COVID-19 RESPONSE

In spite of the challenges that COVID-19 has brought to Faith Ministry this year, we have continued to make a difference in the lives of families in Mexico through special activities like delivering grocery packages door-to-door each month, but also by safely carrying out some of our existing programs like our nutrition program for kids, our medical clinic, our scholarship program, and house construction. To stay up-to-date on all of our activities throughout this time, follow us on Facebook!

To support Faith Ministry through this crisis, click here. We appreciate your love and support!

Update: March 25, 2022

We are so excited to share that the staff, together with the Board of Directors, has approved the final phase of our plan to welcome back groups to Mexico, and this means that our mission work group program is back to normal!

Masks are no longer required outdoors or indoors! The only place they will still be required is at our medical clinic, particularly when helping with the children’s nutrition program.
No limit to group size (but do keep in mind that the space for people to sleep caps out around 36-40 people)
Lodging at both the complex and clinic is available, meaning that we can host two groups at the same time; this will be subject to how large group is and what are staff resources can handle.

There will still be measures in place to ensure that everyone stays as safe and healthy as possible:

Everyone who comes to volunteer in Mexico must be fully vaccinated, and we strongly encourage everyone to be boostered in accordance with CDC guidelines.
If you feel sick or have symptoms prior to your trip, stay home!
Continue washing your hands and minimizing contact with others.As always, stay flexible, as these policies could change should cases spike again or our advisors in the medical field deem it necessary.

Our schedule for the summer and fall is pretty full, but check out our calendar online (faithministry.org/mwg-schedule) to see if there’s a week that you’d like to bring a group or just come visit! If you have any questions, email Colleen at colleen@faithministry.org.

Thank you all for your patience as we have navigated how to adapt to the pandemic over the past two years. We know that by continuing to work together and be flexible, we can continue making a difference! We can’t wait to see you all!

Full info here: https://faithministry.org/get-involved/mwg

Update: July 29, 2021

We are excited to announce Phase 2 of our plan to welcome back groups to Reynosa, starting September 1!

Here’s a recap of what Phase 2 looks like:

Max group size is 12-15 people
Everyone in the group must be fully vaccinated and must be at least 12 years old
Masks will be required at all times when with the FM staff/volunteers/community in Mexico

Check out the full plan, FAQs, and an example of the covenant everyone will sign here: https://faithministry.org/welcome-back.

Our schedule for the fall season is fully booked, and we are so thankful for that! If you are interested in booking a group to come in 2022, or if you have any questions about Phase 2, email Colleen at colleen@faithministry.org.

Thank you all for your patience as we have navigated these uncertain times. We know that by working together, we can continue making a difference and changing lives, in the safest way possible!

Full info here: https://faithministry.org/welcome-back/

Update: May 24, 2021

We have an exciting update to our Phase 1 plan of welcoming back groups!

Based on the recent availability of the Pfizer vaccine to kids younger than 16, we have lowered our age requirement to allow anyone 12 years and older to come visit us in Mexico. Hooray!

You may also be wondering if we have updated our guidelines regarding masks when visiting us based on the CDC’s most recent recommendation, and here’s our update:
😄 In McAllen, you are welcome to go maskless with our staff, unless it is required by a place of business. We know that everyone visiting us will be fully vaccinated, and we are looking forward to seeing your smiles and giving you hugs.
😷 In Mexico, we will still be requiring masks while with our staff, volunteers, and the local community, as well as requiring social distancing (fist bumps in lieu of hugs, etc.). Keep in mind that Mexico is a few months behind the U.S. in terms of vaccinations and a path back to “normalcy.” Mexico’s guidelines still indicate for the fully vaccinated to wear masks, and we will be respecting that for the health and safety of our staff and the local community.

If you would like to visit us, whether it’s for a few days during the week or a long weekend, get in touch! We would love to see you down here, and our staff is eager to see you again.

Full info here: https://faithministry.org/welcome-back/

Update: April 29, 2021

We are excited to announce that our staff and Board of Directors have developed and approved a plan to safely welcome back small groups and visitors to Reynosa, Mexico, starting June 1!

