Mexico Outreach

Here is a copy of another recent news letter from the CEO and founder of Baja Christian Ministries, Bob Sanders, an APU Alumni. BCM works primarily in the Tijuana area. Although Mexico Outreach works primarily in Mexicali and Ensenada, Bob Sander's perspective is still very helpful for us to hear. If you want to read a report from our staff working in Mexicali or Ensenada, clink on the links below:

Mexicali

Ensenada

Tijuana - Part 1: Is Baja safe?

Subject: IS BAJA SAFE? - PART 2


Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8-9-NLT) A False Balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. (Proverbs 11:1-NASB)

 
Dear BCM Partner,

Thank you very much for your partnership with Baja Christian Ministries in serving the poor, sharing the gospel, and building houses for needy families in Baja, Mexico.  It's very much appreciated and we believe the best is yet to come!

I sent out an email letter last week entitled, "Is Baja Safe?"  If you haven't read that report but would like to please email me at: BajaChrist@aol.com and I will send it to you.  As the negative media reporting about Mexico is accelerating I felt it necessary to enclose a second part with the intent of bringing more balance to what we feel to be unjust and unbalanced reporting:

Assuming you have seen the media reports or heard about them from others and are weighing whether to visit Tijuana or somewhere else in Baja, it's easy to understand the struggles you would be facing about its safety, particularly if you have no way of discerning the truth first hand apart from the media!  Allow me to give my perspective. Is the perception these reporters are giving accurate? Is it really as dangerous as they are relaying? This type of negative reporting is unjustly crushing the economy of Baja and making it harder for the poor, since the economy in Baja is dependent on tourist dollars.  It is also choking off the Christian aid and missionary efforts in this vital mission field that needs our help now more than ever!

Without personally spending time there we have no way of balancing what is true or false and no first hand knowledge to help us overcome the fears being pushed on us by the media! Let me share with you what some of our staff have to say, people whom I believe are qualified to be the true reporters of this region, because they are living and traveling continually in these Mexican border towns serving there by choice, without fear. To help bring balance in this issue, please hear from four of these people and what they report:

Jonathan Wickham is a husband, father, and a math teacher in Vista, CA. He is also a member of North Coast Calvary Chapel of Carlsbad, CA, and a volunteer staff member with our ministry, who comes down almost every weekend that we are building houses to lead some of the groups:

Jonathan writes, "We work where the people are not important to the criminals of the world, and we are safe in and among them. God will not forget the poor, or those that serve them. I have personally seen 200 groups come and lift up God in a spiritually empty place, and they knew all about the media reports, overcame their fears and the negative counsel of people they trust, and trusted that God would allow them safe passage, and the only criminal activity I've witnessed was a backpack thief, and we built a home for his aunt two months later, and a skill saw thief, whom Hector (BCM leader) threw a cord to and said, "I gave those to him, so he didn't steal!"

Fritz Brown brought his wife and kids. They were very courageous and came over the opposition of friends, and blessed a family. I tell people who question the safety of our work,  I fear falling into a bano (outhouse), and never fear the drug guys or give them a thought.

I think about Nehemiah who had to lead a group of regular people into a hostile place, where everyone was nay saying about their goal. While there, the bad talk continued, but they deflected the gossip with prayer and by keeping their eyes on God.

Ezra took a caravan through a very dangerous place where banditos laid in wait for any groups that came. But he trusted God and enjoyed God's protection as well. The entire Bible is about little people being called by a big God who promises to protect us."

David Angulo is a long time friend of 25 years. We started Mexico ministry together back then. He has lived in the USA most of his life. He is our BCM discipleship director in Baja now.  A little more than half a year ago he and his family moved to Tecate, Mexico, another Mexican border town about 20 miles east of Tijuana. This is what his feelings of safety for himself and his family are as they by choice live, travel through and work in the greater Tijuana area:

David writes, "Well let me say that as a husband and a father of two young children, I do have concerns about safety, but I do not feel that we as a family are taking any unnecessary risks by living in close proximity to Tijuana. I travel to Tijuana regularly and I do take precautions but really no more than I would regularly take if I was traveling in the U.S. into areas which are known to have high crime rates.  Not all of the border areas in Mexico are prone to excessive violent criminal activity, just as not all of the greater L.A. county is prone to excessive violent criminal activity.

