Area couple serves God with Mexico mission
Mar. 29—Ministry could be defined as sharing the love of God, and his saving grace, through acts of kindness.
After serving in the mission field in Mexico, one couple returned home to Oklahoma but continue to care for those they serve.
David and Joyce White were in Stilwell on Friday, March 22, to pick up donations of clothing at Colene's House of Treasures.
The couple drive donations down to Mexico each month. In January 2024, they celebrated their 150th trip since 2011.
The Heart of God Mission was founded by the Whites in 1997 and continues to serve Christ today through providing food, clothing, home goods, and other support to three areas in Mexico.
"I feel very humbled and blessed that God has made it possible for this to happen. It's rewarding working for the Lord," said David. "I continue to go to Mexico because I have a call on my life from God to help the poor people of Mexico."
The first Sunday of each month, David leaves before dawn with a loaded truck and trailer heading south — sometimes with Joyce, another couple or friend, but often alone. He has figured a route most easily traveled with his load, and with a prayer on his lips, he drives on to provide food, both edible and spiritual.
"We also help the shelter and pastors financially each month. The need is mainly food, but they also need clothes," Joyce said.
David has had a desire to work with the Spanish-speaking people ever since his first mission trip in 1977, Joyce said.
He learned Spanish by listening to audio forum tapes and continuous education classes.
"I also lived among the Spanish-speaking people," he said.
The Whites had separate paths to service in the mission field.
"When David attended a church service and heard a missionary speak, his stories and slide pictures touched David's heart, planting a desire in his heart to go on a mission trip," said Joyce.
Joyce's parents included her in their mission work. They were going to Broadway Manor Nursing Home in Muskogee every Tuesday night to provide church service.
"I was a young teenager just learning how to play the piano. The lady playing for them quit going, so mom asked me to go and play for them. We went every Tuesday night for 22 years," Joyce said.
In 1999, they gave up their meat-processing business and moved to Guayalejo, Mexico, which is about 250 miles into the interior. David was administrator of a Bible college. They lived there until 2002, then moved to the McAllen, Texas, area to work in Reynosa, Mexico.
"People started giving us things to give away. David read the scripture in Romans 12:13 about distributing to the necessity of the saints, so we started a distribution center, where pastors could come once a month to get clothes and food," she said.
The Whites lived in the McAllen area until January 2011.
"God spoke to David to move back to Oklahoma. We moved back to our home town of Fort Gibson and started taking donated items and food down to help those we had helped while living there," she said. "It turned into a monthly trip, because people kept donating things to us to help the churches and homeless shelter."
The Whites are available to speak at churches and groups. Contact the Heart of God Missions at P.O. Box 1357, Fort Gibson, OK 74434 or 918-520-1471.
City of Stilwell Public Relations
