two, three in the morning. I mean, we would go out and it would be like 10:30, 11, and we're eating a full meal, and there's people out, and you know, there's music playing, and uh it's you just kind of immerse yourself in in the culture, and that was always great, and it was incredible food. Uh, and it, you know, at school there was always cool like parade things that we would do and all the different holidays that there were, uh, Dia de los Muertos, which is uh the day of the dead, which is kind of remembering the people who have died within your family, and kind of a remembrance piece to it. Um there was a lot of cool things that I got to experience um that I wouldn't have. Yeah. So that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 33:47

Do they also have daily siestas?

SPEAKER_01 33:50

No, no, but we did so. This is a funny story. So um we had like an hour plus lunch every day. And we were allowed to go do whatever we wanted. We could go outside, you could go, uh the, you know, my sisters, they were old enough to where they could actually leave the school and they would go eat out and they would just take an hour. And so when we moved back to the States when I was um 16, my first day at school, we go and eat lunch in the like auditorium. It was like a gymatorium type thing where they set up the so we get our food and we go down the line and we get the food and then we sit down and I finish eating and I go, okay, when do we get to like go out and like go do whatever? And they're like, no, we have to stay in here in the in the table, and we can't get up and leave. If you get up and leave, you'll get in trouble. And that to me, I was like, this is prison. Like I I was I was but and it was only like 20 minutes. You get your food, and by the time you finish it, the bell rings, and then you're like back to class, and that was so different. Um, I I remember that vividly. Like, this is crazy.

SPEAKER_02 34:59

So there's culture shops on both sides.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

Yeah. I finished my food, I'm ready to go like outside and like hang out for a little bit, and then I was like, nope. Oh stay here.

SPEAKER_02 35:10

That would have been awesome, honestly. Yeah. I mean, I was homeschooled for most of my life. Oh man. That's a different episode.

SPEAKER_03 35:18

Yeah, that's a whole different episode.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

A whole different thing. We can talk about that mission field at a new time. Your prom date must have been.

SPEAKER_03 35:28

Yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_02 35:30

I went to homescho I went to homeschool prom. Okay. I was expecting with people outside of my siblings. And I did have two dates I have a picture. I'll show you. For sure. I totally believe you.

SPEAKER_01 35:47

Yeah, totally believe that sounds super real.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

Okay, this is not about me or my trauma. Oh my god. So, anyways, that's what I love about doing this podcast is like the little rabbit holes that we get on.

SPEAKER_03 36:07

Can we get on?

SPEAKER_02 36:08

They're just so fun. But um, do you remember like maybe how this would have affected your parents as like mission missionaries, or um like any hardships that they may have to go through, or maybe like have they shared any of it with you?

SPEAKER_01 36:29

Yeah, I mean, I they definitely went through hardships. Um first, uh, missionaries, contrary to popular belief, don't make a lot of money. They're not millionaires. So I now, again, looking back, and as an adult, I can look back at my parents and I know they had three kids on the mission field. Um, so I know for sure there were struggles in that, in that aspect, uh, especially with a kid like me that's asking for like the X the newest Xbox, like as it comes out, you know, like just as a kid, you don't think about any of that stuff. Um, so I I for sure know that. And that's I mean, the way that my parents handled everything, I mean, I can't I applaud them because we had a great childhood. Like, yeah, we we had awesome stuff, they figured out a way to make it great. Um, so there was definitely that hardship, which anybody who's married knows that that can money is you know one of the main reasons for conflict within a marriage. So I know that they went through that. Uh plus my dad was always traveling around Latin America, so he wasn't just staying and what so then it was my mom taking care of three kids and you know, her kind of doing that on her own. Uh again, with me having troubles with school and then on the social side and the school, like there was just always tension, like you just with kids and what's going on, and you know, us, we never were like, Thank you so much for doing this. It was, you know, we're always taking. And so yeah, I know for them to just say like we could be in the United States and they could be fine, and we could have a you know, maybe better paying job, or we could be in a different situation, but I know that their call to be on the mission field was the fulfilling thing, and I know even them moving away from that would have been the wrong move, and they wouldn't have been happy. So even though I know they went through struggles and I know that they had hardships, but they instilled that of like you do what the Lord calls you to do and he will provide. And he definitely did.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

Yeah, that's really cool. Can you think of like an encouragement? Well, I feel like honestly, this entire episode up to this point has just been an encouragement for uh this person, but like an encouragement for someone with kids or like a couple with kids who feels like there's this weight on their heart from the Lord that they need to make like a big life decision like that, but they're worried about how it may affect the kids. Yeah. Like, can you think of anything like from the kids' perspective now, like you're grown up and everything, like looking back, is there anything where you're just like it was worth it?

