Les and Val Klassen

Missions trip to Loreto & Baja Sur 2007

Sunrise was still a good hour away as we began our trip south.  But it wasn't long until the heater in the van was switched over to the air-conditioning.  It doesn't take long for the desert to heat up, especially once you leave the coast and travel inland.  Before we would arrive in Loreto, 12 hours and one time zone away, we would go through 5 military checkpoints, and have the underside of our van sprayed ... sort of ... for who knows what kind of bugs at the Baja Sur border crossing ... some kind of agricultural control thing.

Angel Ramon came along on the trip, accompanied of course by Stan & Marilyn ... he was an absolute delight and travelled so well ... never fussing at all.  He and Les developed their own special greeting each day ... Les would stretch his arms as if he just woke up and Ramon would mimic him, followed by bending his head down and looking up at Les through his eyebrows ... quite comical actually.  They had a lot of fun together.

The hotel in Loreto was lower budget, but they did have a pool which was border-line clean after a few days of running the filter continuously ...they probably only started it up when we arrived, although we did have reservations.  Accommodations were sparse and cozy ... they are old camp type trailers ... probably from some BC or Washington coast logging camp.  But at $20/night we weren't complaining too loud.  We did have exclusive use of an outdoor kitchen palapa ... a pole building roofed with palm branches ... and it was a great place to eat our meals and have our group get-togethers each day.  We met each morning for a time of group Bible study and prayer, and would debrief each evening, often following by a time of worship ... unplugged with just one guitar.

Loreto is still very warm, and the humidity is higher than what we're used to in North  Baja, so the pool  was a welcome addition.  We did try swimming at the beach in town one day ... noticing no one else was swimming there ... and found out why not, the hard way.  One of our women got stung by a stingray ... quite a gash that drew a fair bit of blood.  She did go to the hospital and they took her in right away, even though the waiting room was crowded, and gave her a shot for the venom and the pain.  We decided to stay at the pool after that.  One night we were all awakened to the sound of laughter, cannon balls in the pool and much other poolside activity...at 3:30 - 4:00 AM...partiers returning from a long evening on the town.  Kind of cut into our regular sleeping patterns.  One other night, there was a loud concert at the gymnasium across the street from our hotel.  It started at 9:30 PM and lasted until after 3:00 AM.  Again, a very short night...but surprising enough, we all did quite well even though two of our nights (the sleeping part, that is) were cut quite short ... real short!

We did take a leisure day and travelled an hour north of town to a beautiful beach called Playa Requeson ... white sand ... shallow bay ... warm water ... warmer than the hotel pool.   While the guys  played with Ramon in the water, Val and some of the women had an opportunity to share about their relationships with Jesus Christ to a lady from Montreal who was travelling by herself.  She was camping on the beach and was interested in hearing more of Jesus Christ as she was on a spiritual searching journey herself.  They were also able to share Christ with the owner of our hotel, and before we left Loreto, she had accepted Christ as her Lord and Saviour.  If we stayed at this budget hotel for no other reason than to introduce her to Jesus Christ, the whole trip was worth it.  We know heaven was rejoicing in that moment.

While the primary focus of this trip was to encourage pastors and their spouses, and encourage unity  among the churches, we did receive invitations to 4 outlying churches for a future trip south.  These churches are full day excursions back into the mountains or along rugged coastlines.  We are already looking forward to such a time as we can visit these churches and encourage the people there.

With all the opportunities presented to us in Baja Sur, we sometimes wonder if God will clearly call us to that place to live.  We have a heart for Baja Sur, and so we will continue to avail ourselves of the opportunities to continue to visit the south, bringing encouragement to the pastors and their churches and accepting invitations to new communities.  Ministry opportunities are a little different in Baja Sur ... possibly less hands-on in regards to house building projects ... but more relational with the people ... more trips into the back country to the outlying areas to spend time encouraging the people there as well as more evangelistic outreaches ... i.e. showing the "JESUS" movie, putting on concerts and community feeding programs, and working more closely with those churches as well.

