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WHAT?
Beginning in 1995, Sisters in Christ has sent an outreach team to Mexico in October each year. Our outreaches have focused on building a simple wooden house on a concrete slab for a needy family. While there, we have also reached out to the community in which we are building with VBS classes and food and clothing distribution.
Although the team members go with a heart to give, they find that they are also greatly impacted by their experience of seeing poverty firsthand and being in a different culture. Team members return home with an expanded view of planet Earth. They have often seen incredible physical needs. They also have an opportunity to meet brothers and sisters in Christ in another country and to see how they live on a daily basis and do ministry in the midst of these needs.
HOW?
Our outreach teams usually number 10-15 women with the majority being 45+. We have taken teenage girls if they can meet certain requirements.
Team members pay their own expenses for airfare to San Diego, room, board, and in-country transportation. Typically this would be $450-500 for the eight days. In addition, we raise a minimum of $3000 for the housebuilding project. Money raised beyond that goes to support other work to provide for the food, clothing, housing, medical, and educational needs of families in the communities in which we work.
We meet in San Diego on a Saturday morning and then drive to the work area about 100 miles south of the border in a 15 passenger van. There is ongoing orientation as we travel. We stay in a rental house well suited to our needs. We go to church on Sunday and spend the rest of the day visiting various sites and learning about this place we will be working.
The housebuild begins on Monday morning with work days approximately 9-5. No construction experience is necessary as we have a core group who know how to do this and will lead others in the process. It is easy to be absorbed in the building process, but it is also very important that we spend time relating with the people in the community if we really want to show the love of Christ. The Mexican culture is very social and relational. We will be remembered for what we do in that arena as well as for our housebuilding skills. It's great to know some Spanish but not essential --- smiles and a willingness to interact go a long way!
We also have times for team devotions, prayer and praise with various team members leading and sharing. We ALL have a testimony if we are allowing God to work in our lives and it is important that we share that with others.
If you hear God calling your name to work with us, please contact Marge, Sandy, or Nancy to discuss the details for this year's outreach.
The Mexico Housebuilding Trips are typically from the second Saturday in October to the third Saturday in October.
See photos from a previous Mexico Housebuilding Trip.