From the June/July, 2000
Indiana Christian Newspaper

Mexico Mission Work Trip Changes Lives
By Sherry Willerton
Avon Christian Church
Click here to see pictures about the Mission Trip.    What can you do that will make a difference in the world and change your life forever?
   Some 24 adults and youth from Avon Christian Church, Lizton Christian Church, Speedway Christian Church and Avon Nazarene Church left the safety and comfort of our homes and found the answer to that question - a Mexico work trip.
   What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Mexico? Hot, exotic, fun in the sun, vacation, etc.? What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word work? Excitement, drudgery, overwhelming, etc.? What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word trip? Where, when, how far, travel arrangements, rooms, new things to see?
   We spent a week working with the CUPS organization in Mexico. CUPS stands for Communidado Unidas Pro Salud (Communities United for Health). It is an organization that works with Mexican border communities to help them carry out projects to address the health-related needs of their inhabitants.
   Most of us left home not knowing for sure what to expect though a few of us had been there before and tried to explain.  We spent the first night in Texas and then crossed the border with the help of Louisa from CUPS. Our four-star Mexican hotel left a little to be desired. One of the gentlemen on the trip knocked on our door and asked, "Is it too much to expect a shower head in our shower?"
   I replied, "Probably."
   He then asked, "Then is it too much to expect hot water?"
   And again I answered, "Probably."
   Showers and hot water aside, we soon learned to live with the heat (over 100 degrees every day), the salamanders and the strange food.
   Our group was large enough that we divided and worked on two medical clinics, one in Aeropuerto and one in Juarez.  When the clinics were finished it was hard to drag our people away. They had made friends with children of the community and shared their food with them.
   While working on the Juarez clinic, we got to see first hand how desperate the people in Mexico were for a clinic as many patients were seen by the doctor outside the clinic under a lean-to. Even though the people are very poor, the women of the community made a wonderful lunch for us.
   It was working in this environment and becoming a part of the lives of the people in this community that helped one young man make the decision to become a missionary.
   We ended our week by working on a new sanctuary for a Presbyterian Church in Valle Hermosa where we worshipped on Wednesday evening. The people opened their hearts to us and allowed us to enter their lives.
   The younger kids played soccer and helped mix cement. The older kids put up fence, poured sidewalks, paneled walls, and worked right along side the adults. We prayed together, sang together, cried together, played together, worked together and practiced our Spanish (or lack thereof) and through it all we felt the presence of God.
   Lives were definitely changed during this short week out of our lives. You cannot do God's work without your life being enriched. There is no better way to learn the true meaning of Christianity than by giving of yourself.
   No, this was not just a vacation - it was something much, much better. It was a life-changing week of experiencing God's love with our neighbors to the South.
   We invite you to join us in 2001 when we make the trip again. If you are interested in pursuing a Mission Work Trip to Mexico on your own you can contact Rev. Sherry Willerton at Avon Christian Church for more information.