Mexico '08 Missions Trip

the Missoula team: Sara, Sylvia, Emily, Megan






Hello all.
As you may have heard, a small group of folks from Missoula went on a missions trip to Mexico with a group called Get Away, Give Away. Megan Sherer was the fearless leader/organizer of the our little team. We left Missoula at 9:30 pm on Thursday March 20. We arrived in Twin Falls Idaho around 4:30 in the morning. Here is where we met up with the group from LaGrande, OR. The next day we drove down to Las Vegas and spent the night in a church. On Saturday, after about 20 hours of driving, we arrived in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico!


Here we met up with the main group of folks, most of whom were from Eugene, Oregon. In the next 5 days "in country" the forty or so folks on this team built three houses. Those of us from Missoula also led a Vacation Bible School for neighborhood children and those at the house sites where we were building. The last day of VBS was one of the highlights of my week. I loved sharing the story of the Jesus' death and resurrection with the kids. I held up the picture book and Megan read the translation into Spanish. I loved helping the kids put "brillantes" (glitter) on the paper crosses they were making, and I loved that of few of them copied "Gracias Jesus" onto crosses made out of popsicle sticks. I loved that we were planting seeds in little hearts and minds and watering these seeds with love and songs and fun games like "pato, pato, ganso" (duck, duck, goose.)






















But if you chat with Megan she'll say that the thing that got her most excited was the way Anna, mother of 8 children and recipient of one of the new houses we built, responded to the Bible stories and our presence in her life. Our first day at the plot of land she and her husband own she kept saying over and over again how thankful she was and how great God was to provide for her and her family.

Anna and her youngest, Luis

At each day of VBS she was very involved answering questions and making crafts. Later, Megan was working on Anna's new house and overheard Anna singing the VBS songs to her children. At the end of the week, the whole team visited each of the new houses and prayed over them and the families that would be living there. As we surrounded Anna, Abel and their children, Anna cried while clutching a calendar that the folks from LaGrande had given her. It was clear that we were seeing God moving in her heart and our work there not only blessed her materially but also brought her closer to God.

So in summary, it was hot. It was sandy. It was very dry. It was tiring and challenging, especially because we had less people than the leadership had anticipated. But God showed up and directed our steps in amazing ways. It was an amazing week.



Abel in front of the old house in which he, Anna and their 8 children had been living









Anna and Abel and six of their children in front of their new house, surrounded by those of us who helped with the house