If perhaps you have contemplated taking some folks from your church on an international mission trip, but have been prevented due to distance and cost, I have a suggestion for you. Georgia Baptists have a mission partnership at an international location that can be reached in two hours and fifty minutes on a non-stop flight from Atlanta. It is a safe location and the needs there are very significant.

The location? Cancun, Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. A well-known tourist destination, Cancun consists of many beautiful locations, comfortable and secure hotels, and good restaurants, but most important, once you leave the hotel zone, you enter an area of great need like so many third world countries.

I have just returned from teaching my book, “Healthy Kingdom Churches,” to the pastors and church leaders at our Cancun Bible institute. We had good attendance in every session and there was an apparent hunger for knowledge and experience that was refreshing. Also teaching that week were Lee Gambrell from Summit Baptist Church in Marietta and John Tarrer, consultant with the Convention in Volunteer Missions.

The participants could not have been more responsive.

The purpose of the Institute initiated by Georgia Baptists is to train church leaders and church planters and encourage the multiplication of the church in Mexico. We need Georgia Baptist pastors and other leaders who can teach courses of study at the Institute. Others are needed to work among the churches in evangelism and discipleship as well as church planting.

Also present in the area while I was there teaching were a mission team from North Metro First Baptist in Lawrenceville and North Georgia College and State University campus minister, Ken Jones, and 41 of his students. All of these good Georgia Baptists were working with churches in the area to bless and strengthen their work.

A lot has been reported about the violence taking place primarily in locations along the US/Mexican border. There was no evidence of any such problems in the Yucatan or specifically in Cancun. I never felt threatened or unsafe in any way.

We have two employees who live in Cancun and whose responsibility is to serve the needs of Georgia Baptist mission volunteers. They are doing an outstanding job and add greatly to the security of any Georgia Baptists in the region.

Should you feel led to become involved in volunteer mission service in this area of Georgia Baptist ministry, I encourage you to get in touch with our Mission Volunteers Ministry at the Convention. They will be more than happy to assist you. In any case, please remember to pray for Baptist work in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.