LAKEWAY CHURCH YOUTH HELP OUT IN MEXICO

Rio Bravo Ministries was founded in 1991 by Ray and Leah Hansen.  It is located in the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, which is across the border from the U. S. cities of McAllen and Mission Texas. 

Its primary focus is the support of their children's home, Casa Hogar Rio Bravo.

Family style homes now care for more than 75 children from the Reynosa area.

Several members of The Lakeway Church Youth Group traveled to Reynosa, Mexico in June for a week of mission work.  Jon Graham, Jacob Graham, Danny Hartmann, David Peebles, Sarah Landry, Cassie Evins and Meredith Willinger, along with The Lakeway Church Youth Pastor, Lee Rutter, and Becky Willinger, stayed and worked at Rio Bravo Ministries, which houses 75 area orphan children.  The children come from DIF (Child Welfare of Mexico) and have been abused, abandoned or severely mistreated.  Along with housing these children, Rio Bravo Ministries also established a Christian school with an enrollment of approximately 125 children. 

The Lakeway youth worked during the day on various projects for the orphanage and the school.  They painted, dug trenches, laid pavement stones for walkways, hauled loads of rock and much more!  During the evenings the youth helped the children with crafts and spent hours playing with them.

Many of the youth were amazed at how quickly they were able to form relationships with the children of the orphanage.  Upon their return home, several youth made a decision to sponsor a child, maintain correspondence with a child, or plan a return trip.

The youth traveled to Mexico with hearts for service, hoping they would be able to make a small difference in the lives of these children.  They returned with the understanding that they received much more from the children of Mexico than they were ever able to give! 

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