Sandra's House Mayan Ministry believes the purpose of the short term missions outreach experience is threefold:

• To provide an initial exposure of adult and youth Christ-followers to a cross-
  cultural evangelistic and a service ministry/outreach experience
• To strengthen the commitment of those who have previous experience
• To provide the Mayan Ministry much needed teaching, equipping and outreach  
     capability

Ministry to the people in the local Mayan communities by all visitors to Sandra’s House is always in cooperation with local town or village churches and under the oversight and guidance of Sandra’s House staff. These activities include community evangelism for adults, youth and children, Christian teaching, training and discipleship and medical and humanitarian and service outreach. In addition some teams are welcome to perform maintenance and improvements to the physical facilities of Sandra’s House.

PASTORS and CHURCH LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Video Bible Schools in Communities/Villages

Sandra’s House uses the International School of Ministers fifteen month video bible school classes to provide basic training and equipping of Mayan Christian Pastors and Pastoras in basic Biblical truths to equip them to share the Gospel with their congregations and neighbors. To facilitate the classes each group is given a television, DVD player voltage regulator and enough workbooks for each student. The total cost ranges from $400 to $600 per class. Support and assistance are required to finance additional classes, prepare the workbooks, monitor the classes in the villages, encourage the pastors involved in the classes and coordinate the initiation of new classes in other churches and villages.

Small groups of pastors and lay leaders are welcome any time of the year. Two or three adult individuals per team would be helpful and appreciated. A donation of $400 per individual would cover modest expenses for a week and provide support for the Ministry.

Ministerial Guidance, Evangelism, and Leadership Conferences at Sandra’s House

Sandra’s House Mayan Ministry hosts special ministerial guidance, evangelism, and leadership conferences on various occasions. Qualified pastors and church leaders from various denominations with like minded theology are welcome to come to Sandra’s House to teach local pastors and church leaders. The conferences and seminars are typically three days in length and focus on “pastoring” skills - worship, prayer and biblical study, how to develop a message/sermon, Christian character - values, ethics and integrity, methods to involve congregations in evangelism activities, how to be a Christian leader in the Church and the community, relationship building and small group ministry, and others. Although the conferences are generally the lecture type there is plenty of lively discussion and in many instances small work groups are formed. In addition to the lectures and teaching, in the morning before “classes” start, a time will be set aside for a special biblical teaching/message from one of the visiting pastors, worship/praise and prayer each day.

Small groups of qualified pastors and lay leaders are welcome any time of the year. Three to five adult individuals per team would be appropriate. A donation of $400 per individual would cover modest expenses for each member of the ministerial mission’s team and the Mayan pastors while attending the conference. The Mayan pastors and church leaders stay at Sandra’s House and are feed by the visiting ministerial mission team. The donation would also provide some basic support for the Ministry.

CONFERENCES FOR ADULTS and YOUTH at SANDRA’S HOUSE or COMMUNITIES/VILLAGES

Sandra’s House Mayan Ministry hosts special conferences for adults and youths both at Sandra’s House and in the local community and villages. Qualified adult and youth leaders are welcome to came and facilitate conferences for evangelism, leadership, values and ethics, men’s activities and issues, women’s activities and issues, marriage and family, and other topics. These conferences tend to be more personal and with more group involvement and rely on testimonies, dramas and other action teaching methods. A time for worship, prayer and a Message is always included. It is hoped that the example of small group discussions at the conferences will lead to the formation of small groups in the villages. Reference materials are available to help facilitate small group meetings.

Youth conferences are most common, are three days in length and generally are in the summer when school is in recess. Local Christian Mayan youths assist with the music, some teaching and give testimonies. The focus is upon character and moral values along with evangelism - sharing the Gospel with their peers. Field trips are taken to help instruct how to witness and share the gospel of Jesus.

Adult conferences for families (husband and wife), women and men which focus on Christian values, ethics, family life, parental responsibility, husband/wife relationships, women’s and men’s issues, and other topics are invaluable. There are many questions and energetic small group discussions. An attempt is made to have the participants to feel free to discuss their problems and issues in groups or individually with those teaching.

Small groups or teams of qualified adult and youth leaders are welcome any time of the year. The number of team members will vary depending on the conference but would range from 4 to 10. Wherever the conferences are held, at Sandra’s House, in the community or villages, the local churches assist with feeding the participants. When evening activities of the conference are scheduled at Sandra’s House the participants stay at Sandra’s House. A donation of $400 per individual on the team would cover modest expenses for each member of the team and help defray the conference expenses and expenses for the attendees while at the conference. The donation would also provide some basic support for the Ministry.

