The “Four Goals of Mission” of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church guide us in doing what the “Give Ye Them To Eat” program is all about:

This is such an awesome yet daunting challenge! Only with God's guidance, grace and strength can the GYTTE staff approach this task as, together, we offer development opportunities for the disadvantaged families in the rural areas we serve so they can come to know the Christ as their personal Savior and “achieve the full promise and potential of their life as a child of God.”

How does the “Give Ye Them To Eat” program, staff and UMC missionaries, Terry and Muriel Henderson, work toward accomplishing each of the four Goals of Mission of the General Board of Global Ministries?

1. Make Disciples of Jesus Christ: The GYTTE program (pronounced Jitty) takes this first goal seriously. Three-day spiritual life retreats that are focused on God and Creation Stewardship are offered to youth, adults and groupings of families. GYTTE also hosts numerous multi-day training events where morning and evening devotions play a key part of the program. Faith-building experiences are shared and Christ-centered activities part of each day's program. Before participants of the retreats and training events depart the “Tree of Life” Training Center they are offered a Bible for their spiritual growth and faith walk.

2. Strengthen, Develop and Renew Christian Congregations and Communities: The GYTTE program strives to reach this goal by creating Christian Education Materials such as curriculum for Children's Church, Vacation Bible School, Intergenerational Advent and Christmas materials and a number of other seasonal resources to assist churches with the spiritual growth of their congregations. Local churches are invited to encourage their members to participate in GYTTE's Spiritual Life Retreats and Training Events to increase their knowledge and gain new skills as well as to seek spiritual renewal.

3. Alleviate Human Suffering: The “Give Ye Them To Eat” staff and missionaries help to alleviate human suffering through the Pueblo Partners program that is designed to empower rural people to decrease human drudgery and improve the condition of daily life within their own community, culture and country through multi-day workshops and week-long courses in realistic, low-cost and low-tech methods that enable families to progress and promote an atmosphere of mutual support within the community. The partnership focuses on Community and Agricultural Development as well as Livestock Development. The GYTTE program also equips village women as community-based, primary health workers to address the health needs of the people in their communities through education in preventive health measures and by treating illness and first-aid needs in their earliest stage right in their own community.

4. Seek Justice, Freedom and Peace: GBGM's fourth goal of mission is closely related to the purpose of the GYTTE program in general, that is to strengthen the capabilities of marginalized people and communities to meet their basic needs, and to determine and sustain a just and integrated development process. Participatory methods and development tools are used to create conditions in which change can take place from within the communities. Besides the above mentioned development opportunities, GYTTE provides a number of scholarships annually to prepare Mexican young people for a more secure future within Mexico. All these people-centered opportunities are focused on the rural people of south-central Mexico so they will have the freedom to make the changes they deem necessary in their own lives and communities.

The key word for the “Give Ye Them To Eat” program is transformation. We pray that God will use the development opportunities that GYTTE offers to transform lives as people return home with changed hearts and transform their family situation and communities through their service to God by serving others.

Our mission partners, friends and donors to the Advance Special ”Give Ye Them To Eat”, enable the GYTTE program staff and us to strive daily to meet these four goals. Thank you for your valued prayers and financial support.