Saturday, June 30, 2012



Update


Injury update (ALL are okay): Helen Martin’s elbow was hit by a slow moving vehicle. Okay maybe shouldn’t start with that. How about Gary Hawkins slicing his finger to the bone. Well maybe that’s not the best start either. Okay, Scott Hamstra drove a nail into his arm with a nailing gun and Dan Nicholas about passed out from the blood. Oh this is better, Michele Shook wasn’t feeling good but okay now. That’s just the leaders! Other than numerous blisters, slivers, stuff in eyes, sunburns, scraps and minor cuts we are all GREAT. God is good and we are all doing well.

Each day we begin with devotions. Thursday Kornyte Houston led devotions this morning remind us that God knows our future and is in control of everything. On, Friday Martha and Rosie Silvas led on and Saturday, Alex Shook shared on

After devotions we load up the trailer with the supplies for the house construction. We cannot leave anything up there for security reasons so all the students chip in and make the work quick. The load is getting smaller each day and by the end of the week more items remain in the locked house.

While the work crew is going, we serve pancakes to the community. Each day more and more people attend. Our kids are doing a great job of serving and playing with kids. After that, VBS practice, prepping for lunch and hanging out with local children occurs until VBS at 3 pm.

For VBS we have done day 1 – creation; day 2 – 10 commandments; day 3 – Jesus birth; day 4 – death and resurrection. The kids have done a great job with their skits and I thank the leaders that have been organizing them.

We end each night with a delicious meal and then as a team discussing the day - nice weather, fun making pancakes, liked house construction, enjoyed painting and liked playing with kids were just a few mentioned. We have discussed how it is good to know that it is up to God to open the eyes of individuals to who He is and that we are His tools and it’s our responsibility is to share the gospel of Christ. We’ve talked about how fortunate we are to live in the home that we have and for the parents raising us. We also really appreciate being able to flush toilet paper in the states!

The food is certainly a hit and is amazing! Dora and Gabriella are so accommodating in serving us. We are enjoying the authentic food and that will be missed.

Friday several leaders took the kids to the “water park”. Don’t envision Birch Bay Water Slides. Much more toned down with murky pool water and no life guards. They enjoyed having a break and getting some play time in. They have ALL worked hard and deserved a break.

Saturday morning we served pancakes and combined our VBS days to present at another church we’ve helped before. Again, the students and leaders did GREAT. Al, Scott, Michele H, Joel and a few students stayed to work on the house. Sheetrock should be done today and hopefully a bit more. What we don’t get finished will get done another time. We at least will have a home for them to live in.

We are having our church service Saturday night to wrap up the VBS week. Pastor Alejandro will share and we look forward to a special time together. We also will be having a house dedication for Dora and Isaiah.

Thank you for the prayers as we end our time in Tecate and travel back to Whatcom County Sunday. Pray for Gary Hawkins as he drives the van back with our luggage and trailer. Next Sunday evening, July 8 we are hoping to have a Tecate service to share more of our trip with you.



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Update from Tecate

Sunday, June 24


We arrived in Tecate late Sunday evening without complications. Other than a flight delay for the Kussat’s and Joel Rinehart it was all good. Pastor of FCC Alejandro and his wife Gabriella were excited to see us. It was great to stay at the church. We had over 30 people and we had plenty of room. What a blessing to stay at the church and to not have to pay to stay somewhere else!

Monday, June 25

Gabriella and Dora (the person whose home we are building) fixed us pancakes and we had devotions led by Mike. We then began our day with construction prep, shopping for supplies, advertising for VBS and getting our act together. We ended our night with a delicious carne asda and fresh homemade tortilla’s by Gabriella, Dora and Alejandro.

Students are doing well and fitting in with the community kids.

Tuesday, June 26

We began our day with another great meal – breakfast burritos – devotions led by Caleb Eriksen then loading building supplies for the work site. We had a wonderful surprise by Tim and Debbie Bryce joining us in the morning and spending the day. Debbie’s translating skills and Tim’s construction help were certainly beneficial. It was a joy spending time with them. We wish they could have stayed longer.

We split in two teams for much of the day. One team worked construction all day and the other stayed at the church serving a pancake feed for the community from 9 – 11 and VBS in the afternoon.

Al, Scott and Joel oversee construction and are doing an amazing job. The house crew painted and framed doing a great amount of hard work. Fortunately God blessed us with a beautiful tree by the house that gives great shade for the team. Keep drinking water!!!!

VBS theme was God’s Creation. The adults and kids did a great job with their skit, craft time, singing and hanging out with kids. Pastor Alejandro spoke at the end offering salvation message with 4 individuals responding. One of the ladies, Alaleigha, we visited the prior day and she asked our team to pray with her. She is fairly new to the area and in a very difficult situation so it was good to see her show up for VBS. Alaleigha and Gabriella visited and we pray that was the beginning to a great relationship!

The night end with a trip to the taco stand which all enjoyed.

Wednesday, June 27

The morning began with cereal and devotions led by Megan Kussat. Scott Hamstra, Michele Houston and Naomi Kussat left at 5 am to go to US for paint. The place we get our paint from ran out. They are getting additional supplies including much needed peanut M and M’s!!!

We are reversing the teams from yesterday with same plan – construction, pancake feed and VBS.

Thanks for praying for the team












Saturday, June 23, 2012

Leaving for Tecate

Heading to Tecate, Mexico with wonderful people. Please pray for all of us this week...
June 24, 2012 - July 1, 2012

Campfield, Derek
Campfield, Mike
Eriksen, Caleb 
Hamstra, Scott 
Hawkins, Gary
Heeringa, Dylan
Hornstra, Brady 
Houston, Kornyte
Houston, Michele
Johnston, Stephanie
Kussat, Al
Kussat, Naomi
Kussat, Sammi
Kussat, Megan
Lyons, Hollie 
Lyons, Josiah 
Martin, Helen 
Nicholas, Dan
Rinehart, Joel
Shook, Alex
Shook, Michele
Silvas, Martha
Silvas, Rosita
Traina, Daniel