Here’s a recap of what this Phase 1 plan looks like:

Max group size is 6 people
Everyone in the group must be fully vaccinated; this means right now, we will only allow people 16 years and older
Masks and social distancing will be required at all times when with the FM staff/volunteers/community in Mexico

Check out the full plan, FAQs, and an example of the covenant everyone will sign here: https://faithministry.org/welcome-back.

Our objective with this plan is to revitalize the fellowship and relationships between our friends in the U.S. and our staff and community in Mexico with the health and safety of everyone involved as our number one priority.

We are happy to have a group of six come and work for a week, but we’d also love for anyone to come down and visit with us for a couple days! If this is something you’re interested in, email Colleen at colleen@faithministry.org, and we’ll make a plan.

We will be in Phase 1 starting June 1, and this phase will last until all of our staff in Mexico is fully vaccinated. At that point, we’ll move into Phase 2, which we envision to be one more step toward “normal” with larger groups. That could be later in 2021, or it could be until the beginning of 2022. We will continue to monitor the vaccine distribution in Mexico and keep everyone updated.

Thank you all for your understanding and your willingness to protect yourselves and our loved ones here in Mexico. We know that by working together, we can continue making a difference and changing lives, in the safest way possible!

Update: January 15, 2021

We know you are eager to return to Mexico in 2021, and we are eager to have you back. We have missed everyone, and it’s been tough not to have teams down here for the past 10 months. Our number one priority remains the health and safety of everyone involved in the work we do, including our staff, our local volunteers, the families here in Mexico, and visiting mission work groups.

With that in mind, our staff and Board of Directors have made the decision that we will not be hosting mission work groups from the U.S. until there is widespread availability of a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. and in Reynosa, Mexico. At that point, every Faith Ministry staff member in the U.S. and Mexico will be vaccinated. In addition, we will require that every visiting volunteer from the U.S. is vaccinated against COVID-19 before coming to work with us. By protecting the safety of those we work with now, we are helping to ensure that we will be able to continue our work for many more years to come.

In the meantime, we are working hard to enable our construction staff to continue building houses, even without groups, here in Mexico because that need for families still remains. We hope that even if your group is unable to come in 2021 that you will consider providing financial support for a house to be built by our local staff.

As we continue to monitor the rollout of vaccines in the U.S. and Mexico, we will be working closely with our Board members, including Dr. Rick Casey, a pulmonologist who has been on the front lines in Louisiana, as well as our own staff doctor, Dr. Joaquin Rodriguez, who has a first-hand knowledge of how COVID is affecting the local population in Mexico, to further develop our plans of how to welcome back teams to Reynosa in the safest way possible.

We will be in touch with mission work group leaders regarding scheduled trips, and in the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to David (david@faithministry.org) or Colleen (colleen@faithministry.org).

We appreciate the patience and understanding that all of our mission work groups have had as we have navigated through this pandemic, and we are looking forward to the day that we are joined hand-in-hand singing Unidos, Unidos together again!

Update: January 15, 2021

Update: November 19, 2020

As we are preparing to wrap up 2020, we wanted to give you all an update on where we stand given the coronavirus pandemic:

🏠 PROGRAMS:
Our construction program has officially wrapped up for the year, and our staff in that area is focused on the maintenance of our facilities in Mexico. Our medical clinic in Reynosa will remain open through the second week of December, as will the grab-and-go children’s nutrition program in Reynosa and Miguel Alemán. Our three churches remain closed to in-person gatherings at this time; they continue to run services online and stay in touch through phone calls and video chats. We have also continued our monthly distribution of grocery packages in Reynosa, Miguel Alemán, and Monterrey, and we are planning to distribute a total of 200 this month.

✈️ MISSION WORK GROUPS:
We have made the decision to cancel all mission work groups through the end of February. As more updates regarding vaccines and other precautions are released, we will keep you posted regarding spring and summer groups.

🎄 CHRISTMAS FIESTAS:
Our Christmas fiestas will be looking a little different this year – we won’t be gathering in large numbers – but we are still eager to bless as many families as possible this holiday season, especially after the difficult year that everyone had. Our plan is to distribute at least 300 grocery packages door to door to families in our communities in December, as well as deliver toys and candy to the kids. We would also like to host a small outdoor fiesta for our staff to honor all of their hard work and dedication throughout this year. If you’d like to contribute to our Christmas blessings, visit faithministry.org/give and select “Christmas fiestas” under donation use.

