By ASHLEY WILKING

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE- Thirteen members of the First United Methodist Church of LaPlace recently attended a mission trip to Mexico, under the leadership of Rev. Mark Bray and mission team leader, Sharon Black.

The expedition was the first mission trip the church has organized, and was available to the entire congregation age 13 and above.

Working with Volunteers In Mission (VIM) and the Mexico Methodist Church, Bray was able to organize the trip, while members spent months raising funds by holding bake sales and pancake breakfasts.

The trip was scheduled for July 19-22 and the group arrived in McClain, Tex. by plane on Friday morning, and drove across the border to their destination, in Reynosa, Mexico.

Beginning Saturday morning, members worked at a medical clinic and small private school located in the poverty-stricken, downtown Reynosa. Some worked inside by painting classrooms, while others worked outside digging trenches, and running wires for electricity. Within two days the group painted all rooms, ran electricity, and provided lighting and air condition for the facility.

&#8220Everyone is ready to go back to Mexico,” commented Bray. &#8220Seeing the conditions of the town was tough, but it made you realize how good we have it.”

With no drainage systems for roadways, most portions of the city’s road were not paved, creating large mud holes after a hard rain, and leaving most roads incapable of travel.

&#8220And to think we complain about small pot-holes on a paved road.” Bray noted.

With the first mission being complete, the church has already decided to continue work in the mission field, and plans to send a group again next year.

Though this was the church’s first mission trip outside the United States, they are very active in the community. A group of church members travels to New Orleans every month, to help in the rebuilding of the city, after its devastation from Hurricane Katrina.