Mexico Mission

Mexico Mission is aimed at addressing the needs of the fishing community located in Matamoros, Mexico (a city in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas).

 

Vision:

The overall objectives of the mission work include:

  • Spiritual development through VBS and worship
  • Educational support
  • Medical assistance
  • Economic & infrastructure development
  • Housing
  • Food assistance

Origin:

Mexico Mission was established in 2003 under the leaderships of Rt. Rev. Dr. Euyakim Mar Coorilos with the aim to work among the fishermen community in Tamaulipas, which is a group of islands about sixty miles off the eastern coast of Mexico. Houses were built to replace the temporary shacks that they inhabited. When these homes were destroyed by Hurricane Emily in 2005, a plot of land was purchased further inland in Matamoros. It was here that a housing development named as ‘Colonia Mar Thoma’ (which means Mar Thoma Community in Spanish) was inaugurated in May 2008 as a part of Mar Chrysostom Valiya Metropolitan’s Navathy celebrations.

Mission Activities:

  • Worship Services: Holy Communion services using the Mar Thoma liturgy in Spanish are conducted once a month at the Colonia Mar Thoma Chapel.
  • Manna Program: This program focuses on the regular distribution of food and hygiene essentials to the families residing at Colonia Mar Thoma. The regular distributions ensure that families are getting balanced and nutritious food with well-balanced diets.
  • Education Program: A school for lower-level elementary education functions at the Colonia Mar Thoma compound in conjunction with the local government. Tuition expenses for students attending higher level elementary, middle school, and high school, are also covered by the Mission.
  • Annual Convention: An annual convention is organized for the spiritual enrichment.of the residents. The convention includes time for singing praise & worship songs, prayer, and uplifting messages. 
  • Mexico Mission VBS: Mexico Mission Vacation Bible School are conducted every summer based on a theme. Volunteers from across the Diocese travel to Mexico to lead the VBS. Over seventy local children and adults attends the three-day event. VBS is an occasion to learn scripture, to interact and engage in recreation, and to also experience fellowship. In addition to the VBS activities, the volunteers conduct praise & worship sessions in Spanish, take classes for adults, and provide help to beautify the village. Common lunch and recreation activities provide occasions for the volunteers to interact with the local community.
  • Medical Camps: Medical camps are arranged periodically to provide medical care. People from the community as well as from outside make use of the facility.
  • Christmas Celebration: The meaning of the incarnation is communicated to the community though Christmas celebrations. Organizations and well-wishers from the parishes wholeheartedly participate in giving Christmas gifts to the children in the mission field.

Outcome:

Through the education program, several youngsters from Colonia Mar Thoma have completed their college education in the fields of medicine, engineering, nursing, and information technology. These individuals are securing jobs in the local communities and offer their voluntary services to the community there.

Need:

Continued prayers and support are needed as various efforts are in progress to enhance the effectiveness of the mission. Ongoing needs include the appointment of a full-time missionary with working knowledge in Spanish, improving transportation, repairs to housing units, etc…

 

Mexico Mission Subcommittee:

Mrs. Libby Skariah (Convener)

Rev. Sonu S. Varghese (Missionary)

Mr. P. T. Abraham (Mission Coordinator)

Mr. John Thomas

Mr. Sabu T. Cheriyan

Ms. Jewel Zachariah

Mr. Jeff Thomas

Mrs. Valsamma Mathew

Mexico Mission was first established in 2003. The mission field began catering to the needs of a community living about sixty miles away from the city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, on a small group of islands off the eastern coast of Mexico. The first effort was to build houses for the fisher families in the Puntilla Norte and Fantasia islands to replace the temporary shacks that the community inhabited. House keys were handed to the residents in a public ceremony in 2004. In July 2005, Hurricane Emily, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in the Yucatan peninsula and devastated the Puntilla Norte and Fantasia islands, thus destroying many of the houses that the Mar Thoma Church had built. Eventually, the Diocese purchased two parcels of land further inland. A housing project was completed on the first parcel as part of the Valiya Metropolitan’s Navathy celebrations and was inaugurated in May 2008. This housing development was named Colonia Mar Thoma meaning Mar Thoma Community.

In 2010, Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius constituted several subcommittees to study and develop long term plans for enhancing the Diocese’s mission work at Colonia Mar Thoma. Focus areas for the mission work included: infrastructure & housing, education, food assistance, spiritual development, medical assistance, and economic development. In 2016, the Diocesan Episcopa, Rt. Rev. Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos visited the mission field and began to put plans in place for its continued growth and development.

By the grace of God, the mission field continues to grow and thrive. The following is the report of the ongoing and yearly initiatives of Mexico Mission.

The Mexico Mission Subcommittee consisted of Mrs. Libby Skariah (Convener), Rev. Sonu Varghese (Missionary), Mr. P. T. Abraham, Mr. John Thomas, Mr. Sabu T. Cheriyan, Ms. Jewel Zachariah, Mr. Jeff Thomas, Mrs. Valsamma Mathew.

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