MANOS A LOS OBRA
In 1998 Tom & Mary Abel participated in a weekly Cell group with Rick Arndt who has been participating in Mexico missions for 19 years. FCC began sending Missionaries that year under the volunteer leadership of Tom & Mary. In 2003 FCC was able to officially form MANOS A LA OBRA, which is Spanish for "Let's get to work!".
Returning to the same town of Chetumal each trip, MANOS A LA OBRA teams are building a church a little each time, because all the work must be done by hand, building takes a long time and multiple visits. Missionaries support the church and Pastor Francisco by bringing supplies and resource books for Medical care and Counseling. They also work with the local orphanage, playing with and teaching the kids, and building above ground planter boxes to keep the animals out of the food they must grow for themselves.
Each team also builds at least one roof on the house of a local family in need, often there is time to do many more. When a house is completed the family participates with the mission team in a house blessing service and is presented with their own bible and a box of much needed basic household supplies.
Nightly worship and devotional time are integral to the program, and missionaries who go down looking forward to ministering to the people they meet find themselves stretched and blessed in way
Through working hard, worshiping together, and playing and relaxing during two days of R&R at the end of the trip, solid friendships among the missionaries develop that are continued long after a team returns home.
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