Our pastor friends in Constitucion, Jorge and Gloria, are preparing to provide either a rehab/shelter for  women or a rehab facility for men.  Both are desperately needed in their city, and so there will also be opportunity to work alongside them and help them.  Then there are the agricultural and construction work camps to visit.  The Loreto area in particular is growing rapidly, so many workers are being brought in for the construction trade there.  And with growth, comes opportunities to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus to needy people

Since returning to our base at IDT, we have had several requests by people interested in joining future missions trips to Baja Sur.  Several of those are Mexican pastors, and they would be a welcome addition to our teams.  We pray that we would be open to whatever God has in store for us and that we would be willing to go wherever He calls us to go, even if it means moving to a new place.  Wherever we are, we want to continually see the needs of people around us as Jesus sees them, and respond to those needs as He would respond to them.

Our Holiday

We'd like to share some of the highlights of our holiday ...

The first time Terry & Eileen Watts from Priest River, Idaho came to IDT with a group, was in Feb 2005.  We happened to be visiting IDT to check out whether or not we wanted to come and serve here as missionaries.  We didn't actually meet them at this point, but we found out later that we had visited one of their group's house build sites.  In Feb 2006 they returned with another group and Les was their building supervisor.  He really enjoyed working with them and we connected with them in a God-sort-of-way.  Eileen's luggage had gone missing, so Val loaned her some of her clothes.  (She had such a great attitude about that whole thing.  For some, their whole experience would have been ruined, but she just rolled with it and made the best of it!)  They came to our house for coffee and shared with us their heart for Mexico as well as some of their family struggles.  We were able to pray together and just encourage each other.  Feb 2007 they returned again, and a friendship was forged.  They invited us to come and visit them if we were ever coming through their area, so we made their house our first stop  once we left the Fraser Valley.  This is a picture of them with their grandson, Jade, whom they are looking after full-time right now.  Terry is a custom cabinet maker and has done some really high end stuff for some very well-off clients.  They plan to come back to Mexico, hopefully in the Spring, for about a month. We're sure we will find things for them to do here!

We then travelled down through Washington, and Central Oregon, avoiding all freeways, stopping in Redmond, Or., only because Les spotted a car lot with some really nice old cars ... all for sale!  Of course we turned around and wouldn't you know it ... he found a 1972 GMC pickup (a mere $6000 ... tough on a missionary salary) in very nice shape.  He's always wanted to replace the one he was forced to sell about 20 years ago.  But if anyone is ever coming through that area with a pick-up on their way to Mexico, let us know.  We did find a 5th wheel trailer for a really great price that is the ideal size for us and would be perfect for weekend getaways for us here and a more economical way for us to travel back and forth to Canada.  Dreaming!

We read about Crater Lake, which is the deepest lake in North America at around 1900 feet deep, and being right on the way, we decided to take a drive up to take a  look.  This crater was formed by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago, which then filled with rain water.  It is known for the clarity of the water.  At an elevation of about 7000 ft, and 13 degrees Celsius at midday, we didn't linger too long as we were dressed for the warmer temperatures of lower elevations!  But it is quite spectacular to visit.

After spending the night in Klamath Falls, Or., (we never did find the falls, but then we didn't really look!) we carried on to Lake Tahoe the following day.  We thought that in September the summer crowds would have all gone home and the place would be all but deserted.  Well, we were in for a surprise!  We arrived on a Saturday, which wasn't great timing, but couldn't be avoided, and were greeted with many "No Vacancy" signs.  We ended up finding a quaint cabin where we enjoyed 2 nights.  We took a drive around the lake and enjoyed a nice, long walk.  It was nice to spend a relaxing day where we weren't travelling.

As we left Lake Tahoe, on our way to Yosemite National Park, we thought that arriving there on a  Monday in September would be a shoe-in for finding a place to stay.  Of course, we don't know anything about Yosemite, hadn't booked ahead and had no idea what would even be there for hotels, so this is all about adventure, right?!  We drive into the park at almost 10,000 ft elev.- (more about that later) and receive our booklet describing the park and it's services.  We flip quickly to the section about accommodations and learn that there are only 2 hotels in Yosemite Village, one of which has counted presidents, celebrities and royalty among it's guests - uh oh ... but wait, there is also a place with some cabins, some with bathrooms and some without ... we read more ... and more than 400 cabin tents, some with heat and some without ... o.k. this shouldn't be too bad.

