Caring for Mexican seasonal farmworkers in Michigan

Girls reading The Lamb

Every year, over 49,000 seasonal farmworkers and their families make their way north from Mexico to Michigan’s fertile fields and orchards for the summer and fall harvest. Michigan Migrant Ministries (MMM) shows the love of Jesus Christ to these guests who visit their state. They give gifts, conduct bible classes in Spanish and English, do summer school programs and day camps for the children, and have regular get-togethers for fellowship.

The approach of MMM is similar to how the Israelites welcomed and cared for sojourner families among them. They taught them about the Lord from Scripture:

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself…“ Leviticus 19:34 ESV

And,

Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God…” Deuteronomy 31:12-13 ESV

As MMM staff gather the farmworkers and their children to care for them and teach them from Scripture, they have found GoodSeed tools such as The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus and The Lamb in both Spanish and English to be immensely helpful in teaching the gospel clearly.

Stephanie,* an MMM staff member, wrote recently to say, “So many times I have wanted to let [everyone at] GoodSeed know what tremendous ways God has used The Lamb… [There have been] many, many beautiful stories of children and adults coming to faith. A phrase I hear often is, ‘It makes sense.’”

She sent the above photo of three little girls reading and listening to The Lamb book and audio CD. Eight-year-old Jaquinda* (pictured) said to Stephanie, “Miss, when I have a girl, I’m going to name her after you, because you taught me about God.“

Stephanie said her heart melted at those words. Jaquinda had sat down with her friends to listen to the audio CD. She had waited 24 hours for Stephanie to bring a CD player so she could listen to the book and follow along. Now Jaquinda sat on her porch steps glued to the pages that were telling her about God.

Stephanie said, “What a priceless image etched in my memory!”

 

(*Names changed as per GoodSeed policy.)

Naomi
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