Day Four and Five

We enjoyed a day off yesterday which included brunch at La Fonda Restaurant and some time sight-seeing in Ensenada. There were a few rain showers throughout the day but it was a great day and we enjoyed time together as a team. Something you could pray for…we met another missions group (American) in Ensenada and while we were there one of their members, a woman in her sixties, was struck by a semi-truck. Some of our team was on the accident site and helped her. Her legs were crushed and she was bleeding badly. Please pray for her healing and for her team who were obviously shaken by the accident.

Today started early for some of the team who headed to Tijuana to serve breakfast to families who live on the former dump of Tijuana. They were able to serve food, hold babies and love on people. It was a good morning.

Others worked at Casa de Luz, holding babies, teaching a dance class, leading sports and games, doing crafts with the children, and cleaning out some storage areas. A few people also went out into the neighbourhood and delivered invitations to our city-wide outreach event and gave gifts and candy to the children.

Many of the men worked a long day on the jobsite. Thankfully the weather was good and they got lots done. We are a little behind schedule though so your prayers are appreciated!

After dinner the Moms of CDL and some of the CDL volunteers were treated to a Spa night complete with manicures and pedicures, hairstyles, makeup, massages, delicious desserts and coffee, gift bags and new pajama sets and clothing. It is such a privilege for us to bless these Moms who work hard to provide for their children.

We also provided child-care for their kids while the Moms enjoyed their night off in another quiet building. The children had fun playing games and hanging out with our team. We also got to hand out the Christmas shoe-boxes to the children of CDL tonight. It was fun to watch them opening their gifts – a lot of big smiles in the room tonight!

And of course, you can’t celebrate New Year’s Eve in Mexico without fireworks so that is how we will be ending the evening! Happy New Year’s, everyone!

We have several team members who are sick so please continue to pray for strength and health and protection for us. We are serving in a lot of different areas and we need strength and energy (and God’s grace) to accomplish it. Thank you!

Day Three

We had another busy and fun day! The men on the jobsite have worked hard and are already working on the second floor of our three-story building. It started raining tonight and there is rain in the forecast for the next few days. Rain will delay construction so we are praying for sun!

The women and teens/kids sanded and repainted tables at Casa de Luz. It was a big and slightly messy job but everyone pitched in and did a great job. We also packaged up some lovely gift bags for the single Moms who will be attending our Spa Night on Monday night. We also did some baking and sorted through new clothing that we will get to give away that night.

There is a street market that takes place on Saturdays right down the road from Casa de Luz so a few of us went there and handed out invitations to our city-wide outreach event that takes place next Saturday.

Pastor Daniel and Pastora Aleyda celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary today with a vow renewal ceremony followed by a dinner reception. They invited our entire team to attend. It was a special time of celebrating with them and their church.

We are currently at Casa de Luz, playing games and hanging out. We’ll head out to Door of Faith (our home base) and brave the elements a little later tonight. For now we’re happy to be warm and dry here. There continues to be some sickness amongst us so please pray for good health and strength for the team.

Tomorrow is our day off so you’ll hear more from us on Monday.

Thanks for your prayers!

Day One and Two

Hello everyone! Our first day, the day of travel was a long one and not without some complications. There were border lineups and one of the flights was delayed. The Esaus who drove the van and trailer down hit some major traffic before San Diego and were also delayed but everyone arrived in good spirits. We headed to the border, praying along the way, and met up with some resistance from the Mexican customs officers who searched our trailers and suitcases. They feared that we were bringing the toys into Mexico to sell them and threatened to turn us back but after an hour or so (with the passengers in the vans praying hard) they decided to let us go through to Mexico. Thank you, Jesus! We arrived at Door of Faith Orphanage after 11 and didn’t get unpacked and settled until well after midnight. Everyone was so great, offering to help others and get camp ready. This is such a generous and kind team of servant-hearted people!

Today we headed to Casa de Luz where some of the team did crafts, held babies, led sports and games and taught a dance class! It has been a fun day. Several people are also at the work site today and have already accomplished a lot in a short time! We also wrote cards and decorated boxes for the food and gift hampers that we will be delivering next week and a group went out around Casa de Luz to pray for people, hand out small gifts and candies to children and hand out invitations to the City-wide outreach event and church services. A few members of the team also went out and bought all of our groceries for the next nine days, which is a huge task with a team of over 50 people! It’s been a productive and fun day!

Tonight we have invited a few of the Casa de Luz Moms to have dinner with us and share their stories with our team. We will also pray for them tonight. It is a privilege to get to know these special moms and hear about what God is doing in their lives and in the lives of their children. What an amazing and faithful God we serve!

Thank you for covering us in prayer. Some team members are coming down with sore throats and colds so please pray for healing and strength and good health for everyone. We continue to pray for the people that we will be meeting and talking to this week and ask that Jesus would make Himself known to them in a real and meaningful way and that His name would be made famous here in Primo Tapia!

Christmas 2012 Mission to Mexico

The new Casa de Luz trailer is loaded up with construction supplies, crafts, face paint, soccer balls, Christmas gifts for children, items for food hampers, new clothes and gifts for single parents, and everything else we need to serve the children and families of Primo Tapia, Mexico. Our team leaves on December 27th and returns home on January 6th. Please pray especially for Len & Heather and Carly Esau as they will be driving the new van and trailer down to Mexico. We're praying for safety and that there are no delays (or glitches at the borders, etc). The rest of the team is flying.

Our team this year consists of: Aanalea Dyck, Tim & Amanda Dickson and Anna and Noah, Len & Heather Esau, Carly Esau, Brian & Christie, Brady and Levi Fehlauer, Ryan Floris, Dave & Angie and Jordan, Nathan and Ryan Hildebrandt, Josh & Tara and Grace Lockington, Adam Patillo, Ian Patillo, Luke Patillo, Matthew Patillo, Makaela Peters, Matthew Peters, Bert & Teresa Petkau, Noah Pilon, Ben Ritchie, Walt & Sarah and Rebecca, Cole and Carter Siebert, Gary & Lisa and Mark Stephens, Art & Margaret Toews, Zach Toews, Gerald & Deanna and Katriana, Marina and Benjamin Van Woudenberg, Ben Vegt, Conrad & Rachel Warkentin and Mike Woloshen.

We will keep this blog updated as much as we can so please keep checking! Thanks for your prayers and support.

~The Christmas 2012 Mexico Team

Mexico Missions 2011 Video

Mexico Mission Trip 2011 from Abbotsford Vineyard Church on Vimeo.