SPEAKER_01 39:23

Yeah, I mean, if you I I think if you have that calling, you have to do it. Um you can find a million reasons not to do it, but if you feel it, you know it's the right thing to do, and it's gonna be the best thing that you can do. And you just have to know that. Um, and yeah, it's gonna be tough. You might go through some hard times, but that's still the calling that God's put on your life. So you you have to do it knowing that there is the other side. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 39:54

Yeah, that is really cool. I was just thinking, like, do you know when your parents um first like felt that call to be missionaries? And were they both like experiencing that call, or was it like your mom or your dad, or like were they in alignment right away with that?

SPEAKER_01 40:11

Yeah. Uh, from what I remember, uh, in the story that they've told me, they were. Um, but it was kind of a supernatural thing where it was they were youth pastors, uh, and then they both had felt the call and they didn't tell each other. Uh, and so then they were individually by themselves, kind of going through this, and then they kind of came together finally and were like, We need to talk. And it was like they both had the same thing to talk about. Wow, that's incredible. So when that happens, you kind of have to do it. And then again, my sisters were older, and this is kind of a funny thing how they did it. They went to a um a restaurant, and my sisters were eating, you know, food, and it was that that type of food, and my dad was like, Do you like this food? And they're like, Yeah. Like, great, you're gonna be eating this every day. And I think he regrets doing that that way, but that's how they they told my sisters. Well, but yeah, that they they both had it. They came together, they felt the call, and they went, Okay, we're gonna do it.

SPEAKER_02 41:24

Dang. So that's incredible. That's a great story, man.

SPEAKER_04 41:29

Well, and I just think too, like, yeah, your parents have a huge went-for it story of stepping in to missionary work, and it's yeah, it's impacted you and your sisters. Like we said, yeah, it was tough and hard, but there's so much fruit that's also came from it. Yeah. And I just think, yeah, now I'm sure like you being a parent yourself, like there's just so many things like where your kids are also your missionary field, and I'm sure they felt the weight of that at times of some of that tension of like, yes, God has called us here to be missionaries in Mexico, but also you guys are their mission field too. And yeah, I think that tension can feel hard, but I like your encouragement um of you have to do it if the Lord has called you there, like and just know like and trust that He's gonna bring you through all those seasons and there is gonna be fruit from it.

SPEAKER_02 42:27

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, your family is always your first mission, like it's your first ministry. Yeah, and yeah, that's really good. Um this may be a question for your parents, but how did they know when God said, Okay, time to move out or time to like move on from the this mission field.

SPEAKER_01 42:55

Like after they left Mexico together.

SPEAKER_02 42:56

Yeah, like how how did they know when God was like, Okay, we're done here in Mexico, like now it's time to move on.

SPEAKER_01 43:03

I don't really have a great answer for that. That's fine. I remember when they decided to leave. Well, we came back because when we we left Mexico, but they stayed my dad still worked for the organization Child Hope. Okay. So he worked there as the president, and then in Springfield, Missouri, which is the headquarters of the Assemblies of God and a lot of the organizations tied to it. But he then traveled all around Latin America, even in the United States. So we lived in the United States, but they he was still traveling around. And then my mom, she used to be a teacher, went back to kind of teaching and doing stuff when she came back to the states. Um, they actually decided to leave the mission, like missions after I graduated college, uh, where they then became associate pastors at a church in Nashville. Yeah. And they did that for Five years, five or six years. And they actually were called, they went back to the missions. Yeah. Missions. So that's what they're doing now, currently.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

Very cool. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I think that goes to show too that like a lot of times, like we've we want this specific call sometimes. Like I want to be like, God, am I called to Mexico? And maybe you are, maybe you're not. But what I for sure know is I'm called to share your gospel and your good news. Yeah. And so I'm going to start there. And it seems like your parents have found a good rhythm with that, where it's we're in Mexico. Okay, like I think it's time to move our family out, but your dad is still heavily involved in it in this way. And okay, now we feel like we're just going to do it at this church. And now we're like, we're moving to back into the missions. And so like I think keeping the center of just getting the gospel around the world is what I'm getting at here. And so I think that's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 45:00

It and it is, and it I think um my dad, we've talked about it where he's even said, I don't know why God decided to take me out of missions, put me into a pastoral role at these different churches, um, because he pastored in Alabama and then moved to Nashville and pastored in a church there, and then went back to missions. And so that's a big chunk. You're talking about almost a decade of being out of missions and just doing pastoral work at a church. And he's even said, I don't know why he did that, which is funny because I look at it and I can actually see probably why, because he had such an impact on all of these young families at these churches.

