Neighbors serving neighbors

On Saturday, November 7, Calvary Maranatha church in Mazatlán held Armor of God / Feria de Salud Infantil program. Forty-one children came, and 25 volunteers served.

We planned this outreach differently in one important way: no U.S. team flew in. Our local partner church, Calvary Maranatha, led the day, and AGMM stood behind them. “This is what partnership looks like: Mexican partners serving their own neighbors, with us standing right behind them.”

Even without an AGMM team on the ground, friends stepped in. Kim and Dave, who retired to Mazatlán from Washington state, volunteered at the church’s Safe Zone program. And in a serendipitous turn, Kim and Dave introduced us to Tony and Lori, who were vacationing in Mazatlán. We invited them to lead the Personal Boundaries station, where they made a huge impact.

Captain Charlotte Ebio said, “Sometimes people need permission to use their voice. In our Personal Boundaries station, they taught the children how to use their voice to prevent people from crossing their boundaries. Our team gave a voice to the voiceless.”

We are grateful for a partnership rooted in people, not simply in a program. During promotion, local partners walk neighborhoods and carry invitations to homes and schools, one door at a time. That personal invitation matters. “Programs can open a door, but only a relationship walks through it and stays.”

Preparation with a purpose

Volunteers trained on October 24. We asked volunteers to arrive at 9 AM on November 7, and we scheduled the doors to open at 10 AM, local Mazatlán time. We prepared because children need clean hands, healthy teeth, and someone to tell them that God gives them armor, both physical and spiritual.

Armor of God teaches handwashing, dental hygiene, and wound care through interactive stations. Children scrub finger paint from their hands — one of the program’s popular ways to make a lesson tangible. Usually, we share Ephesians 6:10–17 on Sunday. However, on this day, we made it station #1 and the new Personal Boundaries station #2. On November 7, the children enjoyed learning as they moved through five stations, culminating with the cheer tunnel.

This outreach focused on health education. We did not offer health screenings. Volunteers applied fluoride treatments at the dental hygiene station, and families took home 41 Home Health Kits.

From Serve Day to family homes

Volunteers at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville packed two hundred Home Health Kits at the October 4 Serve Day. The kits traveled south by land, and on November 7, we gave out 41 Home Health Kits.

Each program costs AGMM about $4,000. That support helps make room for both practical care and the relationships we hope will continue beyond one Saturday.

Staying alongside our partners

Maranatha is one of six communities we long to serve twice each year, alongside Loma Bonita, Isla Piedra, Maranatha Este, Puerto Lobos, and Desemboque.

Waves of Compassion is our monthly giving program. Each outreach costs about $4,000, so two visits a year to all six communities is about $4,000 a month. Sponsor a village with a donation of $333 a month, or about $4,000 over the course of a year, and that gift covers one visit to a community. Coming back twice a year is how we stay alongside our partners.

If you would like to stand behind this ongoing work, join the Wave. You can also read our November 1 newsletter. Thank you for helping us keep relationship at the heart of care.

BE Hopeful. Loved. Encouraged.

Zeus & Captain Charlotte Ebio
Executive Directors