More than
a meal.
A doorway
to hope.

In the mountains near Durango, Mexico, a cooking lesson became a way to build friendship. JMICF helped provide Dutch ovens. Rachel Witt brought the lessons-and the time to sit alongside the women learning to bake.

Jerry and Rachel Witt described a ministry that reaches from a local church into mountain communities. Missionary aviation is part of their family's story, helping connect them with people far from familiar roads and routines. But one of the most personal parts of the work began around food.

A place to begin

Rachel recalled wanting to connect with women who seemed hesitant to engage with her. She prayed about what she could offer and began teaching them to bake.

It gave them something to do together. As they worked, conversations grew. Rachel said their similar levels of Spanish helped them relate to one another; she was learning alongside them, too.

"That just helped us have a relationship where we could talk," she explained in the interview.

Practical tools, personal care

Reneé recalled the Dutch ovens purchased to support the work. Those simple pieces of equipment gave the lessons a practical foundation.

The value was not only in what came out of an oven. Rachel described relationships developing and women growing more confident. In the Witts' account, sharing useful skills and sharing the love of Christ became part of the same work.

There was no elaborate program at the center of this story. There was a person willing to show up, a skill she could share, and the tools that helped her share it.

Love that takes time

JMICF's support helped equip a ministry already present in the community. Jerry and Rachel brought their knowledge of the people and their commitment to keep serving.

A gift can make that everyday work possible. Sometimes its impact is found around a table: hands learning something new, conversation becoming easier, and a friendship beginning.

Based on a conversation from the JMICF interview collection. Project details reflect the account shared in that interview.