Devon Kehler was born and raised in Carman, Manitoba and has been helping his dad on the farm since he was a child. Missions has been a part of his life since his teenage years, especially in the heart of some of the poorest communities in Sonora, Mexico.

Now, in his early 30’s, Devon and his wife, Marisol, have been helping these families in the heart of the city of Guaymas, located 260 miles south of the US border, (327 miles/526 km south of Tuscan, Arizona) through their mission “Belen Casa de Pan” which means “Bethlehem House of Bread” in Spanish.

Kehler says his mother-in-law saw the extreme malnutrition in the inner city schools whereby children had to steal food just to eat. In some cases, children were forced to steal for their families or they would be beaten if they came home empty-handed.

A plan was put in place between the Kehlers and Marisol’s family, and the teachers of the school to help these children, and their families. This has inspired the building and development of a feeding and counselling program that has been in the works for the past 3 ½ years, in the city of Guaymas. Marisol is a certified counselor and holds a Masters of Education.



What began as a feeding program has developed into much more than just serving food to hungry kids. The families they reach out to are living in extremely difficult, and often violent, situations. Sadly, many of these children’s parents are into crime and drugs, have abandoned their families or are incarcerated.



Dedicated volunteers lead both children and women in various programs including children and youth outreach programs. They providing counselling, religious instruction, as well as teaching English as a second language throughout the week to children and women. Numbers reach up to 100 children on Saturdays, which includes hands-on crafts as well as providing meals, as the mission turns into a type of community centre.

The building project continues as they are raising funds to complete 4 classrooms, for teaching English and religious instruction. Air conditioning is more than just a luxury as temperatures climb upwards of plus 40 C in summer months. Devon explains how the project has progressed.



There are 9 volunteers on staff full time, including Marisol’s parents. However, Devon says they see a significant amount of support from Manitoba through various means, financially, physically and most importantly spiritually through much prayer from different churches and organizations.

He adds that church teams and youth groups from across Canada and the U.S. volunteer for weeks at a time to help with the children, and to work on the construction of the building directly. Building in these parts of Mexico is done

Devon and Marisol Kehler in front of their parent's wheat field in Carman, MB mid-July 2016 with a shovel and a wheelbarrow, under a Mexican sun! Not easy for the faint of heart. Devon says all support is valuable and very much appreciated. But God, he says, is definitely in charge of this project.



Future goals include finishing the 4 classrooms that have been started in early spring. Plans always include reaching out to various groups, such as the boys who could benefit from a shops program, or auto repair.



The Kehlers extend the Welcome mat to anyone who would like to come and enjoy some Mexican sunshine, winter being the most favourite (often times during Christmas break), to help out with the children’s program, deliver hampers and pick up a pick-ax or paint brush and help with the actual building project.



Devon and Marisol and the team at “Belen Case de Pan” thank everyone who has contributed in the many different ways to build this mission from a feeding program that reaches out to children, to a present-day mission that reaches out and provides services to an entire community. “Thank you to everyone who help us financially, physically and spiritually. I know there are lots of people praying for us, which is the most powerful weapon of all.”

“Everybody does their part in the body of Christ,” says Devon. “Not everybody is a hand, or an ear, or a mouth. We each do our small part in the big picture of what God has for this world; the great commission.”

For more information on how you can help, or to set up volunteer mission teams to Mexico, contact Devon and Marisol Kehler at devonkehler@hotmail.com.

To see pictures of the mission and the building project, visit their facebook page at: Belen Casa de Pan

To make a tax-deductible donation, contact The Great Commission Foundation by calling 1-855-488-7020 in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

 

Children at the Feeding Mission Belen Casa de Pan