Noche Mexicana

On September 15th and 16th Mexico celebrated it's Independence from Spain. Yes, the Mexican equivalent to the 4th of July is not 5 de Mayo! The Prince of Peace church held a "Noche Mexicana", where everyone participated in some way, either by: decorating the patio, dressing up in traditional Mexican clothing, singing Christian songs with a Mexican flair, performing traditional Mexican dances, a puppet show telling the story of the beginning of the fight for independence, and selling traditional Mexican foods.

The community was invited to attend as well, and there were many visitors. The purpose was to reach out to the community and invite them to the Church for a non-threatening social event, and to raise funds to finish several work projects at the church.

Traditionally at midnight (Mexico City Time) a leader will call out the names of the principal people involved in the start of the Revolution, and the crowd will yell, "Viva" in response. The final yell is "Viva Mexico." At the church, Pastor Isaac added "Viva Cristo" to remember the religious freedoms we enjoy in Mexico, made possible by the freedom won from Spain. And to celebrate the Spiritual freedom we enjoy won for us by Christ.

To see more photos from the Noche Mexicana, click on the link in the lower right hand side of the page.

Karissa makes Profession of Faith

Karissa makes Profession of Faith at the Prince of Peace Church.

September 9th was a special day for our family. Karissa has wanted to make profession of faith and join the church for several years, but for various reasons, no new members classes were started. This spring, she and three other young people joined a catechism class. Along with friends Angelica Flores, Misael Escudero, and Andres Escudero, Karissa joined the church in a special service on Sunday night. After becoming members, Karissa and friend Lesly Giron, sang a special song to give thanks. Andres and his sister Diamandy also sang a song of praise they had written for the occasion. After the service we all enjoyed cake and ice cream, celebrating two birthdays as well, Marcia Geurink and Sanson Escudero.

The Prince of Peace congregation has a goal of becoming an organized church within two years. Adding new members is a step towards that goal. They will also be training elders and deacons, and the pastor, Isaac Rodriguez is taking steps to be ordained.

To see more pictures from Karissa's profession of faith, click on the link in the lower right side bar.

What's Hot?

Greetings from sunny and HOT Tijuana. Monday morning when we arrived at the Agua Viva mission for the 10:00 Bible study, the temperature was already 105 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time we left at 11:30 it was 113! There is no electricity yet, so no fans either. We were glad that four of the regular ladies came to the study, this shows the kind of interest they have in learning about the Bible and their new life in Christ.
Today it is a little cooler, but still in the 90's. Pray for the family that is staying at the mission: Ramon and Alma, and their four children. It has been difficult the last few weeks with such intense heat. They have not complained and are a real blessing.
Please take a look at our photo album for the new mission. There is a link in the side bar on the right side of the page. Just click on the Agua Viva Photo Album and you will be directed to the site. We plan to keep adding pictures as we are able.