Building begins & Ministry continues...

Some important details I was told that I missed on my previous blog entry is the beautiful sunshine that we are experiencing down here in Mexico, as well as next the fact that next year’s Christmas dinner will no longer be the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc, but rather a traditional and delicious rice and beans. It is very true that on top of all the work that we are doing, and the fun that we having playing with the children, we are incredibly blessed by the weather that we’re experiencing and the amazing food that Brenda and her team cooks up for us every day. All the above being great reasons to already put your name on the list for the next missions trip down here!

You will see in the pictures below that the building of the church progressed to the first layer of the walls being put up, which will continue to grow rapidly today, as the whole team heads out there. 

On top of ministering to the children through our daily VBS, we also had an amazing opportunity yesterday to minister to the ladies of Empalme through a wonderful fellowship time of devotions, crafts, and sharing of coffee & biscuits.  

Below are just a few words from Rebecca Wall in regards to her experience so far.

So far during the missions trip, the highlight has been helping with VBS. It is so amazing to see how we can communicate with the kids even with the language barrier. All the kids want is love. It has been a real eye opener to see how happy the kids are, and yet they have almost nothing. I’m looking forward to going back to VBS again and our other ministries. 

First day encounters...

As I briefly expressed in the previous post it's a blessing to be able to apart of God's work and what He is doing down here in Mexico. By simply spending one day here one can easily be overwhelmed by the needs that one is faced with and that one encounters here in Mexico, but at the same time to be able to witness the joy and contentment in those who may have little in the eyes of the world, but are so rich in Christ is amazing and refreshing. Something that was impressed on many of the teams members yesterday, especially those working with the children through the VBS, was the universal language of love. Though we are a group from Canada, and have entered the Latino culture of Mexico, where there are barriers such as the language, we have something greater, and something that goes beyond these physical boundaries which is the love of God. God's love is something that can be communicated in a variety of ways, which can be something as simple as a smile, a touch, sharing of songs, or just simply taking the time to sit down with someone despite the ability to clearly communicate. Yesterday we had the opportunity to express God's love through the hard working of hands by beginning and completing the laying of the foundation of the church building, packing candy bags to be distributed to kids within a nearby community, as well as food hampers which we will have the opportunity to distribute later this week, through playing games, making crafts, and telling stories to the children. Each one of these just as important as the next. Below are just a few pictures to capture some of the moments and experiences of yesterday.

Helping to prepare candy bags.                             

                                                

VBS preparations

The hard job of picking fresh oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.

Pouring the foundation of the church building.

Enjoying some delicious Mexican food.

VBS with the children in Empalme.

Arts & Crafts

Story-time

Games time

Exploring the land of the cacti.

A safe arrival...

Twenty-four plus hours later of travel by van and plane we arrived safely down in San Carlos, MX late last night, experiencing God's blessing and mercies the entire way. After the long day of travel we all enjoyed a  good nights rest, and were ready for the work that was set out for us. In so many more ways than one can describe we saw and experienced the hand of God. It is a blessing to be apart of what God is doing here in Mexico. Tomorrow morning I will give some updates and reflections on some of our experiences so far.

The project ahead...

A group of 29, including adults, youth & families from Bethel Church plan to venture out to San Carlos, MX following this Christmas season with the opportunity to bring the message of hope to the people of Mexico.  The team plans to work on the construction of a church in the village of Fatima, along with run VBS's in the surrounding villages of Empalme and San Jose.
Here is a snapshot of what God is doing in Fatima:

Pastor Rafael and his wife, Marisela, have been in the area of Fatima for six years. Their passion is to reach out to the poorest part of this community with an outreach specifically to the children, many of whom come from very rough home situations. This past year Pastor Rafael & Marisela were blessed with the building of a pastoral house in this community, and this year the building of a new church next to the pastoral house has commenced, which is one of the projects that the team will take part in.