A 25-member mission team from Brooks United Methodist Church recently returned from a 10-day mission trip to Mexico, the third trip the team has made so far.The group left on June 30 for Monterrey, Mexico (a 26-hour bus ride, one way) to help build a church in an area where there previously was no worship center.

Each year the team has worked with nine other churches from the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church to build worship centers in areas of Mexico that have no such facilities. The buildings are built from the ground up in 110 days.

After the lengthy bus ride and a four-hour negotiation with the Mexican border patrol, the team was allowed to cross the border and begin its work.

The church building work was done in short order, but that was not the only purpose of the trip. The Rev. Lesley Langford, associate pastor for Brooks UMC, along with the mission team, prepared and led a Vacation Bible School each afternoon for the children of the community.

The Brooks team had been told to prepare for 50-65 children each afternoon. However, more than 100 children came daily to enjoy songs, puppet shows, games, crafts and even a clown show. Afterwards they were given cookies and juice before they went home.

The mission team returned to Brooks on July 8, physically tired, but in high spirits. Missionaries included Bo and Marleigh Cummings, Wallace Green, Tommy Hawkins, Lesley and Niel Langford, Alan, Patrick and Rachel McLaughlin, Grace and Amanda Pearch, Greg and Jouree Peterson, David and Zane Piper, Shannon Roche, Candice and Marion Smith, David and Jenny Spradlin, Patricia and Wayne Sutton, Lee Wagner, and Ciara and Kathy Warden.