Kevin & Cindy - The entire experience was such a blessing.

Kevin & Cindy - The entire experience was such a blessing.

  For many years we have been playing in Baja with our family and friends.  We have always loved it there and especially fell in love with the people and culture from day one.  About a year ago feeling very blessed with some free time and not being financially strapped anymore, we promised God to do missionary work somewhere but didn’t know where.  As we researched the idea at our church (North Coast Calvary) we were told about a man named Pasquale Russo.  He had been doing weekend missions building houses in Baja with “Baja Ministries”.  It was a perfect fit for getting our feet wet since it was close to our home in Carlsbad and we had building experience.

  On our first trip we were connected with founder Bob Sanders and what a weekend.  You think you are going south to bless the less fortunate but believe us we got the blessing.  Words can’t describe what God is doing through this mission headed by Bob.  Its not just building, souls are being saved daily and all parties come away with and increasable experience.  The friendships both with the locals and other US team members from other churches are priceless and definitely have God in the center.

  Our first mission took us to a family that had recently lost 2 children to a fire and pregnant with their third.  The grandparents also lived in the same shack and the grandma was suicidal due to the loss of the grandkids.  In one weekend our team built this special family a new home and were able to supply them with some needed appliances and things for the new house.  The tears of sorrow had been converted to tears of joy and appreciation upon leaving.  Two months later we returned with some Christmas gifts only to find out that their new baby was born a week after we left and named after Cindy.  Cindy still cries about this several months later but it is a healthy cry.

  The entire experience was such a blessing that we were able to convince our small group to join us on a second adventure of building another new home for a deserving family.  Again what a huge success, everyone in the group came together like you wouldn’t believe, it was so obvious that the Holy Spirit was with us.  Men, women and children whom had never done construction before learned what to do in one weekend and the house was again completed in 2 days, its amazing.

  This second trip had such an impact on the entire group that plans are under way for the next trip already and it is our vision that we can do this every 2 or 3 months.  If anyone would’ve told us 20 years ago when we were playing in Baja that we would one day be building houses here we never would’ve believed them.  Although we did not know, God knew, those days of playing and taking from this rich culture were preparing us to give back with so much joy and love.  This ministry is so beneficial and rewarding for all, that we highly recommend to all give a try just once. It does not matter what you know or don’t know about construction, there is something for everyone to do. Lives on both sided of the boarder are changed and souls on both sides are saved through this awesome experience.

Humbly in Christ,
Kevin and Cindy Collins
Carlsbad, CA

© 2005 Kevin & Cindy Collins - Used with Permission

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Pastor Russ Belmont - The blessings for us have been immeasurable

I am Pastor Russell Belmont, the Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, in Concord California.  I would like to share a shortened version or our journey to Baja.  We went with a team of 26 to the El Nino area of Baja California.

The blessings for us have been immeasurable.  This opportunity for our church has been overwhelming.  We have had 90% participation from our entire church on this project. Prayer teams, organizational teams, financial support, individuals going into the work place and raising support for the buildings. We wanted to raise $5600 for one house and someone offered to match it if we raised it be a particular date. We did and they matched it. Two days later, the church had raised a total of $10,000 not including the matching gift or the cost that each individual paid to go on the trip. We were also sent with 60 bibles.

Bob Sanders, the director of Baja Christian Ministries  response to the 60 bibles was, “well, I promise you that we will lead 60 people to Christ”. Naturally I thought he was over exaggerating and that he was a bit nuts. But he had made this promise to the whole group, so… our journey began.

Before we began work, Bob had us first meet the land owners on Tuesday and we led them to Christ and His heavenly home. Once our meeting was done, we began to build their earthly home. We watched them grow spiritually for the next few days, what a blessing that was.

For the next few days our team did door to door evangelism, a sports ministry, a children's ministry and built two houses.  We preached in the local churches and had a mime presentation for those services. We were overjoyed to see the welcoming response from the people who were touched by all of these ministries.

