A team of short-term missionaries with roots in the Mississippi Delta recently returned from Mexico.
Formerly led by Charleston minister Joe Young, the team is now led by David Bartlett, pastor at Hill View Baptist Church near Greenwood. Young, who is no longer young, feels it best to pass the work on to the leadership of Bartlett, who served alongside him for almost two decades. Young continues to go as a resource person, helping to train new workers.
In August 1993, Young was sent by his church, Calvary Chapel (Baptist) at Parchman, to south Texas and Mexico to explore mission possibilities. Their new church, serving the staff population at Mississippi State Penitentiary, had been the recipient of much help by short-term missionaries who had helped get the Parchman church started with Vacation Bible School assistance, construction teams and more.
Now, the Parchman folks wanted to help someone else. Young first went north to Missouri and Iowa to explore possibilities, but a flood covered I-55 to St. Louis, so the church sent him south in early August to San Juan, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico, instead.
After meeting with leaders at the border, plans were made for a team to come to the Borderlands of the two countries and do medical/dental work, vacation Bible schools, construction and repairs, and to hold a week of services sharing the Gospel among the poorest immigrants, mostly living in garbage dumps around the edges of big cities.
Summer 1994 came, and 34 people set out on an old church bus, more people than the church had members. Volunteers came from a few other churches, and the team had everything but a doctor. After much prayer and a Bible study on “Experiencing God in Your Life,” they went with who and what they had, frustrated that no doctor would go.
Upon arrival at Cone Oasis in south Texas, within 30 minutes a station wagon from Florida pulled up and the driver came over to Young and asked if he knew if anyone could use a doctor. He said the Lord put it in his heart to come and do a medical mission there, but nobody except his wife and daughters would come.
That doctor and nurse completed the team, working alongside Dr. W.W. Anderson of Charleston, who served as team dentist. Poor people on both sides of the border were blessed, some came to know Christ as Savior, and people from Mexico to Mississippi were encouraged. Both Mexicans and Mississippians began to discuss the possibility of another such week in 1995.
A few days later, Young and his family attended the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Florida, and during a missions service he sensed God calling him to lead more such teams, and felt an assurance that God would take care of every detail.
The 1995 mission happened, and by 1996, large numbers of people from other churches joined in. That continued, and after 32 years, the people of Calvary Chapel and many other churches can only praise God for what has happened.
On the annual summer trips of Calvary Chapel, 1,360 people from U.S. churches have participated. They have worked alongside thousands of volunteers from Mexican churches. A total of 1,912 people in Mexico have professed faith in Christ as Savior, and are now participating in churches in their cities and villages.
A big part of the mission work has been a proactive effort to take older children and youth, often with their families, to experience mission work internationally.
This year, 19 people made the trip. The medical team saw 145 patients, and the eye team saw 89 — providing eyeglasses for all. A total of 472 prescriptions were filled by the pharmacy.
Ann Grice of Greenwood, left, helps an eye patient to choose her frames. (Photo submitted by Joe Young)
Mrs. Joanne Young painted the fingernails of ladies waiting to see the doctor. A Mexican Christian woman shared the Gospel with the ladies in their own language. This year, many of those ladies came to Christ, along with a few husbands, for a total of 26 new believers. Men on the mission team did two major construction projects.
One unforeseen result of the 1993 effort was that dozens of churches were mentored in how to conduct such an international effort. Today, they continue the work, not only going to Mexico, but around the world.
Several participants have gone on to become career missionaries and have served in Ukraine, Moldova, Mexico and Uganda. Teams that began with the Calvary and Hill View team still go, and are involved in expanding the Lord’s work in Mexico and around the world.
The 2024 team was made up of 12 from the Hill View Church, one from Tomnolen Baptist, one from Brandon’s Pinelake Church, Joe and Joanne Young from Calvary Chapel at Parchman, Natalie Duellman from Faith Baptist Church at Charleston, and two from Michigan.
Plans are underway for a 2025 annual trip, scheduled for June 21-28.
Other teams still connected to the group may make smaller trips over the coming months.
Teams formerly associated with the group will be returning as early as October, when short-term missionaries from Friendship Baptist Church in Grenada will serve for a week of ministry.
