We are the Maness'

Ryan and Shelly

    We, along with our two daughters, Monica (age 17) and Melena (age 13), are ministering in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. This fall we will begin our ninth year serving God in Mexico. Currently we are working in the mountains of the Western Sierra Madres, based out of a little town called Creel, located high in the mountains. My family and I make up Highways and Hedges Ministries sent out by our home church, Church of the Crossroads Corinth, Mississippi. We work among the Raramuri (Tarahumara Indians), an Indigenous tribe of northwest Mexico providing clean drinking water through water wells and systems and other life improving projects along with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the surrounding villages and communities. Groups are welcome with advance notice. Please contact us for info concerning safety issues, local accommodations and meals. For more information on bringing a group to Mexico please see our contact page. 

A little History...

In 2000 - 2001 Shelly and I rededicated our lives to God. We were both saved years before, but not living as we should. We had been in and out of church for years, but through many prayers being offered up for us and a plan God had for our lives that we had no idea of, we finally made God "Lord" of our lives. We had grown tired of just going through the motions of "normal" Christian life. There had to be more than just warming a pew Sunday after Sunday and spending our time working to pay off all the stuff we neither needed nor could afford. I knew that we were created to do more. We had the American dream, I had a great job where many people depended on me to keep things working. Shelly finally was able to stay home and be the traditional housewife/mom that she desired to be. The closer I drew to the Lord the more dissatisfied I became with everything considered normal. I had been building MY kingdom for as long as I could remember and I still was not satisfied nor fulfilled, I knew that there had to be more. I wanted to use the "talents" God gave me for Him instead of for myself. 

I began to seek the Lord on how to do this. Everything I did, I always did my best - even to the point of being a perfectionist. I still knew that there must be more. God finally revealed to me through prayer and His Spirit that some of His children were using their talents on the mission field as "Technical missionaries". Not the  stereo-typical preacher/missionary that comes to mind holding a bible and standing in a huge boiling pot like in many comic illustrations. One who preaches not so much with their lips, but more with their hands. You can see the example set by Jesus, before he preached or taught, he met physical needs. His first miracle was connected with water-he turned it into wine so a wedding party could continue. We also want to meet physical needs. We want to build relationships and trust with the people here before any invitation to accept Christ is given.

A door opens...

Around 2001 I received the opportunity to go on a short-term missions trip with our church to Mexico. At the time really I didn't have a desire to go to Mexico for some reason or another - I don't know why. I decided to go anyway as a step of faith to see if my desire to serve God on the mission field would be confirmed. I went down with a group to help get an orphanage ready for children. While pulling wires in an attic with the temperature outside hovering around 120 degrees Fahrenheit and who knows how hot in that attic, I knew then that this was what I was called to do. I returned home with a passion and a vision, a vision that my wife at that time did not equally share. I did not force the issue, but sought Godly counsel through my pastor. After a year of prayer and seeking God, the time was right for Shelly. God opened a door for us to serve with a lady in Tamaulipas for a year helping her get an orphanage built and ready to receive children. That was over eight years ago. God has brought us a long way.

We have seen church groups and evangelistic teams come and go. They come and preach, do VBS and then they leave. They do serve a purpose, but after they go home, what then? The people here must be discipled afterwards. To do this we insist on only doing VBS' in villages where we are actively working weekly with the children through Bible lessons, games, puppet shows, etc.

Ultimately...

You can tell someone that God loves them or you can show them the love of God. Jesus said we are the salt of the earth. What does that mean? To me it means sprinkling the salt of Jesus' love around in the form of water projects, wells, children's outreaches, feeding programs and other life improving acts. The result? A thirst that comes in the form of "why are these people doing this for us for free?". It is then we can offer to quench that "thirst" with the "Living Water" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.