On Thursday evening, our team had a powerful time of sharing and it was awesome to hear all of what our team had learned and felt. During this time of sharing, each person shared where they saw God working, and they also shared one need they felt they wanted met for our Baja friends.  The responses brought out many tears, we could see that hearts were changed and broken.  We all decided that we would invest the extra money that had been raised by the church at home and invest it in meeting the needs at hand. We were able to furnish the two homes with stoves, 6 brand new mattresses, groceries, clothes (underwear and socks), shoes, sheets, blankets, and bibles along with the purple discipleship books. Our painter even left his equipment for Antonio to begin a painting ministry. We bought 4 different families groceries, not to mention the soccer balls and special gifts that were needed for different individuals. One of our youth spent the last of his money on a pair of shoes for a special little boy. The next morning we sent a team shopping and the others completed the home, while another team went out for a final effort to lead more to Jesus Christ.

By Friday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock we had the privilege and honor to lead a total of 60 people to Christ! That's correct!  What Bob stated when we arrived, had been completed by Friday afternoon. Wow! What a joy this has been for those who received Christ and for those of us who watched God work. The harvest is ripe and the workers are few who go out and evangelize, but the hearts of this community are open in a way that I have never seen before. Each house that I went to, they were open and accepting to the gospel or in the need of prayer. These people are open to the gospel and ready to give their lives to the hope that is in Jesus Christ. There were a total of 62 commitments to follow Christ that we saw.  One special commitment was by one of the team members who came down to help, He gave his life to Christ on the last night! He had gone on one of the walks around the community to do evangelism and he saw the joy and relief on the faces of those who committed their lives to Christ, and he wanted the same forgiveness in his own life. 

I encourage you to join God and go join the work that Baja Christian Ministries is doing. The many years of labor and dedication of Bob Sanders and Baja Christian Ministries, as well as other ministries, has tilled the soil for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be presented with such an alarming and overwhelming acceptance. I can not describe how urgently I have the desire to return (it is an 11 hour drive from here) because the harvest is ripe and the people are hungry and thirsty for the gospel.

This opportunity can change lives, not only for those in Baja, but for those who go. The blessings are immeasurable. In our case, many youth have changed outlooks and attitudes.  Our youth have come back with a desire to speak the language and learn more about evangelism so that they can be more effective for the next trip. As for our church, this has helped us work together with our talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts church wide, not just for the Baja team alone. This has been one of the best things our church has done.  Baja missions with Baja Christian Ministries will continue to be a yearly event, if not twice a year for us.

May God bless you as you Go into all the world and make disciples!

Together In Christ,

Pastor Russ Belmont

© 2005 Russ Belmont - Used with Permission

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By Harry Saltzgaver

I have been humbled.

         Last weekend, Maria (my wife), John (my stepson) and I accompanied a group from Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (my church) to Mexico. We were there to build a home as part of something called Baja Christian Ministries, sort of a Habitat for Humanity south of the border.

         There were about 40 of us. We stayed at a place near Tecaté and drove about 20 miles to the hills surrounding Tijuana to our building site.

         This is not the Mexico of Cabo, or even Ensenada. This is the real thing. The rutted road up the hill to the work site passed 8x10 shacks housing families of five or more, with no running water and single light bulbs powered by narrow strands of wire hanging from bare power lines.

         And the people were smiling.

         Just last week, I was cursing the cable television company for charging so much, and trying to figure out how to afford a trip to play some golf. I have been humbled.

         When we arrived at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, there was a bare 16’x16’ foundation and a tarp covering a bunch of lumber. When we left at 4 p.m. Sunday, there was a 400-square-foot, three rooms plus a loft home, painted on the outside and sheet-rocked inside, with a locking door, four light fixtures, three outlets and a new outhouse out back.
 

         In more than three years, I still haven’t finished painting the inside of my house. I was humbled.