We put any apprehensive thoughts aside and decide we will get there when we get there, we won't worry about it until we need to and will enjoy the sights in front of us, which were spectacular to say the least.  We ooh-ed and aah-ed around almost every corner, and talked about how neat it would be to meet our family here and camp for a week and explore all that there is to see.  We drove through the park, winding our way through some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen.  The Half Dome was spectacular from a distance and we saw it again from the base of our campsite in Yosemite Village.  El Capitan, the world's largest single chunk of exposed granite, is a favorite climbing spot for experienced climbers.  We saw a couple of groups on the face, including sleeping platforms lower down (they actually spent the night on the cliff) and the climbers as little dots, scaling the huge rock high above.  We spent some time with our binoculars, watching their progress, in awe of the wonder of it all.  Can you find them?

We finally arrived at Yosemite Village and checked at what we thought would be the more reasonable hotel.  As we kind of expected, there was no vacancy, but there they said they thought there were still some cabins available at Curry Village a short distance away.  We scurried off to check it out.  It turned out that the only accommodation available was a cabin tent (without heat), but close to a communal washroom.  Well, at 4000 ft elev. we figured the temperature was going to drop significantly at night and were glad at that point that we had our sleeping bags with us.  The tent on either side was about 2 feet away, so we also figured that any snoring neighbors would be heard quite easily.  We snuggled into our beds early to try and beat the snorers to sleep, but a tent full of singing girls was what woke us at 1:00 a.m.  The place did have a great cafeteria style restaurant, so we enjoyed a supper and breakfast buffet.  We had originally thought of spending 2 nights in Yosemite, but considering the accommodation, we decided we might come back and spend more time there some other time when we are able to book ahead into a hotel or a cabin with head and maybe even a washroom!

After our experience in Yosemite, we decided not to go in to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks,  as had been our original plan, but finished our holiday with a couple of days in San Diego.  We took some time one afternoon to go through the Marine Museum on the harbor, touring two tall ships in the harbor, one of which was the boat that the movie Master and Commander was filmed on.  We also visited a Russian submarine (wonder if it was captured?).  We've driven by the harbor a few times when we've been in San Diego, so it was nice to be able to take some time to stop and see these boats.

Our final day coming home, we stopped at Immigration in Ensenada to renew our Mexican Visas.  We had tried to renew them before we came to Canada, as it was going to be very close to their expiry date when we returned, but they wouldn't allow us to renew them more than 30 days prior to expiry.  What should have been such a simple process, as we had already checked with them in August that we had all the right paperwork, took several hours and numerous trips back and forth to the bank, because of a change in the "form" that they accept payment on.  We had already paid in August, when we thought we were going to renew.  Now we had to pay again because of this form change, and we have another whole process to go through, including another trip back to Ensenada on Oct 3rd to try and recover the money that we had already paid.  Could that even be a reality???  But then, nothing is ever simple with the Mexican government -- even a bit frustrating at times!  But hey, we're back and thankful that we even have the opportunity to renew our visas.

All in all, we had a really good time and came back rested.  Actually, sometimes we think we were just born to travel ... we could get used to that idea.  Maybe some other time ... way in the future.

They came from Medicine Hat ...

They came from Medicine Hat, Alberta this week.  40 of them.  Air conditioned coach.  Air ride suspension.  Multiple T.V.'s overhead.  Reclining seats.  Tinted windows.  On-board washroom.  Luggage.  Sleeping bags.  And tools, lots of tools.

Leaving the highway, they enter a non-paved subdivision.  The roads are so dry, the dirt pushes in front of the wheels like dry snow.  And the dust is so thick, the only thing visible is the windshield and front end of the bus.  The rest is consumed in a blanket of swirling brown ... dust so thick it runs down the back of the bus like sheets of rain, piling up on the bumper like little piles of snow.  Dust and dirt that will stick like glue to anyone the second they step out of this air conditioned sanctuary.

What they don't know is that they will look as brown as the surrounding terrain by the end of the first day.  Wind and dust, in places they never knew they had places ... ears, eyes, teeth, every joint in your body, even under all your clothes ... dust so fine you can blow it off your arms.

