Although their mission trip to Mexico was cancelled due to a travel advisory, the John Paul II Collegiate missions team is refusing to give up on their goal of making the world a better place.
As the Light of Christ Catholic School Division has stewardship as its goal for the year, the idea of a mission team at JPII took flight.
A local pastor, Deb McNabb, offered her assistance as she had experience with mission trips, having been to Africa. McNabb contacted a friend she had known for many years, Amber Machado, who is operating a ministry in Mexico.
Amber, originally from Edmonton, Alta., met and fell in love with Saul Machado in Mexico, when she was volunteering at the same orphanage he worked in.
After living together in Canada for a few years, serving as the department head of Children's Ministry at North Edmonton Christian Fellowship, the Machados felt the call to return to Mexico, where they established Higher Grace Ministries.
Amber also supervises the nursery school at the orphanage.
The Machados were in Canada last summer, as Amber was pregnant with her second child and nearing her due date. It was during this time McNabb met with the family concerning a possible JPII mission trip.
The Machados were aware of a worthy cause. One of the women whose children attend the nursery school had shared her story of tragedy and triumph with the Machados. Coming from a state further south, Altagracia was forced to marry a man in his 40s at the tender age of 12. By the time she was 13, she had borne him his first child. After withstanding five years of abuse from her husband, Altagracia summoned her courage and fled with her two children.
Altagracia now rents a small shack, barely the size of a bedroom, with a broken window and a leaking roof. Since escaping her husband, Altagracia has had two more children. The family of five shares two dirty mattresses propped up on buckets. As the father of her youngest is a drug addict, he doesn't come around too often, and Altagracia works in the fields six days per week to support her family.
It was decided the John Paul II Missions Trip would consist of travelling to Mexico to build a new home for Altagracia and her family.
After receiving 42 applications from students in Grades 8 to 12, 12 were selected to take part in the trip. Grade 9 students Chantal Bossaer and Madison Bugler are two of the students selected.
"I was so excited, I actually ended up screaming," said Madison of being selected to take part in the trip.
Madison said she hopes to grow spiritually by taking part in the mission.
"For me, volunteering is a big part of what I do," she said, adding she volunteers at Fort Battleford and Living Faith Chapel.
Chantal, who volunteers at St. Joseph's Catholic Church and at the animal shelter, said, "I thought I could really help with the goal and grow so much from the experience."
Local contractor Cory Riglin, owner of Eave-Pro, offered to lead the building team. His daughter, Courtney Luckey, is also part of the mission team.
The students started fundraising, and Riglin contacted several business associates, who donated tools. Home Hardware offered tools and supplies at cost for the mission.
But trouble at the Mexico-U.S. border caused the trip to be cancelled.
Although it was a disappointment, the mission team was still committed to their cause. With the money they raised, they purchased a truck, and filled it with tools and supplies, which Saul will drive down to Mexico. The students also presented Saul with a cheque for $7,000, which will be used to build Altagracia's new home.
"I'm not too disappointed, because we still get to help and support the family," said Chantal.
The mission team has now set their sights a little closer to home.
The 12 students, along with five adult team leaders, will leave for Cochrane April 23. While in Cochrane, the team will stay at the King's Fold Retreat and Renewal Centre, where they will have the opportunity to walk a prayer walk through the stations of the Cross, allowing them to reflect on and renew their faith.
April 25, the team will head to Calgary, where they will volunteer at the Mustard Seed, an organization offering programs and services to homeless people. While there, they will spend a day in the life of a homeless person, a program created by the Mustard Seed to educate youth on homelessness, poverty and social justice.
The team will then visit the Seed Mountain Aire Lodge, a resort that provides employment and housing for homeless people working to improve themselves.
The last stop on the mission trip will be the Mustard Seed facility in Edmonton, where they will spend the next three days volunteering, before returning home.
