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Timothy Project 2014: Mission Ministries Mexico
After a Houston Chronicle article in 2009 declared the city of Juarez, Mexico the “most violent zone in the world outside of declared war zones”1 most Americans and many Christian mission organizations stopped travel and efforts to help the poor of the estimated 1.5 million people who call the city home. The violence spawning from the drug cartel wars has claimed many lives and mission work in the city was deemed too risky. But there were a few organizations that still dared to carry on the work – meet Missions Ministries. Started in 2002, Mission Ministries worked at constructing homes for Juarez’s poor and they partnered with churches throughout the southwest United States in order to build relationships and help people in need.
Recently, Steve McConaghie, a pastor at Cherry Hills Community Church was invited to sit on the board of Mission Ministries. Pastor McConaghie had led youth trips to Juarez since the 1990’s and had been involved several times via Cherry Hills and the partnership with Mission Ministries. His latest trip to Juarez took place just a few weeks ago.
Our team of seven men partnered with five Mexican men from the staff of Missions Ministries to build a house in less than two days. The recipient is a family of eight from the Tarahumara tribe. They moved to the Juarez area a couple years ago hoping to find work. Thankfully, the father secured a job at a pallet factory, though his $10 a day salary will never be enough to raise them out of impoverishment.
When McConaghie heard about the donation of soccer gear that CrossTraining had received via the Timothy Project, he thought that there might be a good opportunity to take it down to Juarez. CrossTraining provided McConaghie enough gear to outfit two complete teams with shorts, tops, and compression tops and some miscellaneous items.
I delivered the donated soccer gear to one of the local pastors, who helps manage a workout facility and organizes youth soccer leagues. He was very excited to receive the generous gift.
Stay tuned for an updated story and pictures from the Missions Ministries work in Juarez. If you would like to donate to the Timothy Project, please use the PayPal button below and make a notation with your gift.
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