Focus on the Family Magazine - June/July 2020

FAITH & INSPIRATION / MISSIONS
Bonds that span
generations
Most people zip past Boquillas, a town
of 500 homes in Guanajuato, Mexico,
without a second glance. But the
Stephens family isn’t like most folks.
Boquillas has become a second home
to the family, who have visited annually
for two decades.
It all started in 1998 when a former
resident of Boquillas asked the
Sunday-school class that Mark and
Beth Stephens attended to donate
Bibles. One thing led to another, and
before they knew it, Mark and Beth
and their three children were in
a “crummy red bus ” on their way to
help build bathrooms for the church
in Boquillas and lead vacation Bible
school (VBS). Mark says he went with
“half a heart” for the task. Before the
week’s end, he loved the townspeople
with his “whole heart” and knew his
family had to return the next year.
Since then, Mark, his wife, Beth, and
their children have been on several
teams that assist pastors in Boquillas.
From fixing sewer lines to building
a playground, the Stephenses
have contributed to the town’s physical
maintenance; however, they see
their greatest accomplishment as
having built relationships that span
two generations.
The Stephens girls—Katie and
Wendy—were 6 and 8 when they
first visited Boquillas. Wendy says
kids that age “can make friends with
anyone,” and the language barrier
wasn’t a factor. When the Stephens
girls went back the next year, they
instantly renewed those friendships.
As teens, the girls bonded with local
youth doing goal-oriented activities,
such as a mock “Amazing Race.”
Scotty, who has Down syndrome,
was just 4 years old on the first
trip. His joyful presence has helped
change the locals’ cultural preconceptions
about children with special
needs. Katie remembers when Scotty
was 10 and was able to show off his
ability with competitive cup stacking
during game time at VBS. “The other
kids were cheering for him,” she
recalls. “It was really special.”
Jonathan, their fourth child, was
18 months old during his first trip
in 2000. Over the years, his role has
been to participate in sports camps
with the village boys. During one
of his last visits, he shared his testimony
in Spanish with one of the
local teens. When asked why he’s
willing to give up his spring break
every year to serve in Boquillas, he
admits that real vacations are nice,
but he finds ministry refreshing. “I
get renewed in the Gospel in a way I
don’t always see it at home,” he says.
Mark and Beth have become spiritual
leaders in Boquillas. They’ve
taught marriage, theology and discipleship
classes. Beth finds that
visiting annually builds stronger relationships.
Students she taught in
VBS now have children attending the
event. Mark and Beth have also established
themselves as spiritual leaders
(TOP) STOCKSY.COM / BRUCE AND REBECCA MEISSNER; STOCKSY.COM / ALI HARPER
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FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
June / July 2020