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Who We Are
Puentes de Cristo has been serving the region around Reynosa, Mexico since 1981. Reynosa is located in the Rio Grande River Valley, about 45 miles east of its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Grande Valley is marked by fertile soil, spare natural beauty, and a rich wildlife population. But in recent years explosive economic and population growth have changed the character of this region.
Unfortunately, the population growth has outpaced the city’s ability to develop its infrastructure and there is growing economic uncertainty as manufacturers face changing US trade regulations and increased competition from overseas.
Puentes de Cristo seeks to bring the message of God’s hope, love, and peace to this environment where uncertainty and powerlessness are all too prevalent. A powerful way we do this is to bring people from Mexico and the US together in service and praise to their God – not to be served, but to serve God together.
To help Puentes de Cristo better serve in this community, our ministry is directed by coordinators from both the US and Mexico and our ministry receives support and oversight from Mission Presbytery in Texas and Tamaulipas Presbytery in Mexico. We work to ensure that our ministry makes good use of the gifts and talents that both Mexicans and Americans can bring to our ministry by involving our Mexican partners in the planning of our mission teams’ experiences.

What We Do
At Puentes de Cristo, we seek to bring mission teams from the US and church leaders from Mexico together to serve our God. We work with leaders from the visiting and host churches to plan a week of experiences that bring both churches closer to God and to each other. The itineraries for our mission teams vary according to the teams’ priorities and the needs of the Mexican communities, but we try to incorporate the following elements into our mission experiences:
Service to God and to one another
* Construction and renovation
* Disaster relief
* Vacation Bible school
Christian fellowship and education
* Joining in worship
* Bible study and devotion
* Sharing meals together
Education and Enrichment
* Dicussions with Border Patrol Officers
* Talks with workers' rights advocates
* Visits to Rio Grande Valley cultural sites
* Firsthand experience of life along the border
As a staff, we work hard to make sure that the churches share a fruitful visit. Groups working in or near Reynosa are invited to stay in our dormitory, which has men’s and women’s dorms, a kitchen, and use of the courtyard for worship and devotion.
Historically, we have focused our work in Reyonsa and nearby towns, but we are now expanding our ministry to the entire Presbytery of Tamaulipas, which includes most of northeastern Mexico. We invite US churches to consider the opportunities God has in store for you in these communities.

How You Can Help
We depend on the support of congregations and individuals to make our ministry possible. Because of the hard work and generosity of many people we have been able to help hundreds of mission teams join in service to God and our Mexican brothers and sisters. If you feel called to support our ministry, here are some of the ways you can help:
Join us: E xperience the joy of working with brothers and sisters in Mexico to meet the needs that their church and community faces. We gladly welcome participants of all ages throughout the year. Contact our office if you would like more information on serving in Mexico through Puentes de Cristo.
Donate : Our work planning mission teams does not come without costs. Since our participants are already giving of their time to come visit, and of their money to fund their work in Mexico, we only pass on about 10% of our administrative costs to our groups. Your donation helps make these trips a possibility for many participants, especially youth.
Prayer : In prayer, we not only ask for God’s help, but are able to feel a greater connection to those that we pray with and those that we pray for. We hope that you will remember Puentes de Cristo and the people we serve with in your prayers. If you would be interested in a weekly update of prayer requests from Puentes De Cristo, please contact our office.

Contact Us:
We would be glad to speak with you about opportunities to work with us in mission, ways you can support our ministry, or just to tell you more about our ministry’s work. If you would like us to be in touch, please give us a cal, or send us an email!

Puentes Office:
PO Box 1499
Hidalgo, TX 78557
Telephone: 956.843.7277
Fax: 956.843.7279

Bill Richter, US Coordinator
Email: puentes.usc@gmail.com

Raúl Bárcenas, México Coordinator
Cell: 011-52-899-871-0891
Email: raul_barcenas47@hotmail.com

Julie Gonzalez, Secretary
Email: puentesdecristo@gmail.com

ECO#867507