Just over the border is a city that looks terribly different from San Diego and the beautiful Southern California beaches. In Tijuana, you'll find poverty, need, and an unassuming church called Cristo es el Camino Iglesia: Christ is the Way Church. This church has been serving their community for the past fifteen years in this location, reaching out to the children and families in their neighborhood.

Church on the Hill has come alongside this church to help put on their Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the local children and to help build up their infrastructure by building a parsonage for their pastor. This project started in 2007 when we dug the foundation, we followed that up two years later by wiring the house for electricity, and with chicken wire for stucco. There have been set-backs in the construction, when people broke into the house and stole the wire and piping right out of the walls, ripping up the sheet-rock and causing much damage. The walls have been repaired, the wire has been replaced (there are bars on the windows now :), a few years ago Church on the Hill put some of the final touches of paint on the outside and laid tile on the floors.

While we have one crew of people doing construction, another crew will be working with the neighborhood kids. 60+ children will show up each day to learn about Jesus, and do crafts. In developing countries, kids often don't have time to be kids, they grow up quickly as they help to take care of their brothers and sisters. VBS gives children a chance to be kids and to hear about Jesus. Towards the end of the week, we will have a festival with games, prizes, face painting and water balloon fights. It is a great chance for Church on the Hill to help Cristo es el Camino connect with the children and families in their neighborhood.

We are excited for what God has in store for us this year. Please pray for our team as we plan to go July 10-16, 2016.