"Meet Me at the Dump" Mexico Missions Trip October 2007

Short-Term Trip Report | Photo Gallery

On October 6-13, 2007, eighteen people went back down to Mexico to minister. During this trip our focus was three-fold:

1) Working at the school at the mission doing construction

2) Working with Upward and painting the Upward mural, and

3) Working at the church building storage and children’s space.

The work at this mission was a huge success! We were able to build forms and put in all the necessary ties to pour cement to place the second floor's foundation on. This will also free the school to be able to tear down the existing roof structure that has been eaten away by termites. As soon as the second floor is poured, the windows and doors will be placed on the school making it a fully secure structure allowing the teaching staff to leave it set up each night. This will save them about 1 to 2 hours per day, so their focus can be on the children and not moving chairs. Storage at the church was built allowing more classroom space for the children and being able to find the supplies they need. Something as simple as a changing table was built for parents to use in the crying room.

The Upward mural was completed with seconds to spare! It always amazes me the talents that God created that can bring glory to Him. This project brought more locals to come check out what was going on than anything we could have done. “What is Upward?” was the question of the day, allowing the opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ, invite them to play soccer, and invite them to church. This mural will stand as a testament and witness to the thousands who will see it each week as they pass by. At the soccer field we were able to help with the first two game days of Upward as well as transport kids to and from practice. During the week we saw 5 young boys on one team accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Over 150 children have signed up for this league in Mexico at a church of only 75-100 people. Pray that God will continue to raise up volunteers for them!

As we continue our Imagine Stewardship Campaign and reflect on the Community Life Center, imagine if it had never been built and Upward Sports Ministry had never penetrated the hearts and minds of our church and community. If that were the case, hundreds in our community might not know Christ today and a church in Mexico might never had been given the assistance to start a soccer league that is reaching families with the message of Christ. Imagine if our church did not have a global vision to reach to the ends of the earth. A school that teaches about the love of Jesus would only be about one-quarter built, a church would not have the support it needed, a pastor and his family would be lacking in areas they are now provided from, and many of our church family would not have been given the opportunity to grow in their walk because they would not have had the experience of giving themselves away through short term mission trips.

Next year we will be going down to Mexico from October 4-11, 2008! Make plans now to go. Come as a family, couple, or individual. Just come and make a difference in the lives of others and allow Christ to make a difference in yours. For more information on this trip, please email me at bearly@fumcniceville.org

View a colorful and exciting photo gallery of this missions trip.