EVANGELICAL OUTREACH IN COMMUNITIES and VILLAGES

Short Term Missions’ Teams – Adults, Families and Youth

Sandra's House Mayan Ministry welcomes and encourages short term missions teams and smaller outreach groups which focus on evangelistic outreach programs in the plazas of the communities and villages, although some evangelistic activities take place at Sandra’s House. The teams and small groups are the backbone of the Mayan Ministry evangelistic and community outreach activities and present the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and is presented to any that wish to listen.

The outreach programs include worship and musical outreach and specialized evangelism directed toward children and youth with skits, puppets, songs, and active participation. Bibles and Christian literature and books for children, and treats and small toys are all available as gifts for the gathering. While in the community many team members participate in prayer walks and “camp” meetings in the villages while others lead door-to-door evangelism efforts to visit and offer prayer and Bibles.

Approximately 15-20 short term mission teams visit Sandra’s House each year. Each team is made up of 10-22 people and stays for about one week. The participants range from youth, college students, single adults to married couples, families with young children and retired adults. They bring with them all necessary supplies, materials and “give-a-ways” they expect to need for the outreach program they have planned. Sometimes items can be purchased locally. Each individual is responsible for transportation to Cancun and is encouraged to provide a donation of $400 for adults and $250 for children under the age of twelve to defray expenses and support of the ministry.

Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Distribution

Sandra's House Mayan Ministry has been designated by the Mexican Division of Operation Christmas Child as the distribution point for the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. For several years thousands of Christmas shoe boxes filled with gifts have been distributed to many villages in the Yucatan. This is a great opportunity for teams of 20 or less to come in January and February and experience the blessing of helping these wonderful children have a taste of God's love through these Christmas gifts. The groups of young children through older adults have the opportunity to share the Gospel Message through drama, skits, songs, literature and a message appropriate for the Mayan children. And interaction with them is a joy to behold as they open the boxes.

A donation of $400 per adult and $250 per child would cover modest expenses for a week and provide support for the Ministry. Air transportation to Cancun is the responsibility of the visitor.

HUMANITARIAN SERVICE and MEDICAL OUTREACH

Local Hospitals (Medical supplies, equipment, training, etc.)

Sandra's House Mayan Ministry works with the local hospital in Felipe Carrillo Puerto and assists in the facilitation of donated equipment, medicines, and supplies. Some surgery has been done at the hospital in cooperation with the local doctors and staff. More specialty treatment and surgery is in the planning stages. One desire is to help train some of the local doctors in some of the procedures that they are not now performing; interaction with the local Medical Director and the government officials is encouraging. Med technicians have repaired some equipment at the hospital and a general anesthesia machine was donated and put in operation.

Donations of equipment, medical material, medicine and financial support are requested. Medical teams of eight to twelve people, trained in various medical skills are always welcome. Visiting medical teams generally bring medical supplies and medicine and make a modest donation to defray minor expenses for food and lodging. Medical teams can receive financial assistance for expenses while at Sandra’s House if needed.

Communities and Villages (General medical practice, personal hygiene, etc)

Sandra's House Mayan Ministry facilitates Medical Mission Teams which provide medical outreach and humanitarian aid in the rural villages of the Zona Maya of the Mexican Yucatan region. The teams of fifteen to twenty people composed of medical doctors, registered nurses, nurse “practitioners”, lab technicians, pharmacists, translators, other support disciplines. Many of the villages do not have regular medical visits by the local doctors so the teams are welcomed as they come to give exams, advice, treatment, and medicine. Bibles, eye glasses, toothbrushes, literature, and other personal supplies are provided to those who come to the clinics. Prayer is an important part of the activities in the clinic.

A women's clinic is being built in Felipe Carrillo Puerto where women can come for Ob-Gyn exams and mammography exams. Equipment is being donated to help furnish these clinics. They will be doing hygiene training and abuse counseling. The medical teams are well received and welcomed any time.

Visiting medical teams generally bring medical supplies and medicine and make a donation to defray minor expenses for food and lodging. Medical teams can receive financial assistance for expenses while at Sandra’s House if needed.

SANDRA’S HOUSE FACILITY

Sandra’s House Mayan Ministry welcomes teams of eight to ten adult individuals who enjoy minor construction, renovation and maintenance projects. Most are simple in nature but time consuming and necessary. Projects currently being developed include hanging two doors, painting various areas of the facility, building and installing gutters, screening in the large meeting area, roofing repair, miscellaneous plumbing issues, etc. Teams interested in visiting must contact Sandra’s House to coordinate activities, determine the cost of materials and supplies, team size and appropriate time to visit. All teams are expected to participate in general evangelistic outreach in the local communities, villages or Sandra’s House.

Visiting teams generally donate $400 per individual which would cover modest expenses for a week and provide support for the Ministry.

The calendar dates, detailed time schedules and the villages/towns to be visited and the conference/seminar topics, locations and calendar schedules are available from Sandra's House Mayan Ministry.

If you have any questions or would like more information, email us or use our online request form.