Missionaries from Guatemala spent three days last week bonding with the Hispanic community in North Augusta.
The group of eight came from Iglesia Biblica El Camino in San Cristobal, Guatemala.
The visit is part of a reverse missions project with TrueNorth Church. TrueNorth sends mission teams to Guatemala, and in return the Guatemalans will send teams to the U.S.
Last week was the first time the Guatemalan church sent a team to do field work in North Augusta.
TrueNorth volunteers and the Guatemalans visited Gentry's Mobile Home Park in the mornings and the migrant camps at the peach farms in Edgefield at night.
Mike Fiedler, missions pastor at TrueNorth, said God gave the church bread crumbs to follow that led them to the Hispanic community.
"We're following them and just trying to be obedient," he said.
Most of the pre-elementary age children and parents in the Hispanic community do not speak English. Fiedler said he hopes the Guatemalans visit will help them to build a relationship in the community.
"The target is the children," said Nina Fiedler. "We've learned that if we can reach the kids then we can reach the parents."
She said if children are enjoying themselves parents are more likely to get involved.
TrueNorth plans to begin a Hispanic service by next summer. Fiedler said he would also like to adopt the Gentry's area as the church has done with Ridgeview Manor, providing different activities to the community each month.
"We're here to give people a hand up, not a hand out," he said. "We're just here to love on people."
Guatemalan mission leader Gloria Melgar said she was glad to have the opportunity to make a difference in North Augusta.
"We are here to serve, to help," she said. "If we can help we do it."
Melgar said her team wanted to show their appreciation for TrueNorth's help in their country by serving with them in the U.S. She thinks that initially reaching out to the Hispanic community in their native tongue will help TrueNorth.
"We just clicked immediately," she said. "They identify with us."
The three-day vacation Bible school for children began June 16 and Melgar said children were eager to come back.
Jocelyn Cervantes, 5, joined the activities and said, through Melgar, that she enjoyed making a necklace and other crafts.
She said normally she just does chores and watches TV, and that she'd miss the missionaries.
"I'm going to miss the food and the toys," Jocelyn said.
Reach Crystal Garcia crystal.garcia@northaugustatoday.com.
