Children's Ministry Around the World - Mexico

As we continue to look at Children's Ministry and the lives of children from around the world, today we "journey" once again to Latin America with a "stop" in Mexico.

Mexico is our nearest neighbor to the south and with all the talk on the news about illegal immigration we tend to think we know a lot about this country. But there is a great deal we may not know about it. Before the first Europeans arrived in Mexico it was the home to many people groups; including the Mayans and Aztecs. While it is much smaller today than it once was, it is still the 14^th largest country in the world by size and the second largest Latin American country by population (Wiki). According to World Population Review, a baby is born in Mexico every 14.36 seconds; there are currently 123.8 million people who call Mexico their home.

Today Mexico is one of the world’s largest economies; which may be surprising to us as we tend to picture it as a country where people leave to find work here in the USA. While Mexico is moving forward with its economy, there are still many people in Mexico who live in poverty. Years ago my husband went to Mexico with a group from our church on a mission trip to a town built on a trash dump. People actually lived in cardboard houses. Drug trafficking, violence, kidnappings, exploitation and trafficking of children as well as child labor are all issues facing children and churches in Mexico.

The school year runs from September to June and is compulsory for children ages six through 14 (Compassion). 83% of the people in Mexico identify themselves as Catholic and 7.3% Protestant (Wiki). There are many churches in Mexico and if you visit, you are likely to find them much like churches here in the USA with services and opportunities which vary from church to church; people sing, there are children’s services, Sunday school and other opportunities for children to learn to trust and follow Jesus for the rest of their lives.

Unlike here in the USA, there are large numbers of children who live on the streets of the larger cities in Mexico, so providing Bible clubs, food, shelter, medical care, substance abuse treatment, tutoring, job training and other outreaches are additional ways to minister to children in Mexico where 4% of the people are unreached (OperationWorld). As you think about Mexico, please pray for –

• The safety of children – so many are exposed to violence, exploitation and despair.
• God to draw believers to Him.
• People to volunteer to go serve the church in Mexico.
• Churches as they serve the children and families in their area and country.
• The Mexican church to be a light to their communities!

Mexico is a country with a very old history and very big needs. They need to know God loves them! While you may not be able to travel to Mexico to serve the church, you are able to pray and, “When a believing person prays, great things happen.” (James 5:16 NCV) Let’s pray and trust God for great things in Mexico!