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Mexico Mission Trip 2010 Saturday, February 13, 2010 This is how is gets towards the end of the trip--they're too busy to call in updates. Here's a little blurb from Dwight Shaffer: "We are up ... packed and ready to head to the airport to sit and wait ... flight supposed to leave at 6:45 ... from Guadalajara to Houston ... then on to Charlotte ... home late tonight ... pray for Carol Martin's dad ... fell and hospitalized while we've been gone ... hope to see BCC folk in the morning." So the trip is winding down. Let's pray them safely home and pray that the work they did in Mexico this past week will bear great fruit for the kingdom, leading to spiritual maturity and growth of the church in Mexico. Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Freddy wrote, "Everyone is feeling better today. The nurses have one more school to do health screening thru in the morning. The ministers will be doing a seminar on maturing the church members and leadership this evening and possible tomorrow night. I will be speaking to a group in Loreto tomorrow night, talking about the Community Health Evangelism concept. "We have two issues that Bethshean Mexico Mission have come about in this week. First of all Juan Carlos and Sarai are leaving the mission effective April. [Another missionary] who came to work with the youth in Maravillas left today suddenly. His reasons were somewhat unclear. We need to be praying for the mission that God will send more workers to reach the lost in this area of Mexico. "This trip has definitely been different than our others but I see God's hand in our being here this time and not necessarily doing medicine and dental care. Although, Mark and I have still seen several patients so far. I expect more before we leave. "I will write more tomorrow hopefully. Enjoy the cold and snow. Save some for me when I get back." Monday, February 8, 2010, Update 2 I just received a call from Dr. Freddy Martin regarding the Mexico Trip. First, eight team members came down with something intestinal (maybe food poisoning), but almost everyone is feeling better tonight. Dwight, Herb, and Mark will be meeting with local church ministers tomorrow and Wednesday and ask for specific prayer; please ask the Lord to help them give encouragement, training, and counsel. Pray for wisdom, annointing, and understanding, that the Lord be glorified and the church built up. Pray for the Mexican church to grow in love. Also, they will be seeing a group of 300 students at a school tomorrow. Monday, February 8, 2010 I've picked up word over Facebook that Freddy (trip leader) is sick today and needs prayers. He had a headache last night when I spoke with him; other than that, I'm not sure what is ailing him. It makes me think that part of what this trip is about is striking a nerve with the Enemy. So please lift up Freddy and the rest of them for health and success. Sunday, February 7, 2010 Here's a weekend update from our Mexico team. Yesterday, they trained fourteen community leaders from eight villages, teaching them how to set up committees within their own villages to teach the people about general health issues, including hygiene and food preparation. Freddy (with Cris) saw four to five patients, including some needing help with emotional and spiritual issues. Today, they traveled to Suaceda in the morning to visit the church there, and Dwight preached. Then he preached again tonight in Aguascalientes (at Juan Cordova's church). Everyone is doing well. Freddy said that tomorrow, one of the things the ladies will be doing is teaching health in the schools and doing health screenings. Keep the group in your prayers. Friday, February 5, 2010 My wife took this message, so it might be a little cryptic because Freddy goes so fast. Here's what I can make out: They made it in last night and spent the night (Guadalajara, I believe). They went to Estancia (de Animas) today with plans to start teaching after dinner. Everyone is fine, and the supplies made it too. On an interesting weather note, he said something about there being (or going to be) snow in Estancia. If you're on Facebook, you might be able to follow some updates from the field from Dwight Shaffer, pastor of Blountville Christian Church, who is also on the trip. Try to connect to Dwight Shaffer's Facebook. He's posted at least once via Text Message. Tuesday, February 2, 2010 As Groundhog Day passes by with a promise of six more weeks of winter, at least some folk from our Appalachian area will escape to Mexico for about ten days to serve the Lord in Estancia de Animas. As we have done for several years now, we will post any updates we receive about the Mexico Mission Trip group here. They plan to leave on Thursday, February 4, 2010. Please be praying for the new as they take on new challenges and a bit of a different trip this year. Background The website for the Bethshean Mexico Mission is at bethsheanmexicomission.org.
Visit the 2009 trip website: Mexico Mission Trip 2009 The Mexico Mission Trip is an annual trip headed by Dr. Frederick Martin of Blountville, Tennessee. Each year, he leads a group of medical and dental professionals and assistants from east Tennessee, southwest Virginia and eastern North Carolina to Zacatecas Mexico (Zacatecas is a state). There, in tiny Estancia de Animas, is the Bethshean Mexico Mission, founded by Cris Garcia. The Bethshean Mexico Mission includes a home for elderly people, a Christian camp, and a growing team of pastors and regional Evangelical churches. Working in Estancia and outlying villages, the medical team sows the seeds of the Gospel by seeing hundreds of patients during their brief, but intense, visits.
Back in 2001, I had the opportunity to join the two teams on location, doing computer work for the Bethshean mission and taking promotional photographs for Dr. Martin. I was amazed at the receptiveness of the Mexicans to us. For many of the villagers, our medical team is the only medical help they receive from one year to the next. |
In conjunction with
the medical mission is a carpentry team that usually travels during the
same week. Led by Gary Edwards of Heaton Christian Church (Elk
Park, North Carolina), this team builds buildings, cabinets, podiums,
pews and other things for budding Mexican congregations.