👥 STAFF:
Our staff in Mexico will be sent home for the last two weeks of December to stay safe and spend time at home with their families for the holidays. The plan will be to bring everyone back the first week of January, but we will evaluate that based on case numbers on the border, potential complications from colder weather and the flu, etc.

❤️ YOUR SUPPORT:
The encouragement, generosity, prayers, and support we’ve received this year has been incredibly meaningful. We have asked you all to step up in various ways to help us keep serving others throughout this year, and you have. We cannot thank you enough, and we appreciate all you do for us and the families here on the border. Muchas gracias!

Stay tuned to our Facebook page to see more of what we’re doing. Dios les bendiga!

Update: September 21, 2020

It’s hard to believe that fall is already here! For many of you, the cool weather is probably already in full swing; here on the border, we’ve had a few crisp days, but average highs are still in the 90s. Regardless of the weather, the change in seasons brings about new hope, and we’re excited about that.

Thankfully, cases of COVID-19 have been down in Reynosa, Miguel Alemán, and McAllen, and even better, hospitalizations have reduced dramatically from over the summer. We are continuing to monitor everything closely, knowing that cooler weather and the flu could bring additional challenges.

Here’s our latest update on what we’re doing in response to the pandemic:

🏠 CONSTRUCTION:
Our construction staff has been working hard on pending projects from the end of last year and beginning of this one, in addition to repairs at our facilities and the staff’s houses from the hurricane over the summer. By next month, they plan to be building the additional three to four houses scheduled for this year.

🥪 NUTRITION:
Our children’s nutrition program in Reynosa has been back up and running grab-and-go style for the past two weeks, and it’s been great to see the kids again. The infant feeding program is also slowly starting back up, and the children’s nutrition program in Miguel Alemán will be reopening with grab-and-go meals this week.

🩺 CLINIC:
Our medical clinic in Reynosa is reopening this week to general consultations. Our clinic staff has a detailed protocol in place to ensure the safety of the staff and the patients, and we will be monitoring the situation in Reynosa to make sure it remains safe to be open.

⛪️ CHURCH:
Our three churches remain closed to in-person gatherings at this time. They will keep running services online and staying in touch with the congregation through phone calls and video chats.

❤️ YOUR SUPPORT:
We cannot tell you how much your support has meant to us throughout this year. When we have needed your prayers, you’ve prayed. When we’ve needed your financial support, you’ve been generous. When we’ve needed to talk, or grieve, or just share a laugh, you’ve been there. We appreciate all of you so much and thank you for being there every step of the way during this difficult 2020.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page to see more of what we’re doing. Dios les bendiga!

Update: July 31, 2020

As you may have seen in the news, the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and, by extension, Reynosa and Miguel Alemán in Mexico, is currently a hotspot for the coronavirus. The high number of cases, paired with little to no hospital space, makes it a scary situation, particularly for families in need in Mexico. Because of this, paired with the loss of our construction supervisor Angel, we are having to reimagine what our programs look like for the rest of the year.

⭐️ FOCUS:
Our focus right now is on the safety of our staff; we want everyone safe and healthy. We are also dedicated to taking care of our community through grocery packages and hygiene kits, as well as helping where we can with damage due to the hurricane, and we will continue meeting medical and financial needs where we can.

🏠 HOUSES & MISSION WORK GROUPS:
After much thought and consideration, we have decided to pause the construction of additional houses for the rest of 2020, as well as cancel any remaining scheduled teams for the year. When it is safe and possible, we will be finishing up pending construction projects from the beginning of the year, including three houses that were underway, but we do not plan to build any additional houses for the rest of the year.

❤️ HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Many of you have reached out asking how you can help and support us during these difficult times. Right now, the best way you can do that is by making a financial contribution to Faith Ministry. We are using those resources to make sure our staff is paid in full every single week, to meet the needs of families in our area through grocery packages, supplies, and other expenses, and to continue making a difference wherever we can. Any contribution, no matter how small, goes a long way. You can donate online at faithministry.org/give or by sending a check payable to Faith Ministry to PO Box 756, McAllen, TX 78505.

We appreciate all of you so much, and we thank you for all your love and support!

