Was your summer as fast as ours? As cliché as it sounds, I can’t believe the holidays are around the corner. We have found ourselves as busy as usual with work and ministry.

The outreach each week in TJ is going strong. We have seen a large increase in the numbers (including women with their children) who show up for bread. We meet a lot of people who are still struggling through their drug addictions and some who may even have a current or past criminal involvement. But honestly, down there in the streets of Mexico, I am not sure if I would be able to do differently if given the same circumstances and without the Lord. The dirty streets, abandoned cars, the strangest saddest dogs you would ever see – all make up the dynamics of a forgotten world. Guys we minister to explain that the “Policia” often come and round up random people without ID’s, and haul them off to jail in order to get some free labor out of them. One person told me that in addition to working for free on street repairs or whatever needs to be done, if you have any money on you when you are taken to jail, it is collected and not returned. We have taken bread to the near by jail in order to establish some rapport with the local Policia but also because we learned that those held there are often not fed because there is no food.

Not too long ago, we were late in getting to our street corner to do the outreach at the normal time. Everyone who was waiting on that corner was harassed by the Policia. Anyone without an ID who was not able to scatter fast enough, was carried down to the jail. When we went to this jail to take bread, sure enough, we saw many of our regulars there lined up, chained to one another, waiting to be strip searched and put in a holding cell for the night. Often, when we have taken bread to this jail, while carrying the bags into a kitchen, we pass right by a row of naked men, standing outside of a cage-like jail cell, waiting to be cleared for hiding anything on their person. The amount of humiliation and intimidation tactic is overwhelming. Not unfamiliar to how you would imagine a zoo is run. Mind you, these people are not necessarily criminals. They were just on the street and got rounded up because they had no i.d.

I realized, upon seeing friends we pray with each week being treated like this, a greater picture of what setting the captives free could look like. I also realized how fond I have become of many on the streets, as I was so grateful for those who were not in the jail, yet knowing that they may have been there many times before. Yes, they may be an addict, yes they may have been a criminal, yes they (we) are sinners. But they (we) are not without a Savior Who comes to set us free. Just as the Lord showed me a vision of a clean and saved Victor (who last I heard is doing well, clean and sober), I can have the same hope for so many more we meet each week.

We need you to pray about something, each and every one of you who reads these updates! We are asking the Lord to show us where to best put our “hands to the plow” regarding ministry we are called to. We have been here a year now, and feel that our transition has been made and provided for along the way. Those of you who are faithful in sending support, have made it possible for Wayne to commit 10-15 hours to Mexico each week, thus only working part time 30 hours for our own cost of living. But there are endless ways for expanding the amount of potential donated food. And an even greater amount of need that could be filled with that expansion. It is our feeling that we want to be more readily available to work at meeting those needs. In addition to serving and feeding more, Carol is ever burdened to work toward worship and intercession outreach, that has long been on her heart.

Our goal this past year was to adjust to the relocation and be sure about what we were committing to do, before presenting it to those of you who can help us DO IT. We felt that we needed a break from full time ministry as we took on secular jobs to pay the rent. Now that we have an idea based on what we are already doing and the potential to broaden it in a full time way, we need help backing it.

To be very specific, we need 15-20 partners to commit to $100 a month in order to cover Wayne’s part time job income as we prepare for full time ministry again.

As awkward as it is to ask for support, I always search my own heart and realize that I love to invest in and support others who I believe in, who are serving those Jesus called them to serve. With this in mind, I realize it’s not that awkward to ask you to do the same. Many of you already are doing just that, and may not feel led to sow into this ministry and that’s certainly ok. But many of you might consider this. Though true that times are tough right now, God’s Kingdom continues on a different system. And I know He will reward you! He rewards us with daily bread and has not left us hungry yet!

P.S. Just last night, one of the guys we regularly minister to (who I might add made an honest effort to stay in a rehab for 2 weeks before ditching it), had a few beers too many and started hitting on his girlfriend. She stopped the Policia and told them to come inside and get him. We were standing right there next to the Policia pick-up truck (praying for another guy), which was full of guys arrested with no i.d. They had just collected these men off the street. We watched the Policia chase this guy across a roof as he jumped down onto a van and ran down the street. I know what you’re thinking…”like right off TV” I don’t know if he got caught or carried to jail but I know that I will see him again and get yet another chance to offer hope, grace and redemption to him through Jesus.

Praises!

