Family missionary trip to Mexico planned

Visiting “ranchitos” and interacting with the families there will be part of the missionary trip to Mexico sponsored by the Office of Marriage and Family Life. (Blog photo by Marcos and Jessie Cisneros)

Want to be a missionary to Mexico?

The Office of Marriage and Family Life is inviting the faithful to take part in a week-long mission trip April 27-May 4 to General Cepeda, a small town west of Monterrey, Mexico.

Individuals and families are invited. There is a limit of 30 participants. Ten of those must be adults. The cost is $1,500 per adult and $900 per child, 17 years old and younger. The fee covers airfare, transportation to the mission house, lodging, and meals. All participants must have a valid U.S. passport.

The office is sponsoring the trip through the Family Missions Company. Those interested are invited to fill out the Google form at tinyurl.com/omflmissiontrip. For a blog that includes photos about the mission area, visit FamilyMissionsCompany.com/to-the-ranchos.

The Office of Marriage and Family Life is sponsoring a family-oriented mission trip to Mexico April 27 through May 4.

The office’s director, Jake Samour, said participants will be serving the poor in the area of General Cepeda, a small town west of Monterrey, Mexico.

“The missionaries there will pick us up at the airport in Monterey and take us to the mission house where we’ll spend a week that includes a day of retreat for the missionaries,” he said.

Although there will be time for visiting the Cathedral of Miracles in the capital city of Saltillo and sightseeing, Samour said, most of the mornings will be spent helping the people of General Cepeda and the surrounding villages in whatever projects the missionaries stationed there have undertaken.

Reaching out part of pilgrimage

“In the evenings we’ll go out to the little towns they call “ranchitos” and visit the people who live in the outskirts and who are poorer than the people who live in town.”

When visiting ranchitos, a chapel bell is rung calling the people to gather for singing, witness talks, and praise and worship, he said. “If there’s a priest with us then we can celebrate Mass for those in these little towns. A lot of times missionaries bring a little candy because that brings the little kids to church.”

Samour added that he went on a similar mission trip over 20 years ago and that one of the youth on the trip felt a calling to become a missionary. “He’s the one who is going to be leading our missionary trip next spring.”