SPEAKER_00 45:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:43

Because they're seasoned and they have older kids, and they got to walk through um a couple having a stillborn and kind of walking them through and pastoring through. And then the church in Nashville is just filled with young people that are on fire but have no idea what they're doing. And so then they get to be the like wisdom for all of these different people. And then once they left, the church was ready to to kind of be on its own, and they've been able to grow and and do what they need to do. But it's the the the just how my parents have been able to affect all of these different people outside of missions, and now they're back at missions and now he's doing again what he was doing before. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 46:29

Was there at any point in your life where you felt like missionary, like being in the mission field could be something that God was calling you towards?

SPEAKER_01 46:40

No. I have not. I have not felt that calling, and I don't know if that just comes from my past and just my relationship with that. Um, I've never really felt a call to be on staff at a church either. Uh I know I can do what I'm called to do, not working in a ministry. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:04

Uh I know that I can go out and be the hands and feet, and I don't have to work at a church or be a missionary.

SPEAKER_02 47:11

Yeah. So good. And I think so many people need to hear that. And I was one of those people for the longest time. Yeah. Where, like, you know, I feel this call where I'm like, I need to share the news and like I wanted to work for a church and like all these crazy cool things. And I think that's just fine. Yeah. But it needs to start with like, but I can do that without it being my full-time job. Yeah. I can do that without it. Yeah. And so that's so good. And I think it needs to be heard more and more.

SPEAKER_04 47:43

Yeah. And I think it just comes back to again, like all of our um gifts and callings can look different. Like neither's right. It's just like what God has called each and every one of us to do. And um yeah, the most important thing is no matter what, we can be sharing the good news.

SPEAKER_02 48:04

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 48:06

And sending it out.

SPEAKER_02 48:08

Were there ways that you could see God providing through other people? Like, so there's people who go out into the missions field, and there's people who can support by sending money or like, you know, stuff like that. Like, do you recall like any specific people who were like big blessings to you? And then like, how can more people get involved with like sponsoring missionaries or like getting connected to their church and you know, doing stuff like that?

SPEAKER_01 48:37

Yeah, I mean, there was a lot of um people who blessed us uh every time, especially when we were itinerating. Um people were incredibly generous to my family and to us as kids, um, with you know, some of the gifts that they gave and the support that then they gave my parents on a continuous basis. I think for people, um I think first it'd be important to educate yourself into get out of your comfort zone and see what it's like, uh, and then learning about what potentially, you know, like I would say the easiest thing would be your church probably support some type of missions. Yeah. Uh and so that would be the easiest of let me just learn about this. If you're able to get involved in some way, I would encourage whoever to do that. And then um, of course, monetary support is always needed for missionaries to continue because that's how they stay on the field. Gotcha. Yeah. So but I don't think you can just throw money at it. I think I think that's an easy way for people to kind of feel like they've done what they need to do if they just throw some money and then they can turn around and do whatever. Yeah, you need to understand why you're giving money and you need to know the heart of everything. So I would say don't just give money, but actually understand these missionaries. If you called them up, they would have a conversation with you. Yeah, learn about it. That's cool. Uh, and then, you know, give money and then go do it on your own somewhere. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:12

That's awesome. I love that.

SPEAKER_04 50:14

So growing up in the mission field, obviously you and your family are very active in your faith. You are going out, like you said, into communities, sharing the word, serving, literally being the hands and feet of Jesus. Um, did you ever feel like this was something that you just inherited rather than chose?

SPEAKER_01 50:34

Uh yeah, I definitely feel like it was more inherited. And I think that's probably true for a lot of kids who just grow up in in a in a household that's just like just what we do. Um, I knew what we did was good. I, you know, there was always uh I knew how to follow the rules, but it wasn't ever really my own, I don't think, until probably college, uh until I had to make it my own. Um so uh it it is an interesting kind of perspective because you just kind of grow up and kind of you just go through the motions as a kid. Um and we were a little different because that's just the way that we were parented, you know. It's just like this is just what we do, and it was kind of like okay, yep. Uh, but it didn't really mean anything to me until later down the road when I really did have to kind of sit down and make it my own and go through my own kind of refining. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 51:32

And in college, you were back in America, you're at Springfield.

SPEAKER_01 51:36

Went to Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.

SPEAKER_04 51:40

There like a catalyst moment there that like made that like refining start to happen, or was it just kind of like a gradual I it I just had to choose it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:54

Um, and there was an aspect of like I made it to college, got out of the household, and I was free. And so um, but kind of as I went through my college career, it was kind of continuous of like, you know, making church a priority, going to church, being involved in a church, um, and then also just spending time every day like praying, reading, studying, and kind of making that um a habit. Cause I think it's easy to again, you can go to church and just kind of be there and not really absorb anything. I think it takes being by yourself alone, really one-on-one to start that process. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 52:38

Yeah. And I imagine like that transition from like coming out of Mexico where yeah, you were you were living that out with your family every day to like now I'm in college, completely different phase of life. Like, I'm sure that was another just like big like change. Yeah. And just trying to figure out like who is Trevor.

