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.

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

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

On our way home!!!

We are on our way home... good day today other than the flight delay. A few final pictures to show. The three couples that obviously are not from our group is Pastor Alejandro and Gabriella, Pastor Jose and his friend Laticia, and Pastor Alfredo and his wife Angelica.

Mike is handing the key to Pastor Jose NEW van donated from a person in Lynden. Scott is handing the key to Pastor Alfredo NEW church and in front of their new bathroom with generator. And, Jared's body search...

Thanks FCC for the support for this trip and for a heart for the people in Tecate!

Saturday, July 17

Another beautiful day in Tecate, Mexico! I think the group would agree the heat is definitely present and anxious to get back to a bit cooler weather.

The day began with pancakes and off to VBS. Dan, Al, Jared and Scott again spent the day finishing, or nearly finishing, Pastor Alfredo’s church. Two weeks ago they had only walls. The crew from the Alaska church put the roof on last week and our crew finished the roof, framed the side of the church, set windows and doors, revamped a house next door and indoor plumbing with gravity feed water system for Pastor Alfredo’s house (in door and out)! Absolutely life changing for the families and church members!

The rest of the team (in the morning) had a pancake breakfast for the families of Pastor Alfredo’s church. The team made the pancakes and enjoyed serving the children who have little to no food daily. We take for granted the simple thing like cooking pancakes. Without the generator (thanks again to the persons donating the generators) they have little ability to do many things – have a fridge, have lights, etc…

Our students did a great job of playing with kids, engaging them for the brief time we were there. Megan, Kelly, Loren and Tyson shared testimonies then we shared David and Goliath through a skit. Pastor Jose shared briefly then we had a time of coloring. All the kids loved it, including ours. We ended with the traditional piñata with great delight to the kids pocketing great amounts of candy!

We drove to Pastor Alejandro’s – driving here is not a quick and easy thing for our group. First off the heat is crazy; the vehicles (we have) don’t have AC; and, it seems like every time it should take us 10 minutes it takes 30. Usually we needed to purchase something so rather than keeping the kids in the van’s with the windows closed (I was out voted) we let the kids come in to the cool store. It did feel good but with 20 something gallivanting around it takes time…it’s all good!

Again Pastor Alejandro had the water running and the floors IN THE CHURCH cooled down for our arrival. How refreshing. We had purchased sandwich makings but when we arrived, Pastor Alejandro’s wife, Gabriella, had prepared bean and chorizo burritos. It was absolutely wonderful. We kept the sandwich stuff for the evening meal and devoured her cooking.

The afternoon VBS was next to the church (a few blocks) with about half the kids showing from yesterday but had more adults. Similar process as the morning, however, Jeff, Kayla, Sam and Derek shared their testimonies. Following the children’s portion, Jose and Alejandro shared with the adults. Several individuals requested prayer and one wanted to invite the Lord as His personal savior.

We pray the Lord opened his eyes to the truth of who he is and we are desperately lost without Him! The gentleman lived up the street from the church and promised to be at the service in the morning with his family. All the adults were challenged to get plugged into the ministry Pastor Alejandro and Gabriella provide at church and to stay connected with other believers. Pray the VBS today was made a great impact on the community close to the church.

The piñata rope broke with Patrick (from Spongebob Squarepants) still in tack. The kids were like vultures with Jose fending off. The candies were collect by the team and began throwing around. Great fun!

At both VBS events, we served water and watermelon or bananas. I wondered of how many of those kids that was their first and last thing to eat that day…

We ate when we arrived at the campground and the kids swam. Jill and Kylee monitored the pool while the rest of the leaders and a few students help clean up the vans and organize our stuff. I am extremely thankful for the adults on this trip. Melany, Naomi, Liz, Jill, Kylee, Al, Scott, Jared and Dan have been an absolute great group to be with. Thanks much you guys.

We ended our night with devotions led by Hunter (I don’t even know his last name). Hunter is the pastor’s son from the church in Alaska the Nicholas family attended. He shared about giving to the least of these…reminding us that regardless of where we are and who we come in contact with, it is important to remember our walk and talk (IF we claim to be Christian).

Not sure if there will be a blog entry tomorrow with access to wi-fi and time. If so great! If not, then those loved ones with family here will hear firsthand the adventures for the week. Others of you stay tune for when we will share at FCC and plan on attending.

Gracias

THANK you FCC for providing the snacks! We have been enjoying all week and what a blessing they have been. The candy you also provided has been a joy for the kids in Tecate. We are using for the pinata!

Friday, July 16

This morning Kayla lead devotions from Psalms 130: 3 -5 which led to the discussion about living our life for Christ and the praise for the forgiveness He provides!

Al, Scott, Dan and Jared went to Pastor Alfredo to work on construction. They were there all day accomplishing much for the church and the pastor. There is no power in the location so working is difficult (thank you for the generator FCC!) and they have no running water unless delivered to the tank…The guys worked on house plumbing, restroom, remodel on a neighbor’s house and framing for the church. Amazing heat, lots of water and a lot of sweat. What a fabulous blessing!

At Pastor Alejandro’s service Wednesday, a group of ladies invited our team to share VBS in their neighborhood that is located far from the church. So the rest of the team spent the morning doing that. We pulled up to a dry, hot, little shade space. Once we began our team shared three stories through skit – Daniel in the lion’s den; Jonah and the whale; and, the Good Samaritan.

We served fresh watermelon and water then ended with piñata. Always a treat for kid! They wanted to play soccer but it was too hot!

We left for Pastor Alejandro’s church to have lunch, rest and cool off a bit. When we arrived, Pastor Alejandro had the hose running and cooled our feet off outside. Then he brought the hose off and began watering the wall’s and cement floor. It was amazing how great that felt. By the time we left for the VBS it felt like a sauna in the church…

Pastor Jose took many from the team around the area to invite the children to the VBS to start at 3 pm. Our team had flyers to give out while Jose invited. About 3:30 kids started arriving and by 4 we had probably 60 people.

Games, watermelon and water and a piñata were on the agenda again. Josh, Brett and Ryan shared their testimony after the skits and did a great job. They stepped up to the plate and volunteered! Tomorrow the rest of the team will be sharing their testimonies.

Of course the fun and games are great but the real reason is to share the gift of Christ. We pray we are doing that in our actions, deeds and most importantly in the words conveyed. Pastor Jose and Alfredo shared and we pray the Lord opened eyes!
We ended the day getting back a bit earlier to enjoy the pool then a team meeting debriefing the day with lights out around 9:30.

Keep us in your prayers and pray for tomorrow as we conduct two more VBS sessions in the morning and afternoon.