The congregations
of Sausalito Presbyterian and First Presbyterian, San Rafael,
have been doing mission together in central Mexico for several
years. The Leon Mission Partnership also includes churches in
California and in Indiana. At least twice a year the partnership
sends teams of adult and teen volunteers for week-long trips
to Leon, Guanajuato. There they work alongside the Mexican staff
and volunteers of Casas Loyola, a nonprofit group started by
Catholic lay people, who conduct two programs. The first is
Casa Hogar, four group homes for abandoned and neglected children.
Partnership volunteers repair the buildings and conduct a day
camp every summer. The second program, Casa Indigena, serves
the needs of the Native American community in large Mexican
cities. In Leon, the partnership has built transitional housing
and a job training facility, and it is now helping Native Americans
build their own homes.
The partnership raises tens of thousands of dollars annually
in the United States to help Casas Loyola with operating expenses.
Says Manuel Marquez, a member of the board of directors of Casas
Loyola, “God works in mysterious ways beyond our understanding
but always through people’s good faith. I thank God for
having provided so many generous friends in our lives, especially
those of the Leon Mission Partnership.”
More participants are needed in the Leon Mission Partnership,
which is an ideal project for small churches. For information
contact co-founders Bob Hunter and Denni Locke, at office@sausalitopresbyterian.com.
The Presbytery of the Redwoods’ 52 churches have 7,917
members. |