Update: June 29, 2020

Last week, we announced our plans to begin reopening some of our programs in Mexico this week. Due to a significant rise in cases and hospitalizations, as well as increased government regulations in Mexico, and out of concern for our staff and the community, we have decided to take a step back and keep all of our programs suspended until further notice.

We are committed, as always, to caring for our community and will continue doing that through financial assistance, grocery packages, and more. However, we also have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our staff and those we serve. Our administration staff on both sides of the border will be working hard from home to make sure our employees are paid, our facilities are maintained, and our brothers and sisters in Reynosa and Miguel Alemán are taken care of.

Thank you all so much for your love, support, and prayers. This has been a difficult year for all of us, but we know that together, putting our faith and hope in God, we will get on the other side of this. We hope to get back started soon, and we will keep you posted every step of the way. Dios les bendiga!

Update: June 22, 2020

Today marked a big step toward reopening Faith Ministry in Mexico as our staff in Reynosa gathered together (socially distanced, with masks ?) for the first time since March! During our meeting, we discussed our plans to reopen some of our programs, new protocols that will be in place, and what it will look like moving forward.

🏠 PROGRAMS:
Starting next week, we will be reopening the children’s nutrition program (grab-and-go), the infant feeding program (grab-and-go), and the scholarship program. The construction program has been operating with limited staff for the past few weeks and will continue to do so. The following programs will remain suspended for the time being: our medical clinic, the sewing program, the children’s music program, and the apprenticeship program. Our offices in Mexico will remain closed to the public for at least two weeks and will then begin seeing people by appointment only.

📌 PROTOCOL:
We have created a detailed protocol to follow for each area of the ministry, including:
– Temperature checks for all staff upon arriving to work, as well as anyone coming to the office
– Regular cleaning and sanitation of our facilities
– Face masks will be worn by all staff and anyone visiting our office
– No food will be served for the time being, and rules have been put in place for water and ice
– Anyone who is sick or has symptoms must stay home

✈️ MISSION WORK GROUPS:
As we announced before, we have no mission works groups scheduled through August. We are in touch with all leaders with teams scheduled to come in the fall and will make a decision regarding those teams with the leaders as things progress.

THANK YOU to all of you who have supported us through this difficult time! All of our staff appreciates your dedication and commitment more than we can express. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue taking steps to reopen!

Update: May 5, 2020

Mission work groups are so much more to Faith Ministry than volunteers who come to help build a house. They are friends, they are family. They bring love, joy, hugs, laughs, and hope to all of us here in Mexico. One of the best parts of the work we do is seeing our good friends pull through the gates of our complex and giving them hugs for the first time since last year, sharing a meal with a new friend, or holding hands in worship with a friend we’ve known a long time.

It has been difficult going through the past several weeks without the teams who were scheduled to come. We have missed the hugs and the laughs and the feeling of community working and fellowshipping alongside one another.

For the safety of the groups, as well as of our staff and the families in Mexico, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel all mission work groups through August. This is not a decision we wanted to make nor a situation any of us want to be in, but we know that it is for the best.

The absence of groups this summer does not mean that we will stop serving our communities in Reynosa and Miguel Alemán. When it is safe to do so, we will begin opening our programs back up, step by step, with staff at first, and later with our local volunteers. All activities we do will be done with an abundance of caution, and we will keep you posted along the way.

We will be continuing to stay connected with all of you through videos and photos here on Facebook, phone calls, texts, and emails. We know all of this is hard on everyone, and our prayers are with you and your families. We miss you, and we look forward to the day when we are in a big circle, holding hands, singing Unidos, Unidos together. Hang in there and stay safe, amigos!

Update: April 21, 2020

This week, Mexico extended the national stay-at-home order through mid-May for states with fewer cases and the end of May for large cities with higher numbers of cases.

🏠 PROGRAMS:
In response to this, we have extended the suspension of our programs through at least May 17. At that time, if we are able, we will resume basic activities, including distributing grocery packages and hygiene kits to the community. It is our hope that by June 1, we can resume all normal ministry activities.

✈️ MISSION WORK GROUPS:
We have cancelled all mission work groups through May. We are hopeful that groups scheduled for June and July will still be able to come, but we will be in touch with group leaders and monitor the situation as it progresses.

