Almost 100 people went to Mexico to contribute in one way or another and 30 were Indiana Academy Seniors. Some went to help in the medical field, others helped to clean and prepare food, and some went to Vacation Bible School to help little kids learn about Jesus. Almost everyone else went to the construction sites to help build the Churches. The construction sites were hard work but most can agree that they were fun and mostly full of laughs.

 

There were two construction crews due to the fact that there were two churches being built. The first crew went to a nearby site named La Gloria; the second site, however, had an hour-long bus ride to Hule. In reality, the trip was probably no more than 15 miles, but the condition of the roads caused driving speed to not exceed 25 mph. Most people enjoyed the bus trip though. It was a time to prepare for the long day of work, and on the way back, a time to relax and reflect.

 

Construction went extremely well. Everyone seemed to be motivated and to work efficiently. Pastor Kelly, a supervisor on the La Gloria site described this year’s construction crew as an “Excellent, self-motivated, hard-working crew, and that they were a pleasure to work with.” He also described the senior class as humble workers that had many new leaders forming. Another worker on site one was Andrew Leach. He said that he enjoyed spending time with the young people and growing closer to God, in addition to spending time with his wife.

 

Hule had a few difficulties in addition to the hour-long bus ride. Their site did not have a cement/concrete mixer. Not only that, Hule was unsheltered, which meant that the scorching sun cooked its laborers all day long. Despite the challenges, the group pulled through and finished the church on time. Aaron Clark, Hule’s supervisor said that he was “very impressed with the work ethic of young and old people alike, and I am glad that despite the obstacles, we finished the church on time.”A senior girl, Deanna Sturghiss, spent a day on site two. She recalled construction as “a good experience and a lot of fun. It felt good being on my first mission trip, and knowing I was building a church and serving God.”

 

The mission trip was a huge success from all angles. Many people gave their hearts to God, and more are sure to follow. Within our group alone, almost everyone felt the blessing of being together and serving Jesus. Whether it was spending time with classmates, conversing with adults, or getting to know people from Mexico, everyone enjoyed pitching in and learning new things. Joey Maco 

Check out the video and pictures below.