But they came with something else.  They came with smiles.  And they came with attitudes that said, "We're ready ... let's go ... let's build.  We're ready for what this week has to offer".  And so they went.  And they built ... 440 sq. ft ... 3 bedrooms and a common room.  Four windows, exterior door, whirlybird roof vent, 4 beds, 4 mattresses, new outhouse, and matching new bath house.  Doesn't get much better than that.  A dream house, by any imagination.  Turning any street into a street of dreams.

And others come from all over the place to see what's happening.  This activity.  This large group.  Turning this street into a street of dreams ... even though the street has only one new dream house.   To see someone's old dilapidated camper shell replaced by a palace, complete with concrete floor.  And a real roof.  One that doesn't blow away in the wind ... or leak when it rains, forcing the family to huddle in one corner.  Windows that open and close ... with screens to keep the bigger bugs out.  And maybe, just maybe they will be able to have electricity tonight for the first time ... lights with pull strings ... and a place to plug in that old cassette player.

"How can I get one?"  "Will you come build one for me?"  "I'm living with my son and his family in his small house ... can you build me a room so I can have some space for myself?"  "I've been waiting for a house for 3 years, when will you come?"  "I put in 3 applications already .. how long does it take?"  "I gave my application to someone last week .. are you coming soon?"  "How can I get my application to you if you're not here tomorrow?"  "My brother's coming from Oaxaca with his family to live with us ... we need more room."  "I can't afford to build anything ... there's no work for me right now ... can you help me?"  "My mother needs a house more than I do ... can you help her ... she has diabetes."

As you stare at the ground trying to think of the appropriate answers, you notice the well worn shoes they wear.  Shoes that take them everywhere ... to the market ... to the fields.  Shoes that take them to church.  Shoes that have brought them to you.  And you think to yourself "They really need new shoes".  But it is not shoes they are asking for.  It's houses.  Places of shelter ... places of safety ... places of sanctuary.

And in the background, you hear the hammers banging, the saws cutting, voices calling out to each other, and laughter ringing through the air.  Behind you is an enthusiasm generated by the project ... before you are brown eyes begging for help ... help that they seem to think you are capable of giving.  And in that brief second, you are reminded of the 1000 applications already sitting on your desk.  The only question forming in your mind is, "How do I tell them there isn't a chance in the world of helping them in the next 3 years?  How do I break it to them gently?"

Somehow, they have figured out that you are the one who makes the decisions as to who gets a house, and who doesn't.  And so their questions persist.  And sometimes their inquiries are accompanied by a bag of tomatoes, or a bag of cucumbers, or a wrist bracelet that they have woven - especially for you - because you are the one who is there to receive it that day.

"No" doesn't seem to be part of their vocabulary, at least not a part of their understanding.  So "No" only means "Let's try again tomorrow", because tomorrow is yesterday's today, and maybe, just maybe, today is the day when the answer will be "Yes".

You turn to the only One who can really answer these questions for you, because He's the only one who really sees the big picture.  And as you ask Him to give you His heart in these matters, these hard decisions you are called on to make, these life impacting decisions that give people the opportunity to receive a gift of a house ... or to have to wait indefinitely for one ... you are reminded of what He has already said to you.  One day, one person, one prayer at a time.

Suddenly, you're drawn back to what is happening behind you.  The scene has changed.  The house has been completed ... tools have been put away ... and people have gathered around the family receiving this new home.  There are expressions of thanks.  There are smiles on many faces as the impact of what has been accomplished in just a few days begins to sink into peoples hearts and minds.  And there are tears ... tears because when this group came down to Mexico, they had no idea how much their little bit of generosity would mean to someone else ... someone they had never met before ... and someone they may never see again.  But their gift will live on.

And at the end of the day, as they climb back onto their bus, they are oblivious to the plush surroundings ... the air conditioning, the overhead T.V.'s, the smooth ride the big diesel coach has to offer ... because their thoughts are no longer on themselves.  They are thinking of the family they are leaving behind.  A family that impacted their own lives.  A family who gave to them, out of their poverty, a simple meal as an expression of their overwhelming thanks.

