Service.  Those seven letters were recently put into action as 26 members of Simpson Creek Baptist Church travelled to Texas and Mexico as part of an extraordinary mission trip that not only changed the lives of those they served, but for those doing the service as well.

 

From July 15-22, the group assisted missionary Juan Curling, his family, and the ministries they have in the McAllen area of Texas. One of the most memorable projects they did involved visiting the Casa Hogar de Ninos de El Shaddai Orphanage in Reynosa, Mexico.

 

“We painted the exterior of every building, the interior of the boys dorm, and created a mural in the kitchen for the children,” said Simpson Creek Baptist Youth Director Ben Moses.  “We also did organizational jobs for the staff at the orphanage.

 

Bridgeport High School School Nurse Wendy Carr was among the volunteers on the trip and had the opportunity to use her skills to conduct medical screenings for the children, including assessing eye and ear health and determining height and weight baselines.

 

“I could go on and on about the stories of these children, their living conditions, and the way they blessed us while we were there,” said Carr.  “The Mexican government does not provide assistance for the medical needs of these children, so they rely on volunteers and missionaries to maintain their health and wellness.”

 

In addition to the orphanage, the group also organized and cleaned classrooms for the Macedonian Christian Academy. Additionally, they conducted a Vacation Bible School for the Redeemer Baptist Church of the Valley and assisted with a community-wide outreach program.

 

For Carr, the mission trip was also an opportunity to serve alongside her family. Her daughter Annabelle Goddard was one of the teens on the trip and was impacted by the experience and the people she met.

 

“I was not ready for the level of excitement and exhaustion we encountered on the trip.  Before we started working, I anticipated a fun learning experience, but was surprised by what a difference our service meant to the people,” said Goddard.  “God works in and through us all no matter what we do and this trip gave us the chance of a lifetime to help a ministry that is making such a difference to those in need.”

Among those serving, each used his or her gifts to bring blessings to the local people.  Whether singing, playing music, creating art, preparing food, providing health care or doing physical labor, each member of the team contributed to the end result. 

 

“While we worked, we talked, laughed and learned, strengthening relationships with our new friends as well as with other members of the team,” said Moses. 

 

Now back in Bridgeport, team members are rested up and ready to bring their spirit of service to the local level. 

 

“I hope the concept of serving others and showing God’s unconditional love to everyone is something that we will continue to do throughout the year,” Carr said.  “It has changed each of us and opened our eyes to opportunities to encourage and reach out to people at both the local and global level.”

 

Those who attended included: Ben, Sarah and Sierra Moses; Kathy, Paul, and Luke Cox; Dave, Aimee, Annabelle and Joey Goddard; Josephy Daugherty, Wendy Carr, Hudson and Jonathan Harris; Amelia Kingston, Rayme Pullen, Audra and Lexie Sczerba; Bethany Cumpston, Nadia Blend, Tawnya and Drew Hefner; Alexis Tarley, Eric Greene, and Jim and Clara Altman.