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Mexico STORY

Oasis on the Road

In Apaxco, Mexico, a Methodist congregation of just twelve families opened its church to migrants exhausted by long and difficult journeys. What began as hospitality offered in their own homes grew into an “Oasis on the Road,” welcoming hundreds of travelers each month with food, shelter, prayer, and a safe place to rest.

For migrants traveling north through Mexico, the journey can stretch across weeks of uncertainty. Many of those arriving in Apaxco had already been away from home for at least 25 days, traveling from Central America on foot, by bus, or aboard trains. They arrived carrying the effects of a difficult journey and needing some of the most basic things: food, a shower, clean clothing, a safe place to sleep, and the chance to contact family members.

In Apaxco, a 96-year-old Methodist congregation of just twelve families began encountering these travelers as they passed through their community. The church members could not change the circumstances that had caused people to leave home or determine what awaited them farther along the road. But they could decide how they would receive the strangers who arrived among them.

At first, members welcomed migrants into their own homes. As the number of travelers needing assistance increased, however, personal hospitality was no longer enough. The congregation faced a new challenge: how could such a small church offer safety, dignity, and compassionate Christian care to a growing number of people on the journey?

Migrants share a meal at An Oasis on the Road in Apaxco, Mexico, where a small Methodist congregation offers food, rest, prayer, and a place of welcome along the journey. Photo: UMCOR

Mexican Methodist hospitality provides a meal for migrants.  Photo:  Paul Jeffrey, UMNews.

As more migrants began arriving in Apaxco, the twelve families of the Methodist congregation realized that welcoming people into their homes was no longer enough. They opened the church facilities and transformed their congregation into a place of hospitality for people traveling far from home.

Each evening at 6 p.m., the church opened its doors. Migrants received dinner and a safe place to spend the night, with mattresses or futons and blankets for sleeping. Showers, toiletries, and clothing helped travelers attend to basic needs after days on the road, while access to a telephone offered something equally important—the opportunity to reconnect with family members waiting for news. In the morning, church volunteers prepared and served breakfast before their guests continued their journeys. 

The congregation also offered spiritual care. Evenings included prayer, Scripture, and a devotional reflection, creating space for rest and encouragement as well as physical renewal. 

What began as individual acts of hospitality had become an organized ministry of the whole congregation. On an average day, at least 15 migrants arrived; on some days more than 50, and occasionally nearly 100. This small Methodist church was becoming what its members envisioned: an oasis on the road.

 
 
 
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When Hospitality Became a Ministry

What began with a few Methodist families opening their homes became a ministry capable of welcoming hundreds of travelers each month. The congregation’s response changed not only where migrants could spend a night, but what they could experience along the way: a place where they were received as guests and offered rest, care, dignity, and Christian fellowship.

The scale of that welcome is remarkable for a congregation of only twelve families. The project reported that the church was receiving an average of at least 15 migrants each day, with more than 50 on some days and nearly 100 on exceptional occasions—approximately 500 people each month.

For travelers who had often spent weeks on the road, Apaxco became a place to stop. They could sleep safely, eat a meal, bathe, change clothes, and contact family members. They were also invited into prayer, Scripture reading, and devotional reflection before continuing their journeys.

The transformation can also be seen in the congregation itself. Hospitality that had once depended on individual families became a shared ministry of the church, with members volunteering day after day to receive strangers and prepare meals.

The project records no long-term outcomes for the migrants after they left Apaxco. What it does document is significant: a small congregation transformed its compassion into sustained Christian hospitality, becoming a place of refuge and welcome for thousands of people passing along the road.

encounter with Christ

Partnership Makes Ministry Possible

Encounter with Christ provided a $10,000 grant to support An Oasis on the Road, helping the Methodist congregation in Apaxco expand its longstanding ministry of hospitality to migrants traveling through the community.

The grant came alongside a ministry already deeply rooted in the commitment of the local church. Just twelve families had been welcoming migrants into their homes for years before moving the ministry into the church facilities, where they could receive growing numbers of travelers with greater consistency and care. Support from Encounter with Christ helped strengthen this locally led response as the congregation welcomed approximately 500 migrants each month.

This partnership reflects the heart of Encounter with Christ: local churches identify the needs and opportunities within their communities, and Encounter provides resources that help them respond. In Apaxco, that partnership helped a small congregation extend its ministry of Christian hospitality to thousands of people traveling far from home.

Help Make Transformation Like This Possible

Your generosity helps Methodist churches turn compassion into action, creating places of welcome, dignity, and Christian care for people facing difficult journeys and uncertain circumstances.

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