There's a stillness on the bus as it pulls away from the site that has been a busy project these last few days.  There's a stillness, because everyone is turning to look out at that which has been accomplished in such a short period of time.  And as every eye stares out from inside the bus, even the large tinted windows cannot dim the reflection of the sun as it glistens on the tears running down the faces of the dear Mexican couple standing with their children in front of their dream home.  Tears that say "We will be forever grateful to you".

The stillness gives way to realization ... realization that says "Today, you made a difference.  Today you changed someone's world ... at virtually no cost to yourself.  Today, you were a part of God's grand design because He allowed you to play out His heart ... by being His hands and His feet.

And today ... you have been changed.

La Paz - Language School

It seems a lifetime ago that we were in La Paz for a month of language study, so much has happened in between time, and yet we still would like to tell you a little about our time there.

First of all, La Paz is a beautiful little city with a waterfront walkway several kilometers long.  We enjoyed many spectacular sunsets at a little Internet cafe on the waterfront and walked along the malecon (waterfront walkway) in the somewhat cool of the evening many times.  The weather in La Paz is quite a bit warmer than it is here in North Baja, and it was hot and muggy most of November, pretty much until our last week there.

Vicente & Alicia, their daughter, Julieta, and her two sons, Eduardo (13) and Julian (11), were our  hosts for the 4 weeks we spent there.  They had a little suite within their home, with a separate entrance and a private bath, so we felt like we had our own little space, which was very nice.  They fed us and treated us extremely well, and we hope to stay with them again, even if we go back to La Paz just for a visit.

They expressed to us that they were not a religious family, and although they had a Catholic background, they did not attend church.  Julieta, however, was sending Julian and previously Eduardo, to a private Christian school and spoke of praying with them as well as a desire to go to church.  Val & Julieta had a couple of discussions about spiritual things and we continue to pray for their whole family.  Vicente is a gifted artist and he enjoyed talking about his art and the spiritual &  cultural symbolism that he uses in his paintings.  Les was particularly dawn to one of his paintings depicting Christ, and would have loved to buy it, if it had been in our price range.

We attended school from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Monday to Friday with a 15 min break in between.  It was pretty intense the whole way through, but our instructors made it fun and interesting  They were also a wealth of information regarding the cultural and political history of Mexico and we gained a better understanding of the whole Mexican culture.  Elizabeth is on the left, Grizel is next to Les and Marta is on the right.

After school we would go back to the house, which was about a 10 min. drive and study or rest until around 2:30 when lunch was served.  After lunch we usually studied some more and then spent many of our evenings in the Internet care catching up on ministry and personal e-mails.  We didn't find we needed a lot for supper after eating a big meal so late in the afternoon, so a frappuccino or a smoothie and a sandwich was plenty.  The days went by quickly and we were surprised at how fast the whole month went by.

We spent some enjoyable weekends doing some exploring.  Our most memorable time was a guided  boat trip to the Isla Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit Island) with some other students from our school.  The island has some spectacular beaches and scenery that beats anything we have seen to date.  We did some snorkeling with some sea lions.  This was huge feat for Val to get in the water with these animals, but she managed to overcome her fear and take the plunge.  She stayed very close to Les the whole time, but was glad to have had the experience.  We would love to go back in May when the seas are calm and the kayaking would be extraordinary!

We attended a church there called Semillas de Vida (Seeds of Life), a couple of times, which was a very rich experience.  They had a visiting teacher from Redding, CA, teaching in their School of Supernatural Ministries, so we sat in on one of their classes and then she taught on Sunday morning  as well.  It was good for us too, because she taught in English and it was translated, so we got both the English and the Spanish.  They are a very progressive church, but only in the past 3 years have they been released from the legalism that is so prevalent in the Mexican churches.  The change from legalism to spiritual freedom is largely due to the influence from Bethel Church in Redding.

One of our instructors, Marta, was a Christian.  It was such a blessing to have this connection with her.  She had been in pain and walking laboriously for the past 6 months due to problems with her sciatic nerve.  We met with her privately in her home, prayed with her for healing for her leg and also talked about how to effectively share the Gospel with the Mexican people.  The week following our visit and prayer, she was able to walk normally for a few steps and was experiencing much less pain.  She was ecstatic and we are believing for a complete healing for her.  This picture is of Marta with Val's classmates, Lee from Oregon and Daryl & Freda from Kelowna, BC.

