One of the goals that World Renew has for its international community partners is that they “graduate” and become able to carry on in their ministry with minimal financial support and guidance from World Renew staff. While the number of years of partnership before “graduation” varies from organization to organization, in its 50 year history World Renew has seen many church-based community agencies go on to extraordinary achievements after their tenure with World Renew. These partnerships also shape World Renew in return. AMEXTRA is a great example.

While the number of years of partnership before “graduation” varies from organization to organization, in its 50 year history World Renew has seen many church-based community agencies go on to extraordinary achievements after their tenure with World Renew. These partnerships also shape World Renew in return. AMEXTRA is a great example.

AMEXTRA (the Mexican Association for Rural and Urban Transformation) began as a project of the University of Chapingo (a Mexican agricultural university)’s chapter of Compañerismo Estudiantil (related to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship) in the late 1970’s. These students and leaders had a vision for doing service projects with marginalized rural and urban communities to bring about positive change.

In the early 1980’s, the General Secretary of Compañerismo, Sergio Sanchez, contacted World Renew to suggest that they form a partnership. World Renew, recognizing the vision and potential of this group, agreed that a partnership would be worthwhile. They encouraged the Mexican organization to register as a legal non-profit in Mexico, which they did in 1984, and the AMEXTRA organization was born.

“We showed respect for their potential as young, Mexican visionaries who wanted to plant seeds of Shalom – signs of Christ’s kingdom within their country,” said Tom Post, a World Renew staff member who worked with AMEXTRA in the past. “At first, we approved a $3,000 grant that enabled AMEXTRA to start working in three communities in the State of Mexico, north of Mexico City. This enabled them to start translating their vision for transformation into action.”

In addition to this seed money, World Renew also provided various staff members who could walk alongside AMEXTRA and provide them with consultation and advice. This included Tom Post, John Hamstra, Betty Roldan-Wood, and Darryl Mortensen.

“I think each of those staff members imparted certain strengths,” said Post, “from consulting with the director and board of AMEXTRA, working out program plans that had accountability for results, figuring out how to realize the dream of participatory community development, to working together to identify appropriate agricultural approaches including in-kind dairy goat loans and planting velvet beans as a cover crop.”

“World Renew contributed a lot to our methodology, such as developing abilities and the concept of having an exit strategy in the communities we serve,” agreed Eugenio Araiza Bahena, the current General Director of AMEXTRA who has worked with the organization for 29 years. Araiza also credits World Renew for connecting AMEXTRA with other funding and non-profit organizations for networking and support.

The relationship was mutually beneficial. While World Renew was equipping AMEXTRA, they also received a great deal from this Mexican partner in return. For example, World Renew was able to send some AMEXTRA staff members to work on projects it had in other parts of Mexico. Later, World Renew turned management of these projects over completely to AMEXTRA staff. World Renew also learned from AMEXTRA’s philosophy.

“AMEXTRA took Old and New Testament scriptures and challenged World Renew to ‘do theology’ in their community work. This led to World Renew’s current Theology of Development. Our humble work became full of deeper meaning and we were challenged to know God more deeply as we worked with our neighbors,” said Post.

“Our humble work became full of deeper meaning and we were challenged to know God more deeply as we worked with our neighbors.” – Tom Post.

Like all good things, World Renew’s formal partnership with AMEXTRA eventually came to an end. In 1996, AMEXTRA “graduated” from its funding relationship with World Renew, although an informal relationship between the two organizations continues today.

“The partnership between AMEXTRA and World Renew produced a successful model of international organizations accompanying national ones and then empowering them to carry on the programs themselves,” said Araiza. “In this case, Tom Post and Jim Boldenow trusted in the young, local group and advised World Renew to hand over the programs to them. This was a valuable lesson in the importance of investing in developing local leadership and trusting in local organizations to carry out the programs.”

Today, AMEXTRA continues to carry out excellent programs across Mexico. They employ 130 staff members and volunteers, who travel to various communities to carry out programs. They have also built a transformational training center to train university students, grass-roots organizations, pastors, and others on new ways to protect the environment, achieve food security, and carry out sustainable agriculture programs. In total, AMEXTRA’s programs serve about 20,000 people per year. One of its strongest programs, microfinance, serves 16,000 people living in poverty. Seventy-five percent of these program participants are women who are now empowered to manage their family’s finances, generate more income, and plan ahead for the growing needs of their family.

“World Renew provided us with the necessary foundation to grow into a professional, efficient, and impacting organization that develops successful projects,” said Araiza. “World Renew’s accompaniment has allowed us to continue learning and growing to the point that we are now teaching other organizations.”