         When we stopped for lunch and the neighbors came calling, I watched people stand in line for an hour, and then thank cooks with a tear in their eye for some potato salad and a piece of chicken. And I get impatient if my Sourdough Jack takes more than a minute. I was humbled.

         I managed to do another of my klutz pratfalls, this time sliding off a roof to fall eight feet or so onto a ladder and sundry other construction equipment. I was working again an hour later with nothing more than a jammed wrist and plenty of bruises. It was one of God’s smaller miracles of the weekend. I was humbled.

         I saw the overwhelming gratitude and pride of Ramon and Sophia as they held up the key to their new home. Ramon works longer hours than I do driving a taxi to bring home $50 to $70 a week, and the land (if you can call it that) his home is on will cost him $50 a month for the next four years. All he could say was that he didn’t deserve our kindness.

         I was humbled.

         I watched as one person after another in our group stepped forward to lead in whatever capacity was necessary. I wasn’t one of them. I was a follower. I was humbled.
 

         I left California on Friday evening with 40 relative strangers. I returned Sunday with 40 brothers and sisters whom I can call friends and to whom I firmly believe I can turn to in times of need. I have a connection to a family in the near-Tijuana barrio. I have memories of working selflessly with my stepson and my wife for someone else’s benefit.

         I am humbled. And exalted. Thank you, God.

Appeared in the Grunion Gazette, Oct. 9 edition, as “A Pinch of Salt,” please. www.gazettes.com
Used with Permission

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by Nathan Thompson

I saw the Lord's smile that day

I saw the Lord's smile that day, on the poor and the oppressed,
I saw with my own eyes the way one family was richly blessed.

First the foundation, strong and bold, reminded me of his love untold.

The wooden studs placed neatly in a row, hammered together with haste, and care,
each pounding nail and saw-cut board showed the world that He was there.
The walls were raised, their corners buttressed,
stud and soffit, bolt, and gable.
"Come all!" to the rhythm of the percussion--
He will show us that He is able.

Jesus said "In my Father's house are many mansions."
We pound, we nail, we toil, with passion.
He said "I go to prepare a place for you, and where I go you cannot follow..."
for we know that before we can reap the harvest, we first must sow.

The sun beats down now upon our work, the sweat from our brows swiftly dripping,
every wallboard, every sheet, every nail becomes a testimony
to HIS great Kingdom, that He is building.

The Lord looked down at the work of our hands--
the roof boards, the rafters, the windows, the flashing.
He said "Trust in me, and I will supply your needs."
He smiled upon them, as He opened his loving hand of blessing.

And as we looked upon those hands-- the hands scarred by pounding stake,
we remembered He was nailed upon such a board as we were nailing,
and it made our hearts ache.

As we spackled and smoothed each last panel, the Lord showed his provision for all that day.
As we gathered 'round our finished work and dedicated it to the Lord, I longed to hear him say....
"Well done good and faithful servant!
For when I was hungry, you fed me.
When I was thirsty, you gave me drink.
When I was naked, you clothed me.
When I was in prison, you visited me."

Lord, we went to be a blessing to one family less fortunate.
We sang, we worked hard, we prayed.
Your word says "Don't be just hearers of the word, but doers also."
By doing good for others, we, ourselves, received the blessing when we followed, and obeyed.

Yes, I saw the Lord's smile that day, upon those who had been poor and oppressed.
I saw with my own eyes the way, all of us were richly blessed.
And as I hugged the children who now had a new home, and wiped the tears from their eyes,
He whispered "I go to build a place for you in my Kingdom, and I will return for you,
that you may be with me always."

Submitted February 18, 2001 by Nathan Thompson, after building a home in Tijuana, Mexico with Baja Christian Ministries, Team Casa de Dios, Team Christian Fellowship, and Volunteers Unite! Foundation.

©Nathan Thompson 2001
Published here with Permission.