Tim Long, one of our missionaries to Mexico, was here Sunday Oct 22 to continue our series on Diversity! The Longs report that, since early October of 2016, migration into Mexico has accelerated at an astonishing pace. The explanation?
After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, many Haitian people “migrated to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in order to help construct the World Cup and Olympic facilities. With the Olympics in Brazil over, these and other migrant workers from neighboring South American countries, including families with young children, have been traveling through South and Central America and into Mexico on their way to seek asylum in the U.S. We hear that 15,000 people have already arrived and 30,000 are on their way, presenting a humanitarian crisis in Mexico.”
Long describes the amazing response of Mexican Baptist churches as they began to see these migrant workers entering their cities and neighborhoods: “We are witnessing something beautiful today in Tijuana: a church intent on being a blessing to the nations.
Over the past decade we have seen a gradual refocus of church life and ministry among the Baptist churches in Baja California, Mexico—from one centered largely on the local congregation to a serious and meaningful effort to be about God's mission. Churches have become more and more engaged in our barrios and communities, serving the most vulnerable of those in our midst.”