As a psychology major from Stockton University, Morgan Barnett, saw no better opportunity than to help at a school in a heavily impoverished area of Mexico.
“These kids all needed some sort of psychological treatment with everything they had already been through at such a young age,” Barnett said.
The former Seneca High School graduate was surprised by how open the children acted around her, being she was a total stranger.
She noticed one of the students crying one day while the class was trying to tell Barnett stories, so she quickly brought a translator over to see what the problem was. The young girl had recently lost her mother right before Christmas and was crying because Barnett reminded her so much of her mom.
“I hugged her so closely, I never wanted to put her down again,” Barnett said.
She was given the opportunity to connect with these children and hear about their experiences through a mission trip arranged by her local church, Medford United Methodist. Morgan was one of six young adults who accompanied Pastor Kathleen Stolz to Rio Bravo, Mexico, a town located in the state of Tamaulipas, about 15 minutes over the Texas border.
Stolz joined Medford United Methodist Church as associate pastor in 2013. Before coming to South Jersey, she enjoyed a long and varied career as a Christian ambassador. But in all the places she has lived and people she has served, it is children and youth who most touch her heart.
“It is young adults who can and will make a difference in this world,” Stolz said. “The connections they make so easily with others allow us as leaders to admire the ability as we work alongside them to forge new relationships.”
“We live in a time when people, especially young people, want to know how the church can make a difference, and Kathleen is great at translating the teachings of the gospel into tangible action. I’m so happy to be in ministry along with her,” Senior Pastor Joe Monahan said.
For years, the Medford United Methodist Church had been putting together trips for older adults and younger kids, but there was not much opportunity for young adults.
Barnett put her head together with Stoltz to brainstorm some ideas and was looking at possibly going to North Carolina or Haiti before getting in contact with Associate Pastor Tom Lank of the Haddonfield United Methodist Church.
Lank had been making the trip to Rio Bravo, Mexico, with members of his church for years and was looking to fill spots for this year’s trip.
“We hopped on board really quickly,” Barnett said. “Just the idea of going to a different country was really appealing. I love to travel and appreciated the authentic experience of going through the border that the mission trip offered.”
The MUMC group was responsible for its transportation to Lake Whitney Airport in Texas, and the Manos Juntas Volunteers in Mission Group would take the reins from there.
Rio Bravo is home to Manos Juntas VIM Mexico, A.C., a ministry of the Methodist Church of Mexico.
Manos Juntas wanted to have a team from America come work with the residents of Rio Bravo to open the eyes of the community by witnessing a group that wasn’t family or friends but was still willing to help.
“We wanted to culturally empower the local community in Rio Bravo,” Barnett said.
The students who went on the trip were responsible for having to contribute half the cost of the trip themselves, and the rest was provided by contributions from the congregation.
Barnett said it was worth every penny because of the unforgettable experiences she was able to have with the children.
She was amazed at how much they did with so few resources. It’s common in America to have multiple schools in one town for kindergarten through fourth grade; in Rio Bravo they have three classrooms for kindergarten through seventh grade.
“One day we thought it would be a good idea to bring the students some beach balls and parachutes to show them what we typically do in gym class in America,” Barnett said.
The kids were ecstatic when they were introduced to these new fun games.
“I’ve never seen someone so happy in my life to play with something so cheap,” Barnett. “The kids were dying for our attention.”
Barnett noted the fun-filled day ended with many hugs and smiles on everyone’s faces.
“This lends a dignity and importance to the work when the locals see us take pride and joy in it with them,” Stolz said. “Hopefully, the pride we feel works to bring them confidence, too.”
Though the group went in as total strangers, it was clear by the end of the trip it had made connections with these people and left a lasting mark that had Rio Bravo wishing MUMC would come back.
When asked if she would return to the area, Stolz readily replied with a smile, ”We’re already planning the next trip!”
If you would like to get involved in outreach work with Medford United Methodist Church, please contact Stolz at Kathleen@medfordumc.org or stop by the church anytime at 2 Hartford Road in Medford.