Our time in La Paz was memorable to say the least and we would love to be able to a month of study like this yearly, or at least every other year.  We came away at the end of 4 weeks with a much  better understanding of the language, certainly not fluent yet, but able to understand much more.  We want to express our gratitude to our home church in Black Creek, B.C. for raising the money for us to be able to have this experience.  It was absolutely invaluable!

See our Photo Album of la Paz for more pictures and stories.

Update on Angel Ramon

Angel Ramon is one year old and weighs in at a healthy 14 lbs.  Maybe that sounds small for his age, but considering his premature start, he's doing very well.  As with so many children who get showered with gifts and toys, he is just as content to play with something simple and easily replaceable - a coffee cup lid.  The hole in the lid is just the right size in which he can stick his two bottom teeth into and be able to make that cool clicking sound.  He is very observant and likes to watch anything that moves.  For the most part, he is a very content little boy.  We had the privilege to having him for a three week period over Christmas while Stan & Marilyn returned to B.C. to visit family.  He was very easy to have around, and it's sure not difficult to love him.  Truly a miracle of God's creation.

We are all still waiting for his legal papers to come through so that he can obtain a visa to go to the U.S. for much needed treatment.  We cannot understand why the process has been stalled, or who to turn to for help.  The confidence given to Stan & Marilyn by the Shriner's to assist them in this process seems to have been "smoke in the wind".  It has truly been disappointing for them as they continue to wait.  Once Angel Ramon has his legal papers and is able to get an appointment in L.A. at the hospital that specializes in his disorder, the hospital & Shriner's will care for his medical needs until he is 18 years old.  He has already had to miss two important appointments.

If anyone knows of a way to speed up this whole process and get him the care he so desperately needs, please let us know, and we can pass that information on to Stan & Marilyn.

Please pray!  Angel Ramon's clock is ticking!

Update on Olga

Our last group e-mail highlighted our friend, Olga - a young widow lady with 2 children and her elderly mother.  She was in a desperate position of losing her small home and property if her property could not be paid for by the end of February.

Well, exciting things have happened for Olga.  Some of you have had a heart to help her, and as a result, Olga now owns her property free and clear!

Val was privileged to go with her to make her final payment in one large sum.  Olga thought we were just helping her by loaning her the money - for which she was extremely thankful.  When she expressed her thanks and promised to pay it all back, Val was able to clarify the money was not a loan.  It was a gift, from family and friends who wanted to help her keep her place.  When the reality of that gift sank in, she broke down and cried.  Never in all her days did she expect such generosity from others.

We wish you could have all been there to witness that moment.  Those moments are the times when God reaches in and hugs your heart.  Those moments are the times when we understand once again why God has called us to this place - it's not just to help the poor - it's to help us understand how He uses people like you to do the things He so desperately wants to do for those who are close to His heart - the poor, the elderly, the infirm, the widows & orphans, the disabled.  While these may all be terms we put on people, we are learning He has only one term for these that are close to His heart - the "special". 

Thank you for your gifts of love to the "special".  Don't forget, you've got them where you live too.

Christmas in Vicente Guerrero

It's Christmas in Vicente Guerrero.   Santa did an unexpected pre-Christmas stop in our town after being blown off course by fierce winds in the Pacific Northwest while he was out on his pre-season scouting trip.  He stayed just long enough to drop off a bunch of Christmas Shoeboxes and catch a few rays of warm sunshine on a local beach before heading up to the Great White North for the Christmas Eve rush.  Thankfully, he left the snow behind this year, as he knew how much more it would be appreciated by those whose winter just isn't complete without blowing snow, freezing rain, high winds and loss of power.  But he did appear to be rather content, sitting in the shade of his sleigh, red suit laying across the back of Rudolph, wiggling those big old toes in the sand, looking out from under a wide sombrero through mirrored sunglasses as he sipped on his limonada.  He was heard to say, "I could get used to this".

No one actually saw him leave, but sometime after sunset, he disappeared.  Left without a trace, except for a message written in the sand, outlined in shells.

"Remember the reason for the season."

