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