HungryForLifeInternational

Another week has gone by so fast but a lot has been accomplished, both in Tijuana and in our hearts! Saturday was a very different day as most of the team went to the rally/carnival site and helped others from Christo Centro Church to set up and invite the families and others in the area. It was a hot day but the team successfully spread the word and many turned out for the festivities. Faces were painted, games were played and some team members enjoyed the international language of soccer! Once the construction crew was finished at the church, they joined the team and had the opportunity to take part in the rally service. Sergio led the singing and preached; over 60 people responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ and over 40 people were prayed over for physical healing! We were also able to distribute 87 of the food packages to needy people; praise the Lord for such and outpouring of His Spirit for the physical and spiritual needs of the people there!

After an exhausting week of travel and hard work the team was ready to enjoy a day of rest; we headed south to Rosarito Beach to experience more Mexican culture. We stopped at a market and everyone was able to practice their bargaining skills…a huge learning curve for most! And then to the beach to test the water; however only one person went in far enough to get tossed around by the waves! We headed back mid-afternoon and then attended the evening church service at Christo Centro; we were privileged to enjoy another Mexican service with lots of singing, hand-clapping and even a little dancing!

The next two days were spent finishing up the church renovations, cleaning up the church site, building a set of stairs at the home of Sergio and distributing more clothes to needy people in the rally/carnival area. Wednesday the entire team headed to the orphanage once more to do a hot dog lunch with the children there! It was a great time of seeing them again and having one last chance to play and show them love; everyone enjoyed the laughter and the chance to pray over each of them. Wednesday evening was very special as the women of Christo Centro barbequed a huge dinner for us! It was the biggest and best Mexican feast we had since our arrival! Our stomachs were filled the night, but more than that—our hearts were too! The church took time before we left to pray for us and thank God for our time there. We were blessed beyond our imagination as they hugged us tightly and with tears in their eyes said goodbye. As one team member stated, “When we came to Mexico we did not know anyone, but now we not only have friends here, we have family!” Thank you to Christo Centro Church for your open arms and warm hearts!

There was three Sergios that became very dear friends on this trip; although it was confusing at times, they each added to our experience and God used them mightily in our lives! Of course, we could not have done this trip without Sergio Rocete. His passion for the gospel and people of Christo Centro Church is truly inspiring. On Monday night, our team was privileged to have him, his wife and his three children share with us about their lives and ministry; it was so good to hear his heart! Sergio Gomez is the founder of Baja Vision Ministries, a part of which is Rancho Solo. We thoroughly enjoyed singing along as he played his accordion for us and we were all amazed at what God has done in his life as we sat and listened to his testimony! He took very good care of us and kept us laughing throughout our stay! The third Sergio was our translator and we could not have accomplished much without his skills in translating. But he did more than just translate; he taught us to lean on God, praise Jesus no matter what and to just go with the flow! Thank you to all three for their dedication to God and His kingdom!

Sergio Rocete & family:

Sergio Gomez & two team members:

Sergio Our Translator:

Well, after a day at Disneyland, the team is now en route to Seattle. Please pray for their safety as the travel north on Amtrak Coast Starlight 14! Thank you for all your prayers for the Bethel team; we continually felt the power and presence of our great God during our time together!

Corrina and the BMC team

At about 3:00pm on Thursday the team arrived in Anaheim, all members are a little exhausted but happy with a sense of accomplishment that they were involved in something that is making a difference in the lives of people.


Here is a quick recap of the last couple of days:
Saturday was fantastic. The whole team took a break from the building site and went out to a very poor and remote section of Tijuana. The group played games with the local children, visited with the adults, handed out food packages and some team members gave a testimony of the greatness of God. It was stretching for a lot of team members but a great experience to minister with the local people.


Sunday afternoon was church, which was a fantastic cultural and spiritual experience and then Monday was right back to work at the church site. By Tuesday afternoon the team finished off their building projects.


Tuesday night many ladies from the church got together and cooked an amazing meal for the team in thanks for all their hard work. Tuesday night was a very touching and emotional night for the church and the team; after the dinner many church members got up and expressed their thanks and appreciation for all the Bethel team has done in the last week. It was very impacting for the team to see and hear the effect their work had on the church. Every team member was very humbled by the experience as they realized the impact of their presence down in TJ carried.


On Wednesday the whole team went to the orphanage to spend one last day with the kids and do a goodbye celebration. It was a lot of fun for everybody but a sad moment when the team piled back into the vans to head off to Rancho Solo.


