Mission to Mexico (M2M) is an active outreach of St. Albert Evangelical Lutheran Church that began in 2003 when 43 participants traveled to Mexico for two weeks. Since then, congregational members have participated in another10 mission trips to the northern Baja California region of Mexico.
M2M is about sharing the love of Christ. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi – “preach the Gospel… if necessary, use words”. We do use words -whether through VBS, preaching or sharing testimonials with local congregations or teaching their church elders – but we strive to do much more through our actions.
Some activities we’ve been involved with over the years include:

• providing food, clothing and quilts to impoverished working class Mexicans;
• providing outreach through short-term or multi-day children’s programs
• building things
  • better homes for working class families
  • a church extension and a new church sanctuary;
  • basic improvements to different orphanages
• School Sponsorship for 100’s of children
• Ongoing support for our Mission partners in Mexico

But, the impact of our efforts is not limited to how we help the people we work with in Mexico. In fact, I would say the influence of M2M is also about the impact it has on participants and supporters. It’s not about what we do – it’s about why we do it, what we learn from it and what impacts those lessons have on our local communities.
We learn:

• That we lead incredibly privileged lives;
• That we can and should commit our time and resources to helping those less fortunate;
• We learn to work with others – here and in Mexico; and
• In so doing, we learn that our service to Christ can and should be active.

Since 2003, SAELC members have been directly involved in 11 short-term mission trips to Mexico. We’ve worked with numerous other congregations from Alberta. Over 200 people have participated in one or more of these trips and countless others have supported us through prayer and fundraising or other behind the scenes work.

Our most recent trip was in December 2022.  Five participants from SAELC, joined four other participants from two additional churches.  Team activities included:  maintenance projects at El Shaddai Christian Center and Bethel Bible College; visiting and purchasing supplies for Gabriel House Rehabilitation Center; and worship services at El Shaddai, Rhema (Maneadero) and Bethany (Bueno Vista).  We also pareticpated in a lively New Year’s Eve party hosted by Bethel Bible College for its member churches and the surrounding community of Bueno Vista.

We are currently planning for another mission trip for July 29 through August 12, 2024.  If you’re interested in joining us or want any other information about this mission, please contact the church office.

Below you’ll find some pictures from our last two trips.  Great experiences building a home in Vista Al Mar, taking residents of Gabriel House to a local park, VBS and recent renovations at El Shaddai.  Yes, it was as rewarding in Christ as it was fun!