We are grateful for God's protection of our lives and we are careful no matter where we are.  Our 13 year old son attends school in Tecate and is thriving and learning not only the language but also the way of the culture here in Mexico.  My wife works and travels to the U.S. and sometimes leaves the house in the very early morning when it is still dark outside.  She has a phone and travels with safety in mind, but I can assure you that if she bought into the lie, of the over the top sensationalism about violence and kidnappings, she would be paralyzed by it.  I feel she is safer traveling through Tecate at any hour of the day or night than she would be if traveling through some areas of the city of Los Angeles.  We thank God for His provision of all the things needed in our lives and we trust in Him for our lives and safety.  We do not take unnecessary risks as we would not do no matter where we live, but on the same token we do not feel any more at risk than in any inner city area in the U.S."

Kevin and Cindy Collins are Americans parents living in Baja in a condo south of Rosarito. They lived in Carlsbad, CA, and were also members of North Coast Calvary Chapel.  They are serving as volunteers for our ministry. Kevin is a fireman and a realtor. They raised their family going to Baja often over the last two decades. In those years they had much fun but now through our ministry discovered ways to help the poor and found great desire to give back:
 
Kevin Collins states, "In the USA we have had a car stolen on one occasion and on another our home was burglarized.  However nothing has ever happened to us in Baja.  In the USA I would be afraid to pick up any hitch hiker because of all the nutty people.  Here in Baja I do it very often and with a great deal of comfort. Twice in the past month a potential buyer (for condo) has called me to cancel their trip to come to Baja and see Las Olas Grand..  In both cases I was able to convince them to come have a look and I insured their safety.  Both sets of folks were glad they came and are now very comfortable in Baja and are planning on buying here.  In response to all the bad press, the government here in Baja has gone overboard to try and combat the issues.  Now more then ever it is so safe due to the increased presence of local police, federales and the military. I would not travel to San Jose every week for 3 days and leave my wife alone in Baja if I was not convinced it was safe for her.  My wife has been a scardy cat her entire life, but feels very safe in Baja."
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Paul Anschuetz served as a school teacher for many years in the San Diego area. He came down to build a house and then many houses in greater Tijuana with our ministry through North Coast Calvary Chapel in Carlsbad, then about a year ago joined our BCM staff and moved to Tijuana to live and work.  Following are some of Paul's thoughts that I extracted from letters he sent to others regarding the safety of living in, working in, and traveling in Tijuana and Baja, Mexico:

Paul writes,  "I will share my own thoughts on the safety of TJ.  I live there too!  I live where the violence is reported to be happening. Like Daniel (a pastor on BCM staff),  I must report that I never see it!  But my thoughts go farther than that. I've always asked, why? Gone are the days when the News was supposed to be about reporting what's happening truthfully. Mr. Smith goes to Washington is a great movie and fairy-tale relates what I'm trying to say. The News is a business that reports what it wants you to hear!  Why and for what purpose? 1) to show Americans that it is still better in the US. 2) to slow the border traffic. The U.S. would be happy to close the border. 3) to stop Americans from thinking and feeling about their neighbors 4) to stop the advance of Christ. To kill off anything that would get people into caring outside of themselves and go to a missionary mind. I live right in the center of what the news calls the war zone... yet, I see no bullets!  I see police here in TJ, but I also see them in the United States.  I have never seen anything scary or risky. Long story short, I don't know what the news is pushing, but I wager it has something to do with keeping groups from doing short term missions in Mexico.  They lie.  I am loved by many communities.  I go to church in Rosarito.  Everything is safe there.  I go everywhere in northern Baja and see none of the trouble.  I feel safe here . . . safer than I did when I lived north of the border.  I was in the US with Hector (another BCM staff member who lives in TJ for many years) today, but I was excited to come back home.  We have our Dad protecting us here!  We are doing exactly what He wants us to do, give!  Give to those who have no way to repay.  Give to divinely bless, and be a witness of His love.  We won't lose one hair without His knowledge.  It comes down to... do you trust the news?  Don't you think they have an agenda?"