About 1000 children will have received Christmas Shoeboxes through IDT this year because of the generosity of so many people from north of the Mexican border.  We can never fill all the hopes and dreams of so many children who did not receive anything this year, but we continue to give what we can ... a cup of water ... a bag of rice and beans ... a used pair of shoes ... a T-shirt or an old sweatshirt ... or sometimes just a smile.

This time of year is especially difficult in the San Quintin Valley.  Many are without work ... many do not have enough food for the week ... and most will not receive any Christmas gifts at all.

But then, we remember the real reason for the season, and the reason we are here.  It is to bring the message of God's love to a world so desperately in need of hope and genuine love, a message through the person of Jesus Christ.  To a world, for whom many, today is all they can focus on.  A world who cannot relate to an affluent lifestyle.  But a world who understands what it means when others are the Hands and Feet of Jesus to them.  A world who after receiving the gift of God's love, knows how to give to others ... out of their lack.  A world ... who teaches us about life.

So thanks, Santa, (if you're reading this) for stopping in our little town and reminding us what Christmas was really all about.  Thanks for the message in the same.  Oh ... and hey ... can you save some of the cookies and milk you get on Christmas Eve and bring some of it back down here when you have some time.  Or maybe ... you could trade them in for some bags of Rice and Beans.  Then maybe the whole family could eat.

Food for the Hungry 2006

In the last year, IDT has developed a Food Distribution Program into neighboring communities where many people suffer from lack of adequate food supply during the colder winter months.

The majority of the poor people in the San Quintin Valley work in the fields for an average wage of $10/day.  During the winter months, or off season, field crops are less productive and many people only have work for one or two days a week, while others have no work at all.  December through March are the most critical months.  With colder than normal temperatures, this year seems particularly difficult for many people.

45 kg bags of Rice and Beans are purchased from a local wholesaler and distributed to five different communities.  In each community, IDT has local Mexican representatives who best know the needs of the people in their community.  At the present time, food distribution occurs in all five communities on the same day.  This ensures the food is distributed equitably and to the most needy by eliminating the potential for crossover from people in one community seeking food from another community's resources.

These love income communities in the San Quintin Valley include:

• Triqui
• Las Misiones
• Playas Guerrero
• Santa Fe
• Benito Garcia

IDT has built many houses and a number of churches and schools for the poor people in these same communities.  IDT relies heavily on donations of generous people to maintain this program.  A number of missionaries at IDT also financially support this program regularly.

$100 will buy a bag of both Rice and Beans

• $65 buys one 45 kg bag of Beans
• $35 buys one 45 kg bag of Rice

To put it into perspective, that means that $100 will provide 45 families with a 1 kg bag of each per week.  While it may not seem like much, it at least gives them a couple of extra meals each week, depending on the size of their families.

If you would like to help support this food program, HIS HANDS AND FEET MINISTRIES based in Chilliwack B.C. is set up to take donations and issue tax receipts.

His Hands and Feet Ministries is a reputable Canadian charity and has been active in partnering with IDT in this ministry as well as many building projects the past few years, facilitating group Missions Trips to Mexico 3 - 4 times per year.  Because of the generosity of many Canadians this past Fall, IDT has been able to start this year's program with a couple of tons of Rice and Beans.  At present, that supply is almost gone and the worst part of winter is still coming.  We continue to wait on God to supply the needs of the poor.

Donations can be sent to:  His Hands and Feet Ministries, 45200 Wells Road, Chilliwack, B.C. V2R 1H6  Phone (604) 793-7756; please specify your donation is for "IDT - Food for the Hungry"

When people give, other people eat.  When people give, they aren't just giving to IDT, they are giving to the poor people of the San Quintin Valley.  When people give, God blesses what is given and multiplies it.

When you give, you become the Hands and Feet of Jesus.

Thank you for giving

We're Back!!!

It has been one busy spring and summer.

We returned from our visit to Canada, August 19th and were relieved to find the building schedule beginning to slow down.  We didn't realize how tired we actually were until we returned and were able to just sit down and relax for a couple of days.  While we encountered a few hurdles along the way, we are not discouraged and are happy to be back here, knowing this is where we are supposed to be at this time in our lives.

