Mission team from La Feria refurbishes church in Saltillo, Mexico

By Dale J. Whitzel
Armed robbery, political assassination, government payoffs and kickbacks—some may think that describes the war in Iraq. But these are some of the reports, rumors and newspaper headlines that the First UMC, La Feria, mission team heard before leaving on a trip to Saltillo, Mexico.
Veteran mission team leaders Alan and Cindy Moore put the group at ease as they shared stories of prior trips filled with warmth, accomplishment and always plenty of God’s love.
So the team of nine was sent off July 9 by Pastor Ronal Welborn, who commissioned the journey with song and prayer.
Since La Feria is so close to the border, the six-hour ride in the van was done mostly in Mexico. The express toll road made for smooth sailing, although we did have to pass through several federal inspection stations manned with armed troops. These sites included dug-in bunkers with belt-fed machine guns.
We arrived in downtown Saltillo that afternoon and met Pastor Ricardo that evening. He informed us of our worksite, a church 30 minutes away in an urban suburb, and met us the next morning to show us the way.
The church itself was an ancient shell made of cement and plaster over the original adobe. It had a tin roof two stories up, but to me looked like a bombed-out building from old World War II pictures. The building needed to be sealed from the weather, a ceiling installed, its walls sealed and painted,
and the rubble cleaned up.
Working from a ladder, Mark Armor, one of the team members, sealed the 30-by-90-foot building and assisted other crews while scaffolding was erected—and moved often—to install a drop ceiling.
Cody Moore and Dustin Bransom were the high-wire workhorses of the ceiling team
(I assisted them up there).
Alan Moore and Johnny Wilson cut tiles and grid work to specifications.
On the ground it was Cindy Moore; her daughter-in-law, Roxanna Moore; and Carol Armor who had the tough jobs of sealing and painting the two-story-high walls and cleaning up the rubble. Each group assisted the other in a spirit of true Christian fellowship.
Roxanna Moore, the team coordinator, speaks fluent Spanish and was a charismatic ambassador throughout the trip.
Pastor Ricardo and his young son, who both worked alongside us, later commented that we were a happy group that worked well together—and accomplished more than he expected.
Praise God!
His wife, family and congregation members prepared us an exceptional lunch every day.
A special moment on the trip was the Wednesday evening service that one member of our team rightfully described as “electrifying.” The two-hour service was filled with songs of praise and worship, testimonies, prayer and a spirit-filled sermon.
The highlight came at the end when Pastor Ricardo called us up to the front of the church. I naturally thought he was going to recognize the work we did and give us a round of applause.
Boy, was I wrong.
He first prayed. Then the music started, and the whole congregation came up, laid hands on us and prayed, thanking God for the work we did.
I’m not talking about some superficial, “Thank you, God,” but sincere crying out in faith and love—sometimes placing their hands on our hands, hearts and even our feet. It was a humbling moment for everyone as the Holy Spirit overflowed.
By the end of the week, the work was completed. The building was dedicated with a devotional, and we had our final meal together with our new brothers and sisters in Christ.
The trip home at first seemed uneventful, until we came to a federal checkpoint where we were flagged over for inspection. Surrounded by armed troops, we had to leave the van while it was inspected for arms and bombs. Some of us were patted down.
But Roxanna Moore explained our reason for travel, and we were on our way in no time.
We arrived safely back home that afternoon. The mission trip was a resounding success, and we all are excited about what God has in store for us next
Dale “Doc” Whitzel is a motorcycle minister who attends First UMC, La Feria.