Summer Focus is a two-week mission trip for college-age students. One week is focused on ministry in Mexico and another week is focused on ministry in the Rio Grande Valley.  Apart from ministry, there is also a time for devotionals as a group to grow in the Word and learn more about missions. Summer Focus is a great opportunity for students to learn more about missions, to spend time in community with peers who are like-minded, and to grow in their relationship with God.

This year, our Summer Focus group consisted of five students from Kentucky and Tennessee. They arrived on a Thursday and learned our schedule was packed for the next two weeks with many ministry opportunities.

We started on Friday with painting the house of a little boy who has cerebral palsy. The next Monday we finished up the final touches. Painting a house may not seem like a very big deal, but for Jessi, it was such a blessing. She told us over and over again how much she loved it and how thankful she was. This was a way to serve her and her family and share with them the love of Christ.

On Saturday, there was a medical clinic at Horeb Baptist Church. A ministry in Mexico called Amor Redentor (Redeeming Love) came to the church with nurses and doctors to serve the people in the surrounding area. We went as a group to help serve however was needed. Some of our group went out inviting people, some helped clean the dentist’s tools, some helped with triage, and others helped serve food. Due to this outreach event, some new people began to come to the church on Sundays for service.

On Sunday, we attended Church at Horeb Baptist. That following week we spent a day serving at the orphanage, buying food and hygiene products for the families of kids with cancer and disabilities, serving a meal and sharing the gospel at the dump, and preparing for the next week of ministry in the valley.

Our focus week of ministry in the valley included a Disciple Now day event with the youth from a local Hispanic church. The day was spent playing games, building relationships with the youth, and Stephanie teaching a couple of sessions on what it means to be a disciple. Also included in our week of ministry was a Vacation Bible School in Mission at Grace Bible Church. Around forty kids attended the VBS. This week each summer is always such a blessing as it is a great opportunity to share the love of Christ to several precious children. Not only is this week an opportunity to serve the children, but it is also a chance for the pastor and his wife to reach out to the parents and minister to them. After the last night of the VBS we spent time with the five Summer Focus students hearing from them about what impacted them during their two weeks here and praying for them as they were about to head back home. We hope they continue to serve God where they are and that they are seeking Him and His plan for their lives.

We will be offering Summer Focus again next year. Contact us if you are interested in participating!