FBC Missions

Here we are after almost a full week in Mexico already thinking about packing up and leaving for home. This is our last full day in Mexico and for some of us it is the last time we’ll visit Mexico. It has been a great week of ministry, fellowship, and growth. Most of us are tired, some of us are sick, but all of us are thankful that we have spent our spring break serving the Lord in the Mexicali Valley. Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve done this past week:

-Welcoming service (We all reconnected with our families from the past year and sang songs in Spanish and English)

-Morning Devotions (We all came together in our towns, stopped working, filled our tanks with God’s love, and gave thanks for all the blessings God was pouring out on us)

-Construction (A two story parsonage went up right before our eyes and today we’re putting in a stove, plywood cabinets toilets, sinks, and painting the interior, we added more space and a covered patio to pastor Isaac’s house in Victoria so his wife Silvia can host bigger bible studies, and lastly in K28 Wes Emmerts and his team put a new coat of green paint on the church and we resisted the temptation to put a big “O” on the side)

-Teaching English (We went to two schools, one elementary and one college, taught English through games and duck duck goose, did the hokie pokie, played volleyball and basketball, and ate lunch together)

-Drug Rehab Center (Two separate groups went to a drug rehabilitation center where we sang worship songs in Spanish, gave testimonies, and shared the gift of God’s love and forgiveness to all those who had broken lives and hearts. We have found these people to be the most receptive to the love and compassion that we offer them through Jesus Christ)

-VBS (Monday through Thursday we spent an hour and a half sharing our lives with the children of Mexico. We had skits, crafts, and songs everyday, and we gave so many piggy back rides that some of our sun-burned necks started to ache. On the last day, kids were offered the gift of Christ’s love in their lives and many joyfully accepted. We continue to find this one of the most fruitful things we do as kids are so receptive and hungry for true love.).

- Youth Night (All the kids came together for a night of music worship. The Mexican group that sang for us was incredible. They outdid any worship we have ever done and weren’t even singing in their native language. Then Saul and Mimi sang a great rap song, Bethany Chase sang some Stacie Orrico, and Brita and her girls sang a beautiful rendition of Breathe).

-Basketball (We played three games in total. We had a pretty good record, 2-1, losing only to the Pistones by twelve points. Having one actual basketball player, we were a bit overmatched, but nevertheless, we fought hard to the end. Ever half time we shared a few songs in Spanish, Jeff, Saul, Tess Chase, Tessy Fraga performed a great mime, and then Rudy gave a short gospel message).

-Medical Clinic (we held medical clinics everyday that saw great attendance. We dedicated the new medical clinic building on the Victoria property and had many visitors. Jill Chase, Pattie Cabral, and Sharie Bantz helped as nurses and had a lot of assistance from the girls who helped out. This ministry continues to open new avenues to share the love of Christ through medical help that many need so badly).

Well that’s all the major ones we can think of for now. Hopefully that gave you all a good look at a lot of what we did down here. Thanks for all your prayers during this trip and all the things you did to help us out along the way. Please continue to pray for safety and that God would have his hand upon our health as we spend our last hours in Mexico. We are looking forward to the carne asada farewell party in Oaxaca and the dedication of the K39 parsonage before we leave on Saturday.

Dios le bendiga,

The Mexico Mission Team

P.S. We will try and send some more pictures from the hotel in San Diego.

Late in the afternoon the valley was hit with a small windstorm that caused us to cancel last night’s outreach service in K-39. It is always a disappointment to cancel something you have planned for but as we have learned here in Mexico, the Lord is in control and He knows what He is doing. As it turns out, I found out at today’s devotional that God was bringing host families and missionaries closer together through spontaneous parties that unfolded. Everyone was thankful to just relax eat, play games and put their Spanish and charades into practice.

The construction projects are going very well. The house that we are building for the youth pastor is finished on the outside and that includes the roof and shingles. It does not include the siding or stucco. The inside is almost sheet rocked thanks to the fast touch of Jeff Pyles. It is truly an amazing thing to witness. Our hope is that Juan Carlos and his family will be able to move in by the time we leave. The electicity should be hooked up by this time tomorrow.

Pastor Isaac’s house has been a bigger challenge as any remodel usually is. As of today, we have the new walls up, the old wall busted out, a new door in place of the window that was once looking out at the church, and the roof is in place and in need of some shingles. The team has been great about being patient and waiting for the opportunity for either Tim or Ron to call them into service with a hammer. While waiting, they have enjoyed the opportunity to kick a soccer ball around with the teenagers or children or to walk to the nearby popsicle store for some delicous paletas.

A group of 18 joined me at the drug and rehabilitation center today from 4:00 - 5:30pm. It was a great privilege to take God’s message of love and hope to this place of broken dreams. We sang some of the songs we had memorized in Spanish, Tim Bennion and Staci Phelps shared wonderful testimonies, I gave an invitation and Sol Rexius wrapped it up with Amazing Grace. Only God knows who opened up their hearts to Him. Based on the hearty thank you’s and handshakes received at the very end I think it was mission accomplished. It sure felt good to be chosen by God to bring His message of hope.

Tonight, the youth from Oregon and the teens from the valley will be joining together for fellowhip, worship, and a night of special music.

Thanks for your prayers. We cherish each and every one of them, Mexico Team

Hola a todos ustedes en Eugene. A day of travel in buses, planes, and vans left us ready to experience God’s love across the border. After waiting for three hours for the rental company to complete our Mexico insurance, we piled into 15 minivans and drove to Calexico. With bellies full of Hometown buffet, we finished the journey to the border and by God’s grace, crossed it in record breaking time. Sunday brought us a bible study and a communion service where we all went up front and sang some of our songs from America. We all passed the cup and broke the bread together. A sassy yet delightful flight attendant landed us some plane crackers that we handed out to those working in the asparagus fields along with toothbrushes, lotion, and Camp Harlow t-shirts. In the windstorm at the field, kids in Rudy’s, Jana’s, Gayle’s, Jill’s, and Chelsea’s group sang songs of praise as Bibliano and Rudy took turns preaching the gospel, Saul shared his testimony and sang amazing grace, and Tiffany translated beautifully. We are thankful that everyone is in good health and WELL FED. The cliché of every year’s Mexico trip is the food, but you gotta be here to appreciate it. And of course there’s always mas comida. Construction projects (Juan Carlos and Isaac’s houses) are ahead of schedule, VBS was as fun as always (we enjoyed a reenactment of Jesus walking on water as the kids waved their ribbons simulating the storm), Monday’s basketball game was a great opportunity to reach out to the community (we barely won by four points thought we would have gladly sacrificed our win for the Ducks), and God continues to shower us with blessings (we all need real showers too).

Thanks for all your prayers. Some of us are running on fumes as we bake in the Mexican sun. Pray for strength for the leaders and the kids, and patience for the leaders, safety at the worksites, and open hearts ready to receive the gospel.

Thanks so much for your incessant prayer. It means so much to know that we are continuously being lifted up before the father.

Muchas gracias para todo,

The Mexico Mission Team

P.S.- Due to problems accessing the internet, we were unable to post blogs for the first several days. We will try to post everyday for the remainder of the trip.