God has given me a great opportunity to serve Him and I want to invite you to be a part of it. I have wanted to participate on a mission trip with my church since I was a little girl. This coming summer (July 11-18th), I finally have the opportunity as a rising 9th grader! I will be ministering with a mission-humanitarian team from my church, The Living Stone Church in Erie, CO. We will work with a ministry called Rancho El Camino (the Ranch) near La Paz, Mexico – in the southern part of the Baja peninsula. For more info about the Ranch, go to: www.ranchoelcamino.org

At the Ranch, full-time American missionaries serve alongside Mexican Christians to make disciples of Jesus through camping, counseling, community development and education. The workers at the Ranch also reach out to nearby neighborhoods called Colonias on the outskirts of La Paz. Our role will be to support and assist their long-term ministry through construction and clean up projects and community outreach through sports and other activities.

Our team is composed of 6 high schoolers and 2 adult leaders. Each of us has been encouraged to offer whatever talents and gifts we have to the Lord and for this project –music or other arts, computer or mechanical skills, prayer, dishwashing, photography, athletics, sharing a testimony, social media, children’s ministry, being a friend, etc. We have been warned that this is NOT a vacation. We just participated in the first of 8 training sessions that will focus on subjects like spiritual preparation, team building, cross-cultural adjustment, sharing testimonies, and serving among the poor.

I am writing to ask for your support in two ways. First, please pray for me, our team, and for the people of La Paz and Rancho El Camino. Lord willing, we will play a significant part in helping fulfill God’s good purpose for these people as we share the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed. I also hope and expect that my teammates and I will grow in our relationship with the Lord and learn a lot about His will along the way. Secondly, please consider joining me on this project through your financial partnership. My costs for the trip are $1,600 to cover airfare, housing, food, local transportation, supplies, etc. My family and I have already contributed some personal funds toward my costs. I plan to have some fun, but this trip is definitely not a vacation. It is a real opportunity to follow Jesus and make a difference in the lives of people who matter a lot to Him. Thank you so much!