The UMC Joyful Healer is starting to prepare for its annual week-long home-building Mission Trip to Mexico. This year the trip will be from April 7 to April 15 and will be our 12th year for the Mexico Mission Trip. Over 45% of all participants have been on more than one Mexico Mission Trip, with 4 having gone 10 times or more!

What started out as a youth event for high school students has grown in to a Mission Trip for all ages. It is not uncommon for an entire family to participate. While the Mission is organized by volunteers from our church, it is facilitated by AMOR, a non-profit organization that works with over 25 different Mexican church denominations in Mexico. AMOR means "love" in Spanish and stands for Aid to Mexican Orphans and Refugees. AMOR has been organizing such Mission Trips for over 30 years and have built more than 10,000 homes! You can check out their web site at comebuildhope.com.

The local Mexican churches select the family for which we will build a home. Mission Trip participants pay for the building materials which AMOR purchases from local Mexican vendors and delivers to the building site. We expect over 1,000 other Mission participants from churches throughout the nation to join us the week of our Mission Trip.

Mission Trip participants camp at a secured camping spot not far from the building sites. In addition to purchasing the building materials, participants bring all of their own food and camping equipment for the week. The house is built solely with hand tools, which participants must also bring. While the days are long and the work is hard, Mission Trip participants all comment on how rewarding their week is.

The cost to participate in the Mission Trip is $500 per person. Of this, $250 is the cost of building materials and $250 is estimated for associated expenses (food, water, gas for the cars, insurance, etc.) for the week. Last year, the church provided scholarships for 7 individuals to participate in the Mission who otherwise would not have been able to afford to go.

There are several ways which you can be involved in the Mission Trip if you are interested:

1. Be a participant and go with the group! Adult drivers and helpers are needed.

OR

2. Help with the organization of the Mission Trip. There is much to be done here at home before we go, including at least two fundraising events.

OR

3. Financial contributions (tax deductible) are needed to help fund scholarships for those who would not otherwise be able to afford to go. Please make sure that all financial contributions are clearly marked for "Mexico Mission."

An informational meeting will be held on Sunday, February 26 from 12:30 to 1:30 at the church for anyone interested in learning more about the Mission Trip. Questions regarding the Mission Trip can be directed to our Mission Trip Coordinator, Patrick Okey, at 839-4110.