Mexicali Dos

My time in Mexicali was a true blessing. To be surrounded by so many people from home. To feel love and encouragement from people I’ve never met before. To watch kids be loved on who you can tell have a huge lack of love at home. To watch a church building go up in less than a week.

My personal triumph of the week was interpreting for the first time. Because it was people from home I had a little more courage to make a complete fool of myself. On Wednesday, I interpreted the pastors’ testimonies from Spanish to English. With a good bit of help from Kourtney and only a couple impatient remarks from the pastors it went pretty good. Then, on Thursday and Friday I interpreted the testimonies of the team members at the Bible school from English to Spanish. I know there were a whole lot of grammatical errors but I also know that the message of God’s love and power shone through all of my mistakes.

Every day, the Bible school at Gustavo’s church (Iglesia Vida Eterna=Eternal Life Church) had about thirty kids. And a majority of the kids returned every day to learn something new. It was very unique to see how the people from South Hills bonded so tightly with the kids. Our last night in Mexicali, we went to the first service in the new building that South Hills built. When it was time to say the goodbye, people from both sides of the border were crying because they did not want to leave one another. There was a deep bond of love which I think can only by formed through Christ.

I had no idea the week my church from home was here would affect me so much. They left over a week ago and I’m still trying to get over missing them and missing home. I thought I was so happy here. I thought I could live here forever. But seeing people who I know, who I love, who love me, who get me, who act like me really made me second guess that. And it’s not that I don’t want to be here anymore. I still love it here. I will leave a lot of love here when I go home. But I’m a Vegas girl. I’m not ready to move away for good…YET!

The Bible school throughout the week...

Sunday service on the land before the construction started...

The big party at the end of the week...And the final product!

Mexicali!

So, last Wednesday we (Rick & Tammie & co., Sammie (Rick's assistant), Casey, Kourtney, and I) went to Mexicali to set a few things up for the spring break groups that will be building churches there. And to get a feel for the city so we don't get ourselves completely lost when groups come. We got there in the early afternoon on Wednesday and immediately went to meet up with the pastor, Rafa, and see where his new church is going to be built in Oaxaca which is about 30 minutes outside of Mexicali. Now when I say we do anything "immediately" that's in Mexican time. We actually stopped to get directions a few times, stopped to check out a hotel to possibly stay in, stopped to get directions again, ate tortas for lunch, THEN immediately went to meet Rafa. Who wasn't even there. Wednesday was a day full of driving and it was nice to lay down at the end of the day.



Thursday came with a big surprise. We drove to the border to check out what the crossing situation looked like and then stopped to eat lunch at a taco shop right there. We all ate and were talking when I saw someone out of the corner of my eye walk in. I quickly glanced up, looked away, then thought, "What the heck? That's Neal!" He had left LV at 5am and had driven down with Brian McQuown, Matt Hall and pastor Bret to check out Mexicali to prepare for their spring break trip with us. I was SO surprised.

So, Thursday we went to check out where South Hills will be staying, went to check where they'll be building the house, met Gustavo (the pastor they're building the church for), went to get some dinner at a Mexican restaurant, then crashed at the hotel. And Friday was another day of driving. The drive to Mexicali is about 4 hours from Ensenada.

For the few of you who don't read Neal Benson's Blog I wanted to give you a chance to see the sick video Kyle Rock made from their prep trip to Mexicali. Click HHEERREE to check it out!