Mexico

Mexico is a rich mix of cultures. Many sponsored children have descended from the Mayans, Aztecs, or other Native Americans. Others are mestizo, with mixed Spanish and Native ancestry. Most Mexicans speak Spanish, the country’s official language. Mexicans honor their past, their brave heroes, and the land of their ancestors.

More than likely, your sponsored child’s family maintains a strong tie to their community and lives in close proximity to aunts, uncles, and cousins. In Mexican culture, the family is a valuable commodity. The elderly are greatly respected and older relatives are cared for by their children and grandchildren.

In poorer communities, people commonly marry at a very young age and have many children. Parents view a large family as more hands for working. Children generally do not leave home until they marry, and with current economic struggles, it has become more common for married sons and daughters to move their families into their parents’ homes.

Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world. Twenty-two million people live in and around the urban center. On the surface, it offers luxury commercial, financial, and industrial facilities. But behind this, much of the population lives in poverty.

Most of Mexico consists of a vast plateau extending south from the North American plains. There are sponsored children in all three of the country’s main regions: the arid north, where cattle raising is predominant; the temperate central zone, which is good for farming; and the tropical south.

Rural inhabitants take pride in being hard workers, rising early each day to farm, raise cattle, fish, or do whatever they must in order to survive. Most farmers, though poor, own land and grow crops for their own consumption and to sell at the market.

Because farmers make very little selling what crops they have left after providing for their families, many leave their villages after the harvest to earn income elsewhere. Your support will help your child’s community develop new economic opportunities so that fathers can remain with their families.

Education remains a challenge for both rural and urban families. Mexico’s government provides free education, but does not provide school supplies. Thus, many children would be unable to finish elementary school without the assistance of their sponsors.

• Pray that your sponsored child might be open to hearing and receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ and responding to God’s love and grace.
• Ask God to guide your sponsored child as he or she learns, grows, and moves toward a future full of hope and possibilities.
• Pray for God to protect the health of your sponsored child and his or her family.