Greetings!
As I reflect on 2017, I’m amazed at what God has done through Eternal Anchor. Our team of staff and volunteers has worked tirelessly to spread hope and love to our rural Mexican community. I’m proud to say that relationship-building remains the foundation of our ministry. This year, like previous years, we’ve decided to walk alongside families as they raise their children with special needs. All of us at Eternal Anchor are quick to acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers. We admit that we don’t have the power to fix every problem. But in choosing to share the burdens of the families we work with, we make strong bonds with the people we serve. As a result, we are daily affirming the authenticity of our faith.
One of the primary manifestations of the Christian faith is Jesus’ followers pouring themselves out on behalf of the hungry and oppressed. And that is precisely what we aim to do every day. God has brought dozens of children and adults to our programs who are hungry to learn and to share with the world that they have value and purpose. As we work with them and their families, we are showing our community that as representatives of Jesus, we take seriously our mandate to love others as we love ourselves. And in doing that, we demonstrate the authenticity of the Gospel.
When Eternal Anchor started three years ago, I never imagined how fast it would grow and how big an impact it would have in this region. But when I think about it, it makes sense. We work with a population so desperate for hope and support. The need has been here for a long time. I think God was just waiting for a group of people to say, “Yes! I will love these people with my actions!” That’s really what this is all about.
In this new year, I’m hopeful that God will bring the resources for us to grow and expand. This hope doesn’t stem from a desire to be relevant or admired. To quote Henri Nouwen, “The first thing that struck me when I came to live in a house with mentally handicapped people was that their liking or disliking of me had absolutely nothing to do with any of the many useful things I had done until then.” Like Nouwen, I’ve quickly learned that relevance isn’t important. My hope to grow and expand comes from a desire to make God even more known in Mexico. It comes from a desire for the world to see how talented and valuable people with special needs are.
Today, you can make the decision to join in this work. If you decide to get involved, it will be a sacrifice. If you decide to pray or come to visit us, you will sacrifice your time. If you decide to support us, you will sacrifice your money. But I can tell you from experience that it’s totally worth it. So please take a minute and think about how you can join us and love with actions.
Sincerely,
Austin Robinson
