Grace and Peace Fellowship

GRACE AND PEACE FELLOWSHIP began as a church of ex-patriots living in Puerto Vallarta and surrounding areas. However, their desire was not only to meet for worship, but to impact the community where they now resided. Although the reputation of the resort areas of Punta de Mita, Puerto Vallarta and other luxury sud-bivisions was of affordable living near seaside beauty, in the same area, the local Hispanic population also faced poverty and lack of resources. The dump site that services the resort communities of the rich and famous travelers, also serves the impoverished that daily wait for the trucks carrying their discarded trash. Residents of the dump are not basking in the sun looking to change fair skin into a glowing tan they are baked in the rays while they forage for salvage to sell, and food to eat. Gracia e Paz church (the Hispanic congregation Grace and Peace developed from) established a meeting place in the neighborhood of the slum dwellers. Each week they provide services as simple as hair cuts, to as important as biblical discipleship programs for the young and old.

In 2008, Sunshine After Rain Ministries took a team to Nuevo Vallarta to bring much needed Bibles and evangelism materials in Spanish to enable the English speaking ex-patriots to be effective in communicating the Gospel with their Spanish speaking neighbors.

We brought craft materials for the daycare center serving the disabled of the area and spent time interacting with children who have far less access to medical care and treatment than the disabled just north of the border. Our team also visited a safe house for children abandoned on the streets of the city. Most of the residents had some form of disability or behavioral problems due to neglect and abuse. Grace and Peace members partner with this ministry providing volunteers for the staff workers to have a much needed respite from the 24 hour, 7 days a week job.