Saludos desde Tacoma!

I discovered why they call them "SnowBirds"! Tecate, Mexico is not exactly Maui, but it was still warmer than Tacoma! This is a brief report on the trip. There were seventeen members in the group, from Bethany Bible Church, of Kenmore, WA (just north of Seattle). We rendezvoused in San Diego (some driving down with equipment, some flying down) and crossed into Mexico on Sunday. Tecate is right on the border about 45 minutes southeast of San Diego. Sunday morning we met our host church and enjoyed their hospitality in the service. The group was working with Tecate Mission, a ministry that starts and helps Mexican churches and runs a Bible Institute there in Tecate. Our main goals were to build an extension to the church and do some painting at the Bible Institute. Monday came and the team went to work. And work they did! One group went to the Bible Institute to do dry walling and painting. I stayed with a group at the church and helped dig holes for the posts of the new extension. We had to break through concrete in a few holes, and all of us agreed that the concrete was easier digging than the dirt underneath! The group at the Institute made good progress; most of their task--including painting the inside of the large chapel--was finished by Wednesday. The church work needed lots of thinking and planning, so naturally we were much slower! But Allan Dickason and Tal Taylor, our engineers, rose to the occasion, and by Wednesday afternoon the posts were going up, cement was being poured, and on Thursday we cruised! We finished the posts, got the beams up, put in floor joists, and even some (temporary) floors. It was great to see so much happen as everybody pulled together. There were some reasons why things could have gone otherwise. We went down not knowing exactly what we'd be doing for work projects (they do say "Flexico" for a reason!). Group members ranged in age from 12 to (ahem) 70-ish. We slept on concrete floors, had no showers, lost power, and it was very chilly in the mornings (and we never got 'churros'!). But I saw cheerful attitudes, teamwork, and prayer. It was a very special time to work alongside and bond with our supporters!

Another source of joy on the trip was our Mexican brothers and sisters. Pastor Jesus León and his wife Leticia have a real heart for people. The church is five years old, and they are reaching out effectively to their community. Sunday morning a lady came forward for salvation. Leticia brought groups of children to the church for games and evangelism on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Julio is a 14 year old boy whose mother has chosen Boyfriend #X over him. He spends his days at the church and the Leones have taken him under their wings. They have a young girl under similar circumstances staying in their home. It was good to be in Mexican church services Sunday and Thursday. I enjoyed getting to know Cresencio, a student/intern who lives at the church.

I have written quite a bit about the trip to give you a little bit of a taste of a missions trip to Mexico. I hope that this piques your interest in the idea of coming down. Many people ask about coming down to work with us in Puebla, and many ask, "What will we do?" Well, something like this trip may be a possibility (we'll try to get you a place with hot showers, though!). Other things may involve outreach in parks, VBS, or even schools. Music, drama, and sports are some (not the only) skills that lend themselves to outreach. A flexible mindset and a desire to learn and grow are invaluable, too. It was a pleasure working with Bethany in Tecate, and we trust that we will have the joy of seeing them (again) and other groups from the States experience God's work in Mexico.

Thank you for your prayers for the time down there.

Nos vemos!
Tim & Barbara-Lee

PS: If you would like to see a few photos from the trip, visit our website at http://www.theglessners.org/PhotoPage.html.

Tim & Barbara-Lee Glessner
mexico@theglessners.org
(253) 274-8575
921 S. ‘M’ St.
Tacoma, WA 98405