When you think of spring break in Cancun, Mexico, spreading the Gospel would not likely be on most people’s mind. It turns out, however, to be quite the mission field as the beaches are ripe for the harvest. People partying there and at nearby Playa Del Carmen may look like they’re having a good time, but deep down, many are longing for more.
Reach Cancun 2026, a 10-day Christian outreach, took place between March 7th and March 17th. The mission leader, Scott Langemeier, told CBN News some of the testimonies of those who responded to the message. For instance, one man changed immediately.
“He shared with me how his mother recently died because of alcoholism. He shared how he was now responsible for two siblings, and he had a beer in his hand the whole time,” Langemeier said. “And I just listened to him, started to share a little about Jesus, how Jesus sees him, and how He loves him, and in the middle of our conversation, he took his beer, he dumped it all out on the beach. He said he wants to give his life to Jesus.”
Langemeier said his team focused on vacation hotspots – high traffic areas, including the beach and the main tourism strips.
“We really believe that Jesus wants to meet people,” he said. “And there are a lot of people today who aren’t going to go to a church. But we, as the global church, can go to them.”
The team was comprised of 48 evangelists from Latin America, the United States, and Europe.
Ricarda, from Switzerland, recounted a woman to whom she ministered.
“I was on the beach at night,” she said, “and I saw a woman there, but she’s so sad in her life. What’s happened? And so I asked her if I can pray for her and she told me, ‘Yes, please,’ and I prayed, and she was so touched and she told me that it was the first time that a person prayed for her, and now she’s open to learn more about God.”
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The evangelists learned as they went about their work.
“We don’t really know each other before we arrive,” Langemeier explained. “And in the morning we have a time of worship. We have trainings where we try to give practical tools to how we can share the gospel. A lot of people who come, it’s the first time they’ve ever done something like this.”
In ten days, Reach Cancun 2026 baptized 22 people in the ocean, and planted many seeds. Alex, an evangelist with the team, described a meaningful encounter.
“Yesterday in Playa Del Carmen I met a man and we actually were able to invite him to a church,” he said. “And we prayed for him, and he had tears in his eyes, and we hope that he will go all-in with Jesus.”
In addition to tourists, the group reached locals, too.
“Even in the hotel, we were training, the staff could tell there was something different about us,” Langemeier said. “And one night they actually asked us to do a program for the entire hotel and so we were able to do it right there, share the gospel to people who were staying. And in aspects we weren’t even expecting, God opened new doors.”
Langemeier said many Christians would be less afraid to share the Gospel is they witnessed someone who resists the message at first, then later gets saved. He gave an example of a man just like that.
“He ended up getting on his knees right there on the beach, confessing his sin, and saying he needs forgiveness,” Langemeier said. “He wants to be free. He’s tired of these burdens he’s carrying. And shortly after we baptized him, and the next night he came back, and he invited his father to come back. And he even picked up Bibles that we were sharing and he was sharing them with other people as well.”
This was Reach Cancun’s third year. Plans are already in place for 2027. This outreach follows a similar outreach recently held in Phuket, Thailand, reflecting a global vision to reach world-famous nightlife hubs and worldwide hotspots.
