The purpose and vision of the Sierra Tarahumara Christian Center is to expand the Kingdom of God by supporting and collaborating with local churches and other Christian ministries. The focus is primarily, but not exclusively, on the Sierra Tarahumara region.
By expanding the Kingdom of God we mean that the will of God, as it is expressed in the Bible, will be done in this world. We believe that it is God's will for Him to reign in all areas of our lives, in our families, in business, education, media, government, etc.
The ways in which we desire to support and collaborate with the local churches and other ministries are among others:
- Offering a Discipleship Training School (DTS) - a six-month training program for Christians who are serious about getting a better understanding about God's character and His purpose for their lives.
- Offering seminars on various topics for youth groups, adult groups or married couples.
- Short-term mission trips with the purpose of evangelism, physical labor, mercy ministry and/or supporting a project of a local church or ministry that we serve.
- Providing facilities for Christian groups who need a location to hold their programs, retreats, etc.
- The staff is available to serve local churches and ministries by supporting their programs and projects.
- Developing new projects that help families and churches to establish the Kingdom of God in their communities.
In 1991, the YWAM base of El Paso/Juárez sent Henk and Edith Kaemingk to the Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, to live with a Tarahumara Indian family in the small indigenous community of San Luis Majimachi. This family had asked for someone to come to teach them the Bible.
After a few years some members of this community became Christians. During this time, YWAM became aware of the need in this region for a ministry location to support the small local churches and groups of believers.
As a result, in 1994 the construction began in Creel of what is now called the Sierra Tarahumara Christian Center. Creel was chosen for its good accessibility and its central location in the Sierra Tarahumara.
Currently, our permanent staff consists of three families and one single man:
Henk & Edith Kaemingk - Directors
José Luis & Susan Parra
Jose Luis and Susan Parra have served with Youth With A Mission in Creel since August 1998. They, along with their daughter, Jaynie, serve God among the Tarahumara people of the Copper Canyon area in northern Mexico. Their ministry is three-fold: discipleship of Tarahumara Christians, evangelism in Tarahumara communities, and translation of the Bible and other evangelistic material into Tarahumara. Their vision is to see the Kingdom of God established in the hearts, families, and communities of the Tarahumara people and to see God glorified by all who live in the Copper Canyon area.
Jimmy & Teresa Heisler
Jimmy and Teresa Heisler moved to Creel in June of 2006, along with their their sons Brennan (20) and Tim (16). They joined the staff of the YWAM Creel base in July of 2007 after completing their DTS. In addition to discipling a new generation of missionaries in Mexico, the Heislers also have a vision for fostering greater unity among the missionaries and churches in the Sierra Tarahumara so that the Kingdom of God can be more effectively advanced in this region. Brennan is currently serving with YWAM in Perth, Australia.
Dwayne Bevers
Dwayne Bevers is our newest full-time staff member. He moved to Creel in January of 2008 and completed the DTS here in June. Dwayne's vision is to work with the Tarahumara people in the area of agriculture. He is using the fields and greenhouse at the Creel base to experiment with crops that could benefit the Tarahumaras. He has also been involved in projects to bring water to villages without systems for running water.
The Sierra Tarahumara Christian Center is located just outside of the city of Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico.
