HungryForLifeInternational

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