the Project Scope

Nearly 30 years ago, Gayla Cooper felt reluctant to spend even one day ministering to children in a Tijuana orphanage. However, after meeting a group of children from the orphanage Gayla's heart was touched so deeply she packed her bags and moved to Mexico to work in the orphanage full time.

Meanwhile, Scott Congdon traveled to the same orphanage with a community service group from his college. The children had a profound impact on Scott. Scott and Gayla soon discovered they shared a dream: to minister to the poor in Mexico.

In March of 1980, Scott and Gayla together founded Amor Ministries. The following year, four ministry teams traveled to Mexico with Amor. Today, over 600 groups take part each year in short-term mission trips with Amor Ministries. Scott and Gayla, along with a full-time Amor team, carry out their commitment and passion for helping the poorest of the poor.

Amor Ministries desires not only to send people into the the mission field but to equip them with the necessary tools to do so. To do so they are embarking on design of the Cancun University:

A theology school will equip the next generation of Latin American pastors for ministry in an international setting. A language school will provide Spanish language instruction to English-speakers through meaningful cross-cultural interactions. Classes, taught by native speakers, will be combined with service outreach in the surrounding communities. English will also be taught to Spanish speakers in the local community to help serve the poor on multiple levels. It will enable the local residents to work in the tourism industry and also on the University campus. It will allow the volunteers to serve in many Spanish-speaking locations around the world and in their own communities. A retreat center will be a place where international students can intentionally pursue God's call for their lives through seminars, small groups, and self-reflection with service opportunities and outward action. An appropriate technology center will be a place where the general public can come to learn about simple and readily available tools to combat poverty.