❤️ OUR COMMITMENT:
Our commitment to pay our staff remains the same, and we are able to do that because of the support we have received from all of you! And because of that support, we also know that we will be ready to serve our community when we resume activities because they will need us more than ever.

THANK YOU to all of you for your prayers, your financial contributions, and your encouragement through all of this. We are missing everyone, but have loved connecting with you through phone calls, messages, emails, and videos. Don’t miss a great chance to connect this Friday at 6pm CT/7pm ET – another virtual cookout with David!

Our prayers are with all of you and your families – stay safe and stay healthy!

Update: April 1, 2020

Friends, things are continuing to change throughout the world, and Mexico is no exception. This week, the country declared a national health emergency, and because of that and for the safety of our staff, we have made the difficult decision to suspend all ministry programs and activities through the end of April.

Administrative staff will be working from home, and select staff will be on-site at all of our facilities for safety. Pastor Carlos in Reynosa will continue to conduct church services via Facebook live, and Pastor Benito in Miguel Alemán will continue to reach out via phone to church members.

Thanks to all of you who support us throughout the year, we are able to continue paying all of our staff in Mexico and the U.S.; no one will lose their salary or health benefits because of this suspension. We know that there are millions of people around the world right now for whom that is not the case, so we feel incredibly blessed to have that security. Your donations ensure that all of our staff will be able to put food on the table for their families, seek medical attention, and pay their bills throughout this difficult time.

The good thing is that we were preparing for this, and that’s why we have spent the past week distributing hygiene kits and grocery packages to the community. We also created a “stocked pantry” in Reynosa and Miguel Alemán for our staff in case of emergency since grocery supplies at stores are running low. We took care of the community, one family at a time, to make sure they had what they needed, and now the best way we can take care of each other is by staying home.

We will still be posting here regularly, even though our programs won’t be running in Mexico. We’ll be sharing videos, connecting you more with our staff, posting our favorite pictures, and more – and don’t miss David’s virtual cookout on Friday (check our Events tab for more info)! We want to stay connected with all of you through this – we are all a community, unidos in the love of Christ. Our prayers are with you and your families – stay safe and stay healthy, amigos!

Update: March 20, 2020

✈️ MISSION WORK GROUPS
All mission work groups scheduled through early May have been postponed. Right now, we are still optimistic that our summer schedule of groups can proceed according to plan, but we know that may change. We will be in touch with group leaders scheduled for the summer over the next few weeks.

🏠 PROGRAMS:
We have decided to continue running our programs that meet immediate needs of the community, so our medical clinic, children’s nutrition program, and infant feeding program will continue to serve in the safest ways possible. All other programs in Reynosa, Miguel Alemán, and Naranjito are suspended for the time being, including construction and church activities.

👥 STAFF:
Our Reynosa and Miguel Alemán offices are closed to the public, but the office staff will be there doing administrative work. Other limited staff will be at the complex to complete maintenance work. Our McAllen office staff is primarily working from home. All staff in the U.S. and Mexico will continue to be paid, and we are also going to financially support our workers who are long-term volunteers.

💡 IDEAS:
We are looking for ways to stay connected with all of you during this time, so if you have any ideas (songs you want to hear, recipes you want us to post from Marisela’s kitchen or David’s grill, reflections you want to read, etc.), please comment below or send us a message and let us know!

Our prayers continue for all of you and your families, as well as our brothers and sisters around the globe. Stay healthy and stay safe, amigos!

Update: March 14, 2020

✈️ MISSION WORK GROUPS
Our staff and Board of Directors, together with group leaders, have made the decision not to host groups for the next four weeks. We are working with group leaders that had to postpone their trip to find alternative dates, and we are continuing to communicate with group leaders scheduled for April.

🏠 PROGRAMS:
Our plan for this week is to continue running all programs in Reynosa and Miguel Alemán, as long as it is safe to do so. If that changes, we will keep you posted. We are also finding ways to help those at-risk in our community through grocery packages, health education, and more.

Our prayers continue for all of you and your families, as well as our brothers and sisters around the globe. Stay healthy and stay safe, amigos!

