Equipo Tijuana en Accion

I arrived in San Diego yesterday afternoon and I am thankful that my luggage made it before 1 AM today rather than not at all. I crossed the border with Greg Saracoff (LAM missionary with his wife Kathy and their two kids) this AM and had the privilege to visit various ministries associated with “Equipo Tijuana en Acción” also known as Team Tijuana in English, an associate ministry of Latin America Mission. Our first stop was “Esperanza” (Hope) an amazing drug rehab program where the participants learn practical skills such as welding, glass work, brick making, carpentry and auto repair which will allow them to not only earn an income but keeps them busy, a must for those trying to leave the drug lifestyle. To my pleasant surprise it is run by Javier, a Godly man whom I had the privilege of meeting during the “Instituto Forum Latinum” conference I attended with some Cuban Pastors in Colombia last year. I had forgotten that he was here in TJ and enjoyed catching up with him and seeing his fantastic ministry first hand.

From there we visited Campo de Fe, a ministry that takes in the injured individuals that nobody else cares for and the hospitals won’t accept. “Rosa” runs this ministry high on a hill above TJ where some of the poorest of the poor who have been gravely injured in various ways are brought to heal or die in loving surroundings with people who minister to their body and soul. One of the men I spoke to recently had his middle left toe amputated due to complications of diabetes. Now my dad had a toe amputated (he chose to have the doctor do this rather than chopping it off himself, but that’s another story) and he came home from the hospital with it nicely sewn and bandaged up. Not so here. I’m not a doctor, but what I was looking at seemed more like the chicken meet that Claudia chops up. There was a literal hole where his toe used to be with various parts hanging out that I think should have been inside. He thought the doctors had done a good job, so I just smiled and prayed for him as he dabbed the open wound with some gauze. Wow!

Next we had a meeting with some of the leaders of the ministries associated with Team Tijuana and I get to meet a few of the pastors and leaders I will be sharing more with over the next few days. Please pray for wisdom as I seek to encourage some of them in working together as a team and considering themselves as parts of the body of Christ instead of their own independent, unattached ministries. Pray for a sensitivity to the spirit and a sharpness of mind as I listen and respond to their own concerns, needs and desires for the ministries they are involved in. Also please continue praying for Claudia and the boys back at home continuing with their normal routine while I’m away. Thank you for your prayers and support. I’ll add more in a day or so.

God bless!