“We give thanks to the Lord for some financial blessings through the benefits of our work in Mexico. Our connection to the orphanage led us to a repair on Carol’s truck where we saved much money by doing the work with our neighbors “on the other side”. And we continue to save $40 a week due to gas being at least a dollar or more less per gallon by fueling both vehicles there. Gas has been the same price in TJ throughout the entire gas rage these past few months.”  Blessings to you, love Wayne & Carol

. . . that between 14,500 and 17,500 human beings/victims are trafficked into the U.S. each year?

Stay tuned to our next update for more information, and how VOB has become involved in this statistic!

Moscow, Russia, May 1994:

Upon checking into our hotel room for a 2 week mission trip with OMS International, we were about to become acquainted with a stark reality: being in Russia was like stepping back into the 1940’s. Everything was old, worn or archaic. It was a bit of a stunner, as we realized that this nation everyone thought was right on par with the U.S., was, in fact, pretty far behind in many, many areas. The fact that most of us, as Americans, had no idea what it was really like in Russia, was apparent with the shock our team encountered. And really, there was no way FOR us to know, was there? Who had traveled to the U.S.S.R? What did we really know about the Soviet people, now broken up into many, many nations? What did these Russians know about us, as Americans? And what do they know today?

Similarly, knowledge about Mexico, for most Americans, is limited to sporadic, and usually bad reports on the news. And for the Mexican people, it is equally limited, unless someone has had relatives come here and live in the U.S. Many of the Mexican people we encounter, ‘south of the border’, dream about a better life, more food on the table, better schooling, greater job opportunities, and the chance to just LIVE better. Some, to be sure, are shady, and are considering illegal options, such as drug running. But many of these people just want a better life for their children. So, they consider the United States. They dream about living here and what that would be like….what the opportunities might present, what prosperity living here might bring, etc, etc. In fact, some of them might think it would be ‘easy living’ here in the U.S. Just as we expected life in the former Soviet Union to be have much more of a resemblance to our country, many in Mexico have unrealistic expectations about life here, “in these United States”. It’s hard work, as prices are much higher in general. Gas is considerably more expensive here, and getting higher. If you are not a citizen, of course there is much more to consider, specifically, jail time and deportation if you are caught. And, if you are trying to become a LEGAL citizen, years of waiting, red tape, and money can make the attempt difficult at best. Are the rewards worth it?

Over time, we have met those in Mexico who feel living here and the struggle for citizenship is worth it. We have also met those who come here and work seasonally, and then prefer to go back ‘home’. After all, home is where the heart is, right?

But week to week, we mostly meet those who simply dream of what has become known as ‘the OTHER side’…. They dream of what they believe would be an easier life. They dream of clean streets, clean buildings, public school for kids, plentiful jobs, an uncorrupted government (by Mexican standards), and a freedom unknown to many of the poor of Mexico. Do they make it here? Some do, but most just dream on.

And so, we travel 20 minutes south of our city, delivering bread or vegetables, or eggs, or fruit to those who have less. We distribute to those on the streets, to those with small children, to those deported, to the Salvation Army, where sometimes they have run out of bread for those living within. We take things to those ‘on the other side’ of OUR border & try to bring the hope of Jesus to those who think living here will be the answer….. And we always want them to know that, no matter what SIDE of the border you live on, JESUS is the only one with the answers. He is the only One Who will make life better.

Blessings on you as we head into the summer season. And just so you know, we understand that everyone is tightening their belt, with gas skyrocketing (though it is $2.70 a gallon in TJ), as well as so many other basics of life. We are certainly doing that as well. We thank you for continuing to support us in these times, as so often, giving above and beyond tithing goes by the wayside. We ourselves realized that while of course skimming on our tithe was a non issue, we also realized that cutting back on our offerings to missionaries whom we support, was not an option either. Our kingdom is of Heaven, not of this world, and so in these tough times we can only boost our faith and trust in the economy of His Kingdom. Thank you for standing with us, and for being part of the arms of Jesus to the needy. May His peace be upon you this summer and always.           Love, Wayne & Carol

                        Imagine living on this hillside . . . . . . looking across this wall . . . . . . at this view!

“The Other Side”

I remember the first few times I kept hearing this from the locals we ministered to in TJ. “Are you from the other side?”, they would ask or, “I have family on the other side!” I realized at some point, this was more than just a slang reference – it was a life perspective for our friends who live south of the border. A perspective that I would have never imagined; Tijuana was Tijuana and I had certainly not dreamed of what it would be like to live there! Funny thing though, in efforts to be accepted as a familiar face I find my self answering now, when asked,  “I am from the other side”.