Mills Family Mission
John first answered the call to participate in a short-term mission trip with Salem Presbytery in 1998, and Ginny followed the next year. Holly made her first mission to Mexico in 2005. Since that first trip, we've traveled every year as participants or group leaders.
Both John & Ginny have served on the Mexico Mission Task Group of Salem Presbytery, and John served on the Presbyterys Worldwide Ministries Cluster.
Joining with others in NC, founded Hebron USA to promote cross-cultural missions in the US & support mission projects in MX.
Every year we've traveled, we come home determined to "go back, stay longer, do more, do whatever we can!"
In our years of travel to Southern Mexico, weve learned that:
- Mission trips change lives both for those in mission groups and those who host them;
- Over 1,000,000 people in the State of Chiapas have no access to medical facilities. Communities that are 70% or more indigenous have one doctor for every 25,000 people;
- The level of poverty that exists in rural and/or indigenous villages is extreme. Without social assistance, natural disasters or widespread disease could eliminate entire villages;
- The indigenous people (non-Spanish speaking Mayan descendents) are the most vulnerable and most forgotten by government, society and even the church;
- Many of the indigenous people groups do not have a Bible in their language or a chance to worship in their own language. This is like asking them to worship a foreign god;
- Outreach projects like medical missions, construction projects, and social assistance build relationships, trust and opportunities for evangelism and church planting;
- And communication problems prevent interested people, churches and organizations in the US from being more involved. With improved communications, so much more could be accomplished.