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On Friday we took on three special projects. Part of the group repaired a house for a family who had lost their mom to Aids. She was survived by two daughters. Part of our team helped join two rooms together and poored cement to protect from the ongoing sewer floods that overtake the home. Part of our team re-roofed a bano (bathroom) for the first family we had met.
After finishing our first house we moved on to a new neighborhood and a new family. Additionally, we ventured out more to meet others such as Pedro (a 49 year old blind man) who would touch our hearts. The heat also began to rise into the 107 range and we began to fatigue as a group. The group continued to work hard meeting neighbors, building the house, and getting to know the family. In a family marked by tragic death there was joy in provision credited to Christ.
We began the house for Manuel y Yalida on Monday and finished Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday´s temp was 100 to 107 and we were building this house on a hillside. We also built steps to access the house (shown in photo below).We were trading between playing with neighbor children, interacting with the family, and building the house. Upon finishing we prayed over the home with Yalida and Isidra (her mom). Both women cried softly. As we drove away Yalida looked through a graphical novel presentation. We will return Friday to build them a roof for their baño.
Finished at last!
I am eager to update you and though we took many pictures today I could only find a internet cafe in Tijuana today with old computers so I will have to add pictures and names to go with them later. Yesterday we split our GEBC team in half and engaged in prayer walks through neighborhoods Caravan builds in.
Today we began building in that very neighbhood. Our first family is a couple with their first child on the way (a boy). They have very little. The husband works in the tortilla factory and his in-laws provided the small plot on the back of their lot. Their own house is a shack basically. Manuel (the husband) came home at about 2pm and brought cool drinks and ice for all 20 of us! The generosity of the Mexican people we have met is astounding! We enjoyed sharing lunch with them and also praying over the project together. Jorge translated so they could understand the prayer and to whom we give the glory for their rising walls. Tomorrow, we will return the site to finish the house and spend more time interacting with the family and neighbor children. The children are on break from school so they can be seen everywhere usually with soccer ball and beautiful smiles!
We are also being challenged within our own camp and worshiping God every morning and every evening! If I can, I will try to put picture and names together for you in the future, but I am at the mercy of technology. No one in the GEBC team is sick and all are in high spirits and the sun goes down on our fist day of entering the ¨´real´¨ Tijuana.
We love you all in Christ!
Pastor Jon
Our adventure began very early on Tuesday with some family and friends gathering to see us off. Five brothers and sisters from GEBC volunteered to take us to the airport. Most of the team flew to LA while Mark and Jorge headed to San Diego and Brice (who drove a cube truck) continued his journey he had begun on Monday. Eventually, we all met at The Master College in LA.
Monday and Wednesday our schedule was full with worship and study primarily centered on Psalm 51. We have been chalenged to have a pure heart, obedient heart, contrite heart, and tonight... a restored heart. Together we have laughed, cried, ate, worshipped, prayed, and played.
Tuesday was primarily about playing together and bonding with both our GEBC team and the larger team of nearly 250. All 12 students entered Magic Mountain that morning having learned all 10 verses that our youth ministry has worked on this year. May these verse be foundational for the rest of our lives!
I am praying for all of you back home! That God would shine through you this summer and that He would use you and that He would use tools in your hands such as Graham Jam and Church in the Park. May He break down the barriers that are standing in our way and keeping us from his work. May He change our hearts! Tomorrow we enter Mexico. Tomorrow you have an equally important mission!
In May and June our team took part in two retreats. The first in May challenged our team to live out our Christianity the 51 weeks of the year we are not on the mission trip. The second retreat was just for our team and focussed on becoming a team, putting each other first, and pushing forward together!