Mission-minded

Ran on Saturday, August 4, 2007

Two Eau Claire churches send students and adults to Mexico who are ...
Mission-minded

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

Neither the heat, the language barrier nor the need for passports could keep more than 60 high school students from going on a mission trip to Mexico.
"The experience of going to Mexico and bringing the Gospel is pretty appealing," said Adam Berge, pastor of youth and family ministries at Bethesda Lutheran Brethren Church in Eau Claire.
Groups of students and chaperones from Bethesda and Jacob's Well went to the San Quintin Valley in Baja California, Mexico, for a week in late June. This mission was chosen because it was in an established area and churches were already there, Berge said.
"We got to participate with a local church," he said. The Rev. Berge expected the involvement would make an impact and not dissolve with their departure.
It was the largest group Bethesda Lutheran Brethren Church has taken on a mission - a total of 86 people, Berge said.
They worked with a mission group called Missions to Mexico. Founder and president Mike Fink said it was a larger sized group for the organization which annually brings 700 missionaries across the border.
"They were really, really wonderful people," Fink said. "Very generous."
Fink split the group into two teams because of its large size. Students were able to serve two of roughly 100 churches in the rural area of the valley - Tourre Fuerte, which translates to strong refuge, and Nuevo Pacto, meaning new covenant.
Each group performed construction and maintenance work on church buildings, did evangelism work home to home in the community and taught vacation Bible school to area children.
"Every year (the group size) seems to grow and grow," he said.
Mariah Mousel, 15, of Eau Claire contributed to the growing number. It was her first mission trip.
"I didn't know what to expect," she said. "I was hoping to change some lives while we were down there."
Mousel said she thinks the group did change lives by helping to open people to Christ.
At the end of their week, the children who attended the Bible school classes were asked to come forward if they were ready to accept Christ into their lives.
About 30 children came to the front of the church, Mousel said.
Dani Waller, 15, of Eau Claire had been on youth outings organized with the Bethesda youth group before, but this was her first mission trip.
"It was definitely the highlight of the summer," Waller said.
She recalled meeting with a young girl at the Bible school who touched her heart.
The 9-year-old girl sat and read the Bible with her - sharing the Gospel as a smile overtook the young girl's face.
"You could tell how much it meant to her to hear 'Jesus loves you,' " Waller said.
Despite taking two years of Spanish-language courses, Waller said she wasn't fluent in the language, but it wasn't a problem.
"The language barrier was easily overcome," she said. "Especially with the kids; they're so understanding."
Berge also found that to be true.
"We were surprised about how well we could communicate," he said. "A smile goes a long way."
The team brought smiles to the faces of people in pain as well. Four doctors accompanied the youth and set up a medical clinic while across the border.
Dr. Andrew Floren, an occupational physician at Luther Midelfort, and his wife, Dr. Lydia Floren, a family practice physician in Bloomer, call themselves a "pair-o-docs."
The two doctors, along with Dr. Phil Jacoby, who works in family practice at Marshfield Clinic, and Dr. Greg Kishaba, a Luther Midelfort pediatrician, all worked together to serve the medical needs of several hundred natives.
"Some we could help remarkably," Andrew Floren said.
The people were given vitamins and pain relievers, and some were given much more.
While traveling with the intention of being missionaries to the local people, the group found themselves being ministered themselves through one local man they called Antonio.
Antonio was working with the group and he had abdominal pain. He was told he had a hernia.
The hernia required surgery, and through donations from the missionaries, more than $800 was raised for Antonio's surgery.
"We expect to give them something, but we came back and we're the ones given something," Berge said.
Schmidt can be reached at 833-9203.