Juarez Short Term Mission Trips

 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ...

This passage from Ephesians is never more real to me than when the walls of a family’s new home are going up in Mexico. What a tangible example of God’s love—visible in the dimensions of much-needed shelter! That he would use us to be his hands and feet in the building process—what a privilege. Thanks so much for considering being part of the mission trip to Mexico. There are some details and logistics to consider, of course, but above all else—the big question is: Does God want you to go? That important piece makes everything else fall beautifully into place. The plan is to build a home, hold a food outreach, attend a local church service, do a prayer walk, and basically love on and support the community. Below are the details…please contact me if you’d like to participate. Quinn Anderson quincyjoyanderson@gmail.com cell: 303.668.8221.

Before You Go

1. The first real step is deciding to go. We make these trips through Missions Ministries. They host us wonderfully the entire time. Check out the website for more information about this organization— http://missionsministries.org/.

2. The next step is probably the toughest piece of the whole thing—fundraising—and I have great news for you. We do this as a team and God always provides, so let this be a very small piece of your decision! Team costs:

The cost to build a house is $15,300. – No cost to open the clinic. – The cost to hold a food outreach is $350. – We also like to have another $1,000 above and beyond to purchase mattresses, household supplies, bedding, a few fun items, and food for the family who will be receiving a home. (Donations are tax-deductible!)

3. In addition to raising funds for the house-build, etc., there are personal costs for food and lodging while down at the team center. These are: $210/adult, $150/teenager, and $125/child. This covers lodging for three nights and all meals while we’re in Mexico. (This is tax-deductible too!)

4. There’s very little paperwork to do. Registration information will be emailed to you once the team is in place. Don’t worry about this step until details are sent your way.

5. Important miscellany.

  • Passports are required to get in and out of Mexico.

  • Tetanus shots are recommended.

6. Reality! A few weeks before we leave, Missions Ministries will send us a picture of the family who will be receiving a home. This is when things become very real. We have names, faces, and information on the family or families we get to help. It’s beyond incredible!

trip details

 

  • Clothes

    – Casual clothing for travel, hanging out at the team center, food outreach, etc. – Work clothes for the job site. Jeans, work shoes appropriate for construction/old tennis shoes, work shirts, gloves, (for working with tar and paint,) and maybe a hat. We recommend jeans both days. (These clothes will get trashed, so consider taking old and worn-out clothes for working.) – Dressier clothing for the church service (khaki pants, etc. for men and skirts/pants/capris for women…) – All clothing should be modest and respectful.

    Personal tools. Each person should pack…

    – a hammer / a nail apron – safety goggles / a 3” or 4” wide inexpensive paintbrush / roller brush, roller pan, and a small trim brush/ work gloves / dust mask

    Other

    – toiletries – sunscreen – personal medicine – camera

  • As you talk about the upcoming trip with others, you might get a few questions and comments regarding safety. I would be more than happy to discuss this with you at length, but here are a few helpful pieces of info:

    – We’re never in the city of Juarez, only serving outside the city in the colonias. The team center where we stay is 27 kilometers outside the city with a mountain separating the two areas.

    – Missions Ministries has been operating in the area for almost 25 years and has never had a hint of trouble.

    – Our family goes down 4-6 times a year and personally we have never seen anything that has caused us concern.

    – The violence that was so prevalent in the news back in 2008 and 2009 has ceased. Interesting fact: there were more murders in Phoenix last year than in Juarez.

  • Day 1

    We meet at the Harvest Christian Center in El Paso, Texas, at 2:00 p.m.

    1345 New Harvest Place El Paso, TX 79912 915.585.9934

    Those who are flying will be picked up at the airport by Missions Ministries and will be taken to the church to rendezvous with the group. We will leave our cars at Harvest Christian Center, load up our personal stuff, load up any donated items, and board the Missions Ministries vans. (The mission has an arrangement in place for leaving cars at the church.)

    From there we’ll head to Wal-Mart to grab any last minute necessities like water (and Diet Coke and Oreos) and a few more housewarming gifts.

    After Wal-Mart we board the vans again, and we’re on our way. We enter Mexico through the Santa Teresa, New Mexico, border. After the border process we have a 20- to 30-minute drive to the team center. When we arrive at the team center we eat dinner, unload, and get settled.

    Day 2

    We wake up early, have devotions, eat breakfast, and head off to the job site and/or clinic. We work all morning, go back to the team center for lunch, and we’re basically finished with building for the day. The afternoon will be spent hanging out, taking a tour of the colonias, and helping in the clinic. Dinner is at the team center.

    Day 3

    Same morning as day two, only we finish the home and hold the dedication. (Huge highlight!) After lunch we head off to hold the food outreach at a local church. After the food outreach we eat dinner and then head off to attend a local church service.

    Day 4

    We wake up early, have devotions, eat breakfast, and load up. We board the vans and head back to our vehicles in El Paso, tired and happy.

    For Medical Clinic Volunteers

    When the construction crew heads to the job site, you head for the clinic. The clinic is usually open from 9-5 both days, with a break for lunch with the rest of the team.

  • The team center is very comfortable. Teams are fed like royalty and are well taken care of by the staff. Each room is large enough to accommodate five people. (One regular set of bunk beds, and a second bunk bed with a larger bed on bottom.) It has a dresser, an alarm clock, its own bath, etc.

    Bedding and towels are provided. Soap and shampoo too. The complex of rooms form a square, and in the middle is a common area where teams hang out at night and in the afternoon. There’s also a four-square court, a basketball court, and a playground. It’ll be your home away from home.