Tijuana Mission Trip
Venturing Beyond Our Border to Do God’s Work
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| Left-to-right: Janice Kashmier, Trudy Moriarty, Scott Verseman, new-homeowner Jaime,Rod Gerlach, Theresa Ancona and Karen Padron |
Article by Rod Gerlach
Joyful Harvest Church took its outreach far outside of
the church walls—more than 2,000 miles to be exact—to
Tijuana, Mexico on July 21-28, 2017. Five church members
joined 12 other Christians from churches in Crystal Lake
and Island Lake to build 3 small homes for
underprivileged families.
To save time, the mission crew (ages ranging from 16-74)
flew from Midway Airport to San Diego. There, they
rented 2 cargo vans and a 15-passenger van to transport
purchased building materials, food, and the crew across
the border for the week. It didn’t take long for the
Lord’s presence on the trip to be felt. A Home Depot
manager noticed all the Thrivent Financial T-shirts,
adorned with crosses and a heart, worn by the people
purchasing more than $1,800 in materials. After learning
of our cause, the store manager provided a substantial
discount on the bill.
The first travel day was a long one, since departure
from Joyful Harvest was at 2:30 a.m., and a layover in
Denver added to the flight time. God’s hand was also
evident when crossing the border, as the Mexican border
patrol waived tariffs on the building materials after it
was explained they were to build homes in Tijuana.
Everyone soon found their place in the men’s and women’s
bunk bed sleeping quarters in the walled El Divino
Mission and settled in for the evening.
The first work day wasn’t at the home sites, but rather
within the courtyard of the mission. Plywood boards for
the walls of the 12x12-foot homes needed to be painted
green and brown, and lots of lumber was cut. Teamwork
and fellowship evolved naturally as the volunteers
switched duties throughout the day. Crews were assigned
bathroom and cooking duties each day, which always ended
with devotions and a huddle around a fire pit consisting
of lumber scraps.
Sunday was a spiritual morning when mission trip members
attended a church service across the street from the
mission. Pastor Doug Liston from Joyful Harvest provided
an emotional sermon, and 3 other visitors from Illinois
read scripture from the Bible. All were interpreted for
the predominately Spanish-speaking audience. The
congregation and its visitors all sang Christian songs
in Spanish.
After getting a peek at the 3 work sites over the
weekend, Monday was the first work day there. The steep
terrain provided challenges on 2 of the sites in the
hilly neighborhood. Space was tight, and it was an
adventure ascending or descending by foot to the
locations. Each construction team met its goal of
erecting all 4 walls in the first day, which ended early
at 3:30, so the volunteers could visit an orphanage
related to the mission in Tijuana that night.
Mexico’s sun was intense, but ocean breezes made the
weather tolerable. Two long, hard workdays followed,
with windows and doors being installed, a loft for
children’s sleeping quarters being attached, and the
roof affixed. The sounds of hammers echoed in the
neighborhood. All of the homes were completed.
Anticipation immediately built for the last day in
Tijuana—home dedication day.
Each crew chief presented the home owners (families of
8, 4, and 3) with keys to open their new homes. The 2
pastors on the trip led prayers, and everyone at the
ceremony formed a circle and recited the Lord’s Prayer
in Spanish and English. Spanish Bibles and cross
necklaces were given to each family. In addition, crew
members nailed a cross above the house doors. It was all
very emotional and spiritual.
All good things come to an end. Mission trip members
packed after the ceremonies and spent the night at a San
Diego ocean-side hotel, where photos and memories were
shared. God truly blessed us all.