Students for International Mission Service (SIMS)

Outlook 2001

The God of migrant workers

Heidi Guttschuss
International public health
School of Public Health

LLU students serve in Ensenada, Mexico

SIMS’ monthly mission trips to Mexico are always full of surprises! And the October, 2000, trip to the Ensenada area was no exception!

It all began with J. C. Belliard’s innocuous suggestion that I take the SIMS trip participants to visit one of the migrant labor camps near the Uruapan clinic. Naturally, my interest was immediately piqued. So after church on Sabbath, we got directions and set off toward the camp in the town of Eréndira, approximately one hour south of Ensenada.

The camp, Agrícola de las Montañas, lay on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Groups of laborers dotted the fields, bending over shoots of lettuce, celery, and spinach. A chainlink fence surrounded a large compound filled with rows of tin-walled barracks. Barefoot children gazed curiously at our van as we waited for the gate guard to radio the office for permission for us to enter. We promised the children that we would play games and sing a few songs after we had come back from doing a quick survey of the camp’s housing, health, and sanitation conditions. One of the participants found the camp foreman, Adán, and suggested that we might be able to arrange for some simple health care for the laborers. Adán interrupted. “What this camp needs,” he said, “is spiritual help. The workers need someone to teach them the Bible.” He gestured to the large open area inside the compound. “You people could set up a tent and hold meetings. Maybe show a movie. Do whatever you want, but we need spiritual teaching here.”

When I heard this, I was stunned. This man--who was in charge of up to 2,000 adults and countless more children, who I had judged to be hard and uncaring due to the camp’s spartan living conditions--was openly welcoming the Gospel of Jesus to the camp! I was reminded of the verse in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me [Jesus] unless the Father who sent Me draws him….” Here was a door that God had swung wide open. He’d done His part in preparing Adán’s heart and this camp of 2,000 inhabitants for His message of love. I was convicted that it was up to us to continue this awesome task, acting in faith that God would provide whatever was needed to carry on what He had begun.

And have the subsequent months of testing God’s faithfulness in drawing people to Himself ever been exciting! God has led us to person after person who is willing to help with programs for the kids, health talks for the adults, medical and dental care, Bible studies, music, or even translation for the many migrant laborers for whom Spanish is not their first language. The local churches have rallied to make this a truly joint United States–Mexico mission project.

As for me, this opportunity has opened a whole field of service opportunities. After struggling for months to decide on a field practicum, I now know exactly where I’ll be: joining the God of migrant laborers in His exciting work there in the Mexican agricultural camps. After that…well, I plan to follow this same God anywhere in the world He opens doors.

[Outlook 2001]

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