Update: March 13, 2020

All of the additional precautions we updated you all on yesterday are still in place, along with some new information:

✈️ MISSION WORK GROUPS
We will not be hosting any mission work groups from the U.S. at least for the next two weeks. We are in communication with groups leaders who have trips scheduled for later this month and April and will be working with them to make the best decision for their groups and our local communities.

🏠 PROGRAMS:
All ministry programs will continue to run in Reynosa and Miguel Alemán, as long as it is safe to do so. There are still no cases of the coronavirus in the state of Tamaulipas, where Reynosa and Miguel Alemán are located, and there are still no cases in McAllen.

❤️ OUR COMMITMENT:
In these uncertain times, we are committed to:
– Paying all of our staff regardless of any pause of programs, work schedules, etc.
– Serving our communities on the border with our programs for as long as is safe to do so
– Finding additional ways to care for our community, especially those at higher-risk (delivering grocery packages, providing medical information and recommendations to clinic patients and volunteers in the form of flyers, posters, etc., and more)

We know that this is a difficult and tumultuous time for all of us. Although the border region where we are has been spared from any cases, it is still affecting the families we work with. Many families don’t just live paycheck to paycheck; they live day to day. They don’t have the privilege of missing work or stocking up on items they need. Remember these families, not only here on the border but across the world, in your prayers.

If you feel led to and are able, please consider making a donation at https://faithministry.org/give. It will go a long way toward making a difference in the lives of families on the border.

At Faith Ministry, we have been through our fair share of tumultuous times, but we have the peace of God in our hearts. That’s what got us through then, and it is what will get us through this time now. Our prayers are with you and your families. Stay healthy and stay safe, amigos!

Update: March 12, 2020

If you’ve spent time with us in Mexico, you know that social distancing is not in our nature; we greet with hugs, handshakes, and kisses on the cheek, and we hold hands in prayer and worship.

However, in times like these, we are getting creative and implementing changes to protect our brothers and sisters from the U.S. and Mexico.

At this time, we are still hosting mission work groups from the U.S. and operating all of our programs normally with the following precautions:

👋🏼 GREETINGS & WORSHIP
For the time being, we are refraining from handshakes, hugs, and kisses on the cheek as greetings, and we will not be holding hands during our daily prayers. We will also not be shaking or holding hands during our traditional “Dame La Mano” and “Unidos, Unidos” songs.

🧼 CLEANING & SANITIZING
We will continue our daily cleaning and sanitizing of the shared spaces in our complex and clinic facilities, exercising extra caution and diligent attention to detail. All staff, volunteers, and mission work group members will be following the preventative precautions of washing their hands frequently and using hand sanitizer when needed. Our kitchen staff will be taking extra precautions while handling and serving food.

🤧 ILLNESS AND/OR AT-RISK
If someone is feeling sick, or who has someone at home who is sick, they are asked to stay at home, whether that is a mission work group member, local volunteer, or Faith Ministry staff. Additionally, if anyone is at higher risk for COVID-19, we ask that they exercise caution and consider staying home.

🩺 OUR MEDICAL CLINIC
Our clinic in Reynosa will be giving priority to patients exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 so that they can be treated quickly and to reduce the time spent in our waiting room. The clinic will be closing one hour early each day to allow the staff time to thoroughly clean and sanitize before the following day. The dormitories of the clinic will be closed off from the rest of the clinic to prevent any interaction between visiting groups and patients. All group visits to the clinic and its program will be paused for the time being.

Currently, there are still no cases of COVID-19 in Reynosa, Miguel Alemán, or the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and there are still no cases in McAllen, TX. We are staying up-to-date on the situation and will let you know if there are any changes.

Thank you for all of your support, and we pray for the health and well-being of all of our brothers and sisters across the globe.

Update: March 10, 2020

Hello friends and Faith Ministry family,

We know that many of you are concerned about the coronavirus and its impacts around the world. We wanted to let you know that there are currently no cases of COVID-19 in Reynosa, Miguel Alemán, or the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico; there are also no cases in McAllen, TX. We are staying informed of the situation on both sides of the border and will keep you updated.

The safety of our teams, our staff, and our volunteers is our number one priority, so we will always make decisions with that in mind. Right now, all of our activities in Reynosa, Miguel Alemán, and McAllen are operating normally.

Thank you for your continued support and feel free to email us at david@faithministry.org or colleen@faithministry.org if you have any questions!