The new Church building

I only have a few pictures to show right now- but here is a bit of the construction team we had here from Sept. 29-Oct 10...

They came from mostly Alberta Canada (one from Abbotsford, BC) to construct this church building in a very poor community of Valle Redondo in between Tijuana and Tecate. It seems a little (a lot!) out of place in the neighbourhood of shacks and squatter homes, but it will serve as a base for ministry to this entire area!

On one of my last blogs I showed the progression of the building from meeting without a roof and only 3 walls to the paving of the cement. These are the stages that we progressed through in the last couple of weeks, Praise God!!
The Canadians were joined by some of the guys form the church that didn't have other obligations. One family are "brickmakers". They rent some land and use the clay on it to make bricks. The landowner comes as the bricks are being baked and collects his 15% of the profits before they are sold. The family then needs to sell enough bricks to buy the other materials needed and pay the rental fee before they can start again. This family had not sold enough bricks to be working making more bricks so they came by to help in the construction. This picture was taken on Wednesday of the first day after 2.5 days of working!

The original goal was to try to get the roof on to keep out rain but the group worked so fast (and well!) that they went well beyond that and got the stairs up (front and back) and the upstairs walls in as well as electricity (with the help of Lake Morena Community Church in Campo, CA)!!
Right now the church in Campo is trying to raise enough money to finish off the insulation, electrical fixtures and drywall downstairs! Praise God!


Here is Ramiro collecting the keys to the church from Don and Judy Kropp- team leaders from Alberta! This is a huge blessing to this congregation and community!

Ramiro immediately plans on starting a daycare in one of the upstairs rooms. Many families work and the kids are left to fend for themselves for a good portion of the day. Often times single moms will put their kids in orphanages rather than let them run the streets.
He also plans on using one of the rooms upstairs to house a sewing shop for church ladies to sew goods to sell in the local markets to try to make a living for themselves as well as support the ministry of the church. They also have a children's feeding program to help feed the neighbourhood kids. This program (and the daycare and sewing shop) could use regular monthly support if you would be so inclined, get in touch with me and I'll help you make it work!

Thank you to the Kropp's group and Lake Morena Community Church in Campo, CA for blessing the Mexican church here in Tijuana. I am certain that this building will be an effective tool in the hands of the local church to spread the Good News of Jesus sacrificial death and resurrection on our behalf!

May God be Glorified!!