Mission team prepares for Mexico trip

The Sisters Mexico Mission Team will stay in Mexico June 20-26 to help needy families.

To prepare for and fund the trip, the team is seeking quality used items for a yard sale. The yard sale will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1652 West Hill Ave. in Cold Springs Village, near Sisters Middle School. Call 541-549-4476 to donate items or become a team sponsor.

The team hopes to raise $3,500 for construction of a house they will build for a needy family. Sisters residents David and Debi Schlatter, who participated in a similar trip in 2003, are team

leaders.

"Our goal is to join together with other families from Sisters in a service project," says David Schlatter. He believes the Mexico trip will "connect families together," help others, and allow participants to experience a new culture.

Trip participants also plan to share music and culture at a local preschool.

"This will be the exciting part for me," said Debi Schlatter, music teacher at Sisters Elementary School. "We will have the chance to sing and dance with the children of migrant laborers. It will be a wonderful opportunity to teach and learn. I think Spanish music is rich with beautiful sounds and style. And music is a great way to reach across cultures, to share and learn together, and have fun too!"

The team will drive to Vicente Guerrero, a town on the Baja peninsula, about 175 miles south of the U.S. border. The area is primarily an agricultural hub where migrant workers earn about $10 per day and live in makeshift shelters of cardboard, wood pallets, and plastic tarps. The team will stay at a mission facility in Vicente Guerrero.

Openings remain on the team.

"During our last trip our own children's ages ranged from 4 years to 10 years of age," said Debi. "Other families came with kids of similar ages, plus lots of teens too. We believe anyone can serve. The younger ones will be more active with the music component while the older youth and adults will be helpful with house construction. It's a good way to model service for our families by doing it together. So we're very excited to go again with other families from the

community."

Missionaries Steve and Jackie Scott will escort the team from San Diego to Vicente Guerrero and say they do not expect border security to be an issue. They point to literature from the U.S. State Department which says: "Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year, including tens of thousands who cross the land border daily for study, tourism, or business and nearly one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico. Common-sense precautions, such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and

enjoyable."

"Your mission trip will be an awesome experience for those involved," Jackie Scott said.

The team has been meeting monthly to prepare for the trip.

"There are lots of ways to be involved with the project," said David Schlatter. "First, come to Mexico if you can; second, become a sponsor for construction funds and offer items for the yard sale. Lastly, we need lots of prayer for traveling safety and positive interactions for the team families while in Mexico. It's all important and anyone can be involved. We appreciate all types of support."