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Mexico Trip 8/99
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Report: The intentions of this trip, as always, is first of all to
teach the people of these colonies (villages) the Word of God. To do this, however, we
concern ourselves with the natural needs these people have, which, of course, are
many. A great man once said, "You can give a man a fish today, and you will have
to give him a fish tomorrow. Or, you can teach a man to fish today, and he'll have
fish for the rest of his life." Bro. Rob made arrangements with the villagers of
Acuņa to set up a block machine, purchased in the summer of 1999, in the middle of a
colony. A cement slab and a protective covering over it allows the people of Acuņa to
made brick building block for free, with the exception of them donating every 10th
block they make to widows and women who are unable to make their own blocks. |
Pictured above is the block machine purchased by the Brethren of Christian Temple to
help change the living conditions of the people of Ciudad Acuņa Mexico. |
The block machine in action! The wet mortar is shoveled into the machine and then
shaken and shaped to form. It's very hard work. The day this picture was taken the
temperatures were well over 100 degrees. |
Brand new cement blocks lay in the sun curing. |
Sister Irene, Sister Nabe and girls from the village help to divide the many pounds of
flour, lard, eggs, beans and rice to be given out to the families of Acuņa. |
Brother Andy unloading one of the many 100 lb. bags of beans to be divided and
distributed among the people of Acuņa. |
In the same manner that Jesus fed the five thousand with three loaves and two fishes,
the few hundred pounds of beans and rice was enough to give each family of the village
a sack along with other provisions. |
A grateful father nods toward to the cameraman in appreciation of the gifts of food,
clothing and most importantly the love of Christ. |
It's hard to imagine these living conditions exist only 10 miles from the prosperous
borders of the United States. These homes are built with cardboard, crates and various
sheets of tin metal. Many of these shacks have only blankets for doors, no windows,
dirt floors and no running water inside the homes. The sanitation of the village is
appalling by US standards. |
Traveling at their own expense, the families of Christian Temple travel thousands of
miles to help pass out the clothing, food and household items. Here Brother Dale
Powell is seen helping a man choose some pants and shoes. |
The candy and excitement of a possible new home have given these children to smile
about! |
Julie holds a new baby doll and a sermon preached by Brother George Pike, translated
into Spanish called, "The Life Of Ruth." |
Nothing taken across the border of Mexico comes back, not even the boxes. After all
the clothing is distributed this man carries a box and several lids home with him as
building materials. The church purposely used sealed water proof boxes used to ship
frozen chickens, so that the people of Mexico can use them on their houses. |
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