Vicente Morales, a strong Christian and pastor, one of our Mexican staff members states, "The commentary, why the groups are worried in coming to this city is without doubt what is happening the world over. Tijuana has been assaulted and it needs the help of Good Samaritans just as in the parable, about when the priest, and then the Levite passed him by, but then one who truly loved God stopped and helped. The need is here!  Those who are moved to compassion are needed! Tijuana is in need and I pray that the Lord will send those Good Samaritans. Thank you for accepting the challenge and crumbling the fears, for, if God is for us who can be against us!"

The media reports are very sensationalized, fear producing, enflaming exaggerated terror in the hearers, and there is no one holding these media outlets accountable for their reports. They say what they want.  For instance the murder rate is higher in a number of US cities than it is in Tijuana yet the media paints the picture of war zone. I believe if some of the reports that TJ has suffered were waged against these big US cities and started crippling the economy in them, like it has in Tijuana, businessmen and governments would rise up with law suits against the media. But what can Mexico do to hold these reporters accountable? The crime that you see reported on is mostly very isolated cases of law enforcement against drug lords in very small regions of a very large city.  Don't get me wrong, TJ has great problems and crime just like every big city. But instead of turning our backs on them, they need loving, compassionate people to come to their aid like Good Samaritans to love and serve them though faith-filled deeds!

As a leader of this Mexico ministry I can't guarantee your safety anymore than your pastor and elders can guarantee your safe passage in your car on your way to church. But what I can reassure you of is that our Great God has protected tens of thousands of people whom we have brought over the border to serve the poor with us over the last 25 years. We must choose God's protection over fear of media reports!  And as Paul the Apostle states in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 we must do spiritual warfare to cast down these vain imaginations and destroy false speculations that oppose God's word and ways and take these thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

However, if there are those who can't overcome this fear in your groups ask them to stay behind, for we see God working through Gideon and the 300 hundred men who weren't afraid as the fearful were weeded out. Those who can overcome this fear, let them press forward!   Let's join   together and believe the words of Joshua 1:9 "...Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

There is a Spanish proverb that states: "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived." As humans we have all wrestled with fears and anxieties of some kind or another in our lives!  And all of us have experienced the destructive, crippling effects of fear.  It robs of life, freedom, joy and sense of well being! Even the great Ezra in the time of Nehemiah was challenged by this same type of fear, but much more severe than TJ, regarding safe passage of his people. Read Ezra 8:21-23 and see how God insured His protection of them as they sought God and prayed.  
  
We are in the process of stepping up our prayer coverage! Know that your team will be covered in prayer by prayers warriors from both sides of the border! Then anyone seeking to harm any of us will need to face off with our powerful God and his mighty angels as they protect us as we serve.

A very large, influential church in Southern California area has partnered with BCM for many years now bringing thousands of members to build houses for the poor and do other forms of ministry in a poor community east of Tijuana.  A few weeks ago the Senior Pastor and his wife came down with some elders and church families to build two homes. They loved it and found it safe, like so many other groups from their church that had gone down before them over the years. The last two weekends have been their Church Mission push. Two of the goals they set in 2009 were to send 1000 members from their church to serve in that community and to build 50 homes with us. They are sending 200-300 high school youth and leaders to build 10 homes over this Memorial Day weekend as they have over the last three years. The wise leadership of this church personally went, saw, weighed, and balanced the media reports against the reality they witnessed with their own eyes and are proceeding forward.

You are needed for the harvest is ripe in Baja! God has protected us and God will continue to! Thanks for serving and moving forward with us!  

Please pass this on to others that have concerns! Thank you much and may God bless you!

In His Service,

Bob Sanders
Founder/CEO
Baja Christian Ministries

www.bajachristian.org <http://www.bajachristian.org/>