In total it was a fantastic trip. The team learned both the great aspects and difficult aspects of working in a more relaxed, go with the flow Mexican culture. A lot of work was accomplished and the team really bonded and gelled together. A lot of laughs were shared and great memories were made. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. God's spirit and strength was felt everyday.

Hola! I apologize that it’s taken us so long to update you all, but know that we are well and accomplishing much! It has been a busy and challenging but it is a privilege to be a part of what God is doing here in Tijuana! Let me get you up to speed on our trip thus far.

We started out early Sunday morning at Bethel Church and arrived in Seattle with plenty of time to board the train. Our Amtrak train became our home for the next 2 days and nights as we traveled south. As you may have heard or read, the train was delayed at numerous points along the way and so what should have taken 36 hours took a total of 42 ½ hours. Although we were very tired, we sure appreciated our stewardess, Alice, who took great care of us and answered all our questions along the way! Here are a few pictures of our time on the train from Seattle to Los Angles.

We arrived in Tijuana at about 10 Tuesday morning, dropped our things off at Rancho Solo and Pete found us a great Taco stand for an early lunch. Although no one chose to have a cow intestine taco, the beef and pork options were tasty and a much-needed energy boost as the day turned out to be one of our longest yet! Here we are enjoying our first Mexican experience.

We spent the rest of the day with Pastor Sergio assessing what materials were needed for the church renovations and sorting and planning for the orphanage visits. Some of the adults had a chance to attend a house church bible study meeting in the evening with Pastor Sergio in a remote area where Christo Centro is planning to build another church. What a privilege to share with them and them with us as well as pray for their needs! Wednesday the construction crew jumped right in and started on the church renovations; they shopped all over town and a demolition crew tore down an existing structure. Some of the other adults and youth visited an orphanage in another remote area and had a wonderful time with the 25 children there. The language barrier was not enough to keep our team from showing love and everyone had a great time playing games, doing crafts and laughing together! Thursday was the same with a different set of youth at the orphanage and the rest at the construction site. Here are a few shots of our work.

Friday, the construction crew kept right on working in the heat and by the end of the three days the there were two floors built, walls raised and trusses constructed for both structures (living accommodation and bathroom) as well as the drainage pipes in place and the roof on for the bathroom building. Friday was also a busy day for the youth as they packaged all the food that was bought into bags for Saturday’s food distribution. There were 90 packs complete with a little bit of extra food for other families who may be in need as well. In the afternoon, they were able to go to the food distribution and carnival site (the remote area where Pastor Sergio is expanding his ministry) and spend some time visiting the homes of families in the area. We were had the amazing privilege of sitting in their homes and praying for their need; the Holy Spirit is alive and well among the people there! We also distributed some clothes that members of Christo Centro Church had donated for the families in the area. Here are some pictures from yesterday.

Thank you so much for your prayers; we really feel them! Please continue to pray for health and strength as the weather is hot and we are working hard outside. Please also continue to pray for our team unity and spiritual protection as we minister to the people of Tijuana!

Corrina and the BMC team

A quick update, the Bethel team arrive in Tijuana on Tuesday around 9:00am. They hit the ground running and Tuesday was a very full day with project orientations, visiting the work sites, meeting the local leaders and getting supplies in order. The team slept hard Tuesday night and woke feeling much more refreshed from the previous 43 hour train ride into Los Angeles and drive to Mexico.

Wednesday the team dove right into their project work; the group split into two, one group is working at the Centro Christo Church doing renovations and the other half of the team is working at an orphanage about 40 minutes outside of town.

The team is doing great and having a lot of fun with the project and getting to know each other.
Thanks for your prayers!
Blessings, the Bethel Mexico Team

A train very similar to the team's

The group is currenty on route and doing very well. They will send another update once they arrive at Rancho Solo, the place of accomodation in Mexico.



On behalf of the team, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Well...we have a day and a half left to finish any last-minute shopping and packing and then it's time to wave goodbye to family and friends. In the wee hours of Sunday morning, 25 of us will celebrate our nation's birthday by crossing the border into the USA and hopping on Amtrak's Coast Starlight passenger train heading south. We will have the opportunity to bond as we spend the next 36 hours talking, snacking, playing games, listening to ipods, dining ...and possibility getting a little bit of shut-eye. As we gaze out our windows, watching the states of Washington, Oregon and most of California pass by us, we will be full of anticipation for what our week and a half in Mexico will be like.

We will keep you posted as our adventure continues...

Corrina & BMC Mexico team