2012 was another difficult year for CUPS as ongoing drug cartel activity reduced the number of volunteers coming to Mexico, diminishing our ability to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to our neighbors through health and education projects. Even in the midst of these trying times, CUPS still managed to complete some much needed work this year with small teams venturing into Mexico and the Valley to work alongside community volunteers to improve their quality of life.

In the past, much of the project work in Mexico was done by missionary volunteers from churches in the United States. This year however the bulk of the work in Mexico was done by local resident volunteers with help from small groups of mission team volunteers. Our second year of Valley oriented mission projects has again demonstrated that it is possible to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to our valley neighbors in U.S. colonias as well. 

As circumstances force CUPS to curtail U.S. workgroup activity, former volunteers are left wondering how they can still help. CUPS has responded by increasing its efforts to solicit donations of health and educational supplies for distribution where they are most needed in Mexico or Valley colonias.

CUPS sees this shift in our ministry model continuing into the near future and so we are embracing this new model in the coming year. Today, CUPS is leveraging its resources by networking with other border area ministries such as PET International, Proyecto Azteca, Project Arise and Fundacion Miguel Morales. In order to continue to support this model shift, it has been decided that project work next year will need to be self funded by the organizations wanting to participate on a mission trip. Previously a fixed workgroup fee had been offered to mission teams wanting to participate on a project but this fee only covered a portion of the actual costs of a project. The remaining costs of a project were subsidized from general donations from individuals and organizations which have trailed off dramatically.

CUPS will work with any interested mission teams to define a project and its costs. While we still passionately desire to facilitate these trips to Mexico or the Valley, CUPS is no longer in a position to partially fund these trips. In addition, CUPS will continue to expand its role in facilitating the collection, delivery and distribution of school supplies and medical equipment to those in need both in Mexico and the Valley colonias.

Please continue to pray and support CUPS has we strive to be good stewards of our resources and look ahead to what God has in store for this ministry.