Last week I had the privilege of visiting Eternal Anchor, LifeWay’s missions partner in Baja California, Mexico. In many ways, it was probably a pretty typical missions trip—a high-poverty area, a mix of manual labor and time with kids, sleeping on bunk beds…but let me assure you, this was not a typical place.
Here are several things I learned visiting Eternal Anchor:
Eternal Anchor is a life-saving ministry.
While many people with disabilities sadly still suffer discrimination and difficulties in the United States, children in this rural area of Mexico are at great risk for a number of factors. First, public schools in the area will not (and are not required to) take students with disabilities. Secondly, many parents in this area have come from other states in order to work the fields of large food producers (Driscoll’s and BerryMex are a couple that I saw). If these parents don’t work, they don’t get paid and can’t buy food or medicines that they need, so they are often forced to leave children with disabilities locked in their rooms or even tied to their beds for their own safety during the workday. Many parents admit that they simply cannot care for their children, so they give them to the state to care for. However, state homes are over-capacity and understaffed, leading to rampant abuse and neglect. Eternal Anchor not only houses children in residential, family-style housing, but they also work with families to overcome barriers so that children can be cared for in their own homes. Many of these children simply would not have survived without the intervention and care that they (and their families) receive through Eternal Anchor. In one conversation I had with Austin, the director of Eternal Anchor, he said that he is simply motivated by the people that no one else fights for.
Eternal Anchor is full of joy and hope.
I will be honest, I kind of expected a school and home for disabled kids to be a pretty sad place—especially in the middle of a materially-poor community. After all, many of these kids have endured significant trauma and daily struggle. Many of them will never speak or walk or do the things that “normal” children do.
I could not have been more wrong. From the first moment walking onto the Eternal Anchor campus, I sensed the joy and hope that pervades everything they do. Teachers and staff greet kids with smiles and hugs constantly throughout the day. Each child is treated with dignity and every small accomplishment is celebrated. For some kids, that small accomplishment might be rolling over or sitting up; for others it might be writing a letter or helping with snack. The frequent affirmation and constant presence of music reminds you that this is not a sad place, but a place for each child to become all that God planned for them to be. Eternal Anchor lives every day in the truth that every person is valuable and loved because they are created in God’s image.
Eternal Anchor is a great experience for young people.
I had the privilege of bringing my two kids with me on my visit to Eternal Anchor. Sam is 13 and Maggie is 11—pretty young for an international missions trip. But, I am so glad that they had the opportunity to experience Eternal Anchor. Yes, the trip was long—a 2 ½-hour flight, 5-hour delay waiting for another team member’s delayed flight, and then a 5-6 hour drive across the border and down the Baja peninsula. Yes, the food was at times unusual (eggs and refried beans for breakfast, molé sauce and salsa that was a little spicy). But, there ended up being just the right amount of fun and struggle.
Each morning was a chance to work with the kids in various classes. My kids learned quickly how to interact with kids with disabilities, simply by watching the fantastic teachers and staff. In the afternoon, we did various projects—sometimes joining the adult program in Zumba, sometimes helping move furniture to Eternal Anchor’s new location, and sometimes going out to the horse therapy ranch for some manual labor. My kids got to experience dinner at the home of one of the students, but also one afternoon at a local beach.
While each family would need to assess their kids’ maturity (Eternal Anchor allows kids as young as 8 to come), with some training and preparation, this is a fantastic trip for youth and families.
Eternal Anchor has ways to serve even from your current home.
I would encourage anyone who can to go on a trip to Eternal Anchor. However, I realize not everyone can make the trip. The good news is that there are ways to help from right where you are! In addition to the constant need for regular donors, Eternal Anchor is in need of some data entry and basic accounting that could be done from home in about 8 hours a month. They also need some graphic design work for their new business venture. Finally, they need some people to come help install kitchens in their new residential houses in September (okay, that one can’t be done from home, but it is still a great opportunity!!). I promise you, once you visit and see the incredible work being done in the name of Jesus, you will want to help in any way that you can!
We have incredible partners doing incredible work at Eternal Anchor. Of course, a few words here can’t do justice to a week of observing, experiencing, learning, and loving. You’ll just have to experience it for yourself!
If you’d like to experience Eternal Anchor, contact missions pastor Heather Althoff.
Learn more about Eternal Anchor