A lot is happening here at MMR in the way of projects, construction, and improvements. We are so very grateful for the many hands who have pitched in time, energy, and resources to help get some major things accomplished. Here is an update about some of the main things that are happening.
A New (Used) Bus!
We have finally found a new charter bus for our varying transport needs, namely the Mexico Missions Trip. This new bus is a welcome upgrade by 15 years and one million fewer miles! It’s a great bus and our Operations crew has been working hard on refurbishing work so it’s ready to go.
High Speed Internet
After months of research, planning, and work, multiple people have helped in the process to set up a wireless line-of-sight internet connection to the city of Corry. This new line has boosted us from 2 MB/sec to 90 MB/sec, which is 40 times the speed of our previous connection! We can’t even begin to express our thankfulness to those who have worked so hard on this. It’s a wonderful blessing to have a connection that can support how many people live and work here, especially the workflow in the office.
Brokenstraw Bathhouse & Inn
Progress continues on our multipurpose facility we call The Brokenstraw. We are finalizing the work being done in the upstairs level and plan to have it up and going for the summer season. The long-term goal is to utilize this third story as new housing for our School of Discipleship students in the fall.
Mexico Mission Trip/Water Drilling
For the past eight years, we have taken a mission team down to Mexico, deep into the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains to a little Pima Indian village called Babicora. Over the years, we have had many opportunities to work and serve there, helping them to establish the church for their growing body of believers. We have brought medical help to their remote village, done various construction projects, including assisting with the construction of their church, and put on Vacation Bible School day camps for about 40 village children.
Recently, the President of Babicora and the church’s pastor, Alex, approached our team about helping them to find a better water source. Their current source is only barely enough to get by, besides being nine miles away and often bringing disease to everyone in the village. They have no wells or drilling equipment available in the area, so after prayerfully considering the options, we decided to build a rig that would drill straight through the rock and bring a fresh source right to the middle of town. Many volunteers have put in hours of labor and expertise in constructing the rig (pictured above), as well as financing the project. The rig is finished and tested, but is waiting at the mission outpost of Rio Chico, where it will be taken to Babicora with the team in April. Fresh water is one of the village’s greatest physical needs, but we pray it will point them to the Living Water, who will truly cause them to thirst no more!