Our biggest hurdle at the moment is finding a new place to live.  We need to be out of our present house by December 31st, due to a gigantic rent increase, so we are in the process of beginning to look for alternative accommodation.  Options and choices are minimal, and we are still hoping our landlord will readjust his increased rent prices to reflect a reasonable rate that would allow us to stay here.  But hey, it's all about being flexible, isn't it?

As we wind down the busy season of House Builds, we will have completed 105 homes for poor and needy people in a dozen different communities this year.  Easily 2500+ people have been part of Missions Teams coming to IDT Missions, Baja, from Canada and the US this year.  They have blessed 100+ Mexican families with their generosity of time and finances in building not only homes for them, but in building relationships with the families.  Words cannot describe the emotions displayed by some of the recipients of new homes.  In all their wildest dreams, they never would have been able to accomplish in their lifetime what groups of generous people have given them in one week.  And for that, they are ever grateful.

Missions Teams have also been instrumental in helping complete other projects in the communities as well as implementing children's programs and Campo visitations.  While the "crunch" of big projects is winding down, the work of "House Build" follow-up visitation and medical crisis assistance is again stepping into the foreground.

The story of Olga's medical crisis follows this posting.

Medical Crisis

Olga is a 29 yr. old widow with a 10 yr old son and a 1 1/2 yr. old daughter.  She lives in a 15 x 15 one room house she shares with her mother, also a widow.  We recently reconnected with them at a Mexican wedding where Olga told us she has had a lump in her breast for 2 years and had been told it was malignant.  Due to the lack of finances, she has not been able to do anything about it, and understandably, has lived shrouded in fear that she may well die, leaving her orphaned children dependent on her 73 yr. old mother.  Olga's income is at best between $8 - $10/day, working hard in the fields.  Because she is a hard worker, she is able to work a shorter day for the same pay.  Thus she is home by noon and is able to continue adult education in a school in her community.  She will be completing 6th grade this year.  (Her son is in grade 5)

We have been working closely with her to help her get the much needed medical attention.  She had appointments in the hospital in Ensenada (3 hrs drive) for the end of September for further testing, but no way to pay for the consultations.  Add to that, prospective overnight stays in Ensenada plus traveling costs, the dollars begin to increase rapidly.

Due to a series of God appointments, we were able to get her into the Buen Pastor Christian hospital in San Quintin (20 minutes south of here) to see Dr. Gonzales, a highly recommended doctor.  Due to the urgency of her situation, he was willing to adjust his appointment schedule and booked her for an appointment at 8 a.m. Friday, September 8th for what we understood would be a needle biopsy.  At 10 a.m. he consulted with us and told us he was going to perform a lumpectomy instead of a needle biopsy.  He said sometimes this will take care of the situation, and he was willing to take the time to perform this surgery if it meant quicker cleaner results.  Her recovery would be about 2 weeks during which time she could not do any physical work.  By 5 p.m., we were able to take her home, armed with an arsenal of medications.  Due to the high costs associated with hospital stays, patients seldom stay overnight unless the situation is very serious.

The greater challenge is to ensure Olga eats well during her recovery, restricting her from their regular diet which contains a lot of chili and grease.  Seldom do the poor people eat vegetables, except for what they can glean from the fields they are working in.  She has been back to the hospital for several follow-up visits as well as one telephone consultation early the other morning when she had become quite sick, possibly related to not eating properly while taking her medications.  That prompted a visit to the local market to buy a supply of vegetables to include in her diet.

We will not know the full outcome of her surgery until after September 22nd when the test results of her tumor will be back.  We are praying for a complete recovery for her and ask you to pray with us.  Life is absolutely precious and not to be taken for granted.  While one never knows the extent of the time or financial commitment involved before getting involved in someone else's crisis, be it medical, emotional, or spiritual, we do know lives are worth getting involved in.  Furthermore, are there any alternatives to involvement?

Actual costs to date associated with her surgery are approximately $1000 US.  This does not include any costs for further treatment or surgeries, all dependent on her test results.  If you would like to contribute to helping offset the costs of Olga's medical expenses, please contact us and we will inform you of the best way to get those funds to us.  We cannot guarantee a tax receipt for your gift of life.  But we absolutely believe God knows when you help the needy, and He will ultimately bless you for it.