SPEAKER_01 53:00

Yeah. And it was it was hard too, because I had a lot of figuring out what I wanted to be, because coming from a place where um, you know, there wasn't a lot of friendships that I had when we came back to the States. My only goal was to make friends and to be seen as, you know, somebody that's cool that you can be friends with, which can be tough when you're living out your faith. You're supposed to be set apart.

SPEAKER_00 53:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:26

But my only goal was like, I want to be accepted. And so that was kind of the main focus for me. Um, and again, getting older and kind of finally realizing that it's probably more important, the this relationship is more important than me being liked. And that's still something I struggle with today. I mean, that's it's just a battle of of choosing.

SPEAKER_04 53:50

Like your relationship with God is more important than being liked. Did you ever feel like that like acceptance of like not feeling accepted by others around you also made you feel not accepted by God?

SPEAKER_01 54:05

Um I don't know if it I don't know if it was uh accepted by God, but more of why did you make me this way?

SPEAKER_04 54:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:16

Dang. That's deep. So and again, we've said this a million times. Looking back on it, it's made me who I am today.

SPEAKER_02 54:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:26

And if I didn't go through that, I wouldn't be who I am. And I'm glad that I went through that because like you, you know, you go through adversity and it makes you who you are. Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_04 54:40

Okay. I think I have one more question. So obviously, growing up in Mexico, you had a lot of like really unique experiences and just things you learned from there. Now that you are a dad yourself, what are things that you um experienced in Mexico or lessons you've taken from Mexico that you want to incorporate into just how you and Emily raise your family?

SPEAKER_01 55:08

Yeah, I mean, the the number one thing um I want to try and be as intentional to uh not all not not be the household of this is just what we do. And that's why, and that's it. Um I would like to have more of a open conversation to really dig into the reason why we do something to be to you know maybe more open, um, more available. Uh, because I think the this is just why we do it can can foster some like secrecy, and you're just kind of like you don't you don't feel confident enough to maybe be as open. And I mean, that's just parenting. Uh I mean, with missions, of course, I want her to see um what live like a hard life actually could be. Um, and I want her to see the importance of taking care of people and being uh, you know, again, hands and feet, a light to people. I want her to be the person who will go help the kid who is bullied. I want her to be so empathetic, and I want her to know that, you know, maybe somebody's different, but they are not uh less because of that. Yeah. Um, that's my goal, is I don't I don't want her to be mean. I want her to be the person that somebody can go to and feel comfortable and feel God's heart through her heart. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 56:43

I'm like sitting over here actually tearing up because I'm thinking like everything that you're saying, like I have seen in you and Emily both. Um, I mean, not too long ago, Gabe and I walked through a really, really difficult season. And the how you describe, like, you want your family and your baby to like experience life and the lessons to learn and implement is exactly what you and Emily embody. Um you guys have the most empathetic, caring, servant, loving hearts, and you make everyone around you feel so loved and so accepted and never like a problem or um you just you both have just the most loving, genuine hearts, truly.

SPEAKER_02 57:36

Yeah. Thank you. Really, and you bring joy to to like everyone you're around, like yeah, now now I'm crying.

SPEAKER_03 57:45

I know.

SPEAKER_02 57:46

I'm like just was like a last minute question that we were like, we definitely need to ask this, and then look what look what it's done.

SPEAKER_03 57:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:56

Um but yeah, we um we've witnessed the life that you want to lead. Like you you you lead it so well, and we just know that your baby and like I keep saying your baby because I don't know if you want to say her name. I don't care if you do. You can't we just know that Nora and any other child, you know, that you guys get the blessing to raise is going to turn out exactly like you two, and it's going to be the perfect perfect example for others. And yeah, we love you guys, and we're so thankful for you and yeah.

SPEAKER_04 58:39

Yeah, and I I think we've probably nailed this pretty like what's the word? I think we've like said this a lot already, but I think when you've gone through like hard in your life, you can show up in hard moments for others. And I think again, that's just not that you wish that upon people or that they you want them to go through hard, but I think again you can turn it into treasure and a gift of just knowing how to love people while through hard. Yeah, yeah. And yeah, you and Emily are amazing at that. And just thank you for being such incredible friends to us.

SPEAKER_02 59:22

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions?

SPEAKER_03 59:27

I'm gonna stop myself now.

SPEAKER_02 59:36

Okay. Okay, bye.