Mexico
A member of the pastorate has made regular trips out to work in Mexico with a charity called Armonia Mexico.
Armonia Mexico is a small Mexican charity working with the poor of Mexico City and who bring God's presence into some of the poorest areas. This is largely manifested through their Urban Transformation Centres (3 in Mexico City) and their Rural Transformation Centres (1 in Yalalag, near Oaxaca and 1 more soon to come). Each is unique in its particular ministry, working very closely with the local communities and their needs but each brings a very special demonstration of God's love and grace as they walk alongside the poor.
For more information on the work of Armonia please see www.armonia.org.uk or www.armoniamexico.info for more details.
Every year a number of volunteer teams from the UK go out to work with Armonia in Mexico. They stay for anything from two weeks to six months, and undertake diverse projects, ranging from teaching and building work to medical assistance and translation. Volunteers have a diverse range of skills, all of which can be of great benefit to Armonia. As a general rule, a team will engage in very hands-on work. This means that they will probably spend most of their time at one of the community centres, working alongside the members of the centre. They may also spend some considerable time with the children if that is their area of expertise. Teams find their time very challenging and often very busy, so be prepared to get stuck in! The money that volunteers give to Armonia covers the cost of renting volunteer accommodation, the cost of maintaining the properties and the cost of buying furnishings for the rooms. Donations also contribute to the running of Armonia - such as paying workers' salaries and the upkeep of the community centres.
During the summer and winter of 2005 the pastorate member went to Mexico as a volunteer with Armonia. Her experiences are shown over the next few pages, so keep reading.