this is what i did last week

this is an email i sent out to a few friends after i arrived home last week.

Those of you that know me well, know that a little piece of my heart will always be in the Adventist church, tucked on a hillside in El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico. The people there continue to live their humble lives, worshiping God the best way they can. They live very simple lives but always greet us with huge smiles and warm hugs. They are truly my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Wallace and I recently attended a prayer meeting here in Casa Grande. At the end of the 7 nights, we were given a DVD. I noticed that it was also dubbed in Spanish and decided that it would be a welcome item for El Rosario. Knowing that they did not have a dvd player, I purchased that. One thing led to another and I had a 27" television to take with me. It would surely work better than their 13" tv/vcr combo. Although it was before Christmas when I decided to go, it was another 2 weeks before I was able to clear my schedule and slip off to El Rosario.

When the word got out that I was driving the van to Mexico, my wonderful friends filled it to the brim with clothing, shoes and blankets for the El Rosario community.

At the last minute, one of the guys who helps at The Bridge Homeless ministry, Joe, was able to ride along. He just happens to be a carpenter.

When we arrived, we stopped by the church. Emilio (the church caretaker), came down and opened the door. there were no electronics there. When I asked what had happened, he told me the church had been broken in to and the television and satellite receiver had been stolen. It happened two weeks ago. . .the same time I was out securing my loot. I was able to walk over to the van and show him what we had brought.

During our visit, we talked about what we could do to help them with their struggle. We made a list of the items that were obvious to us, then asked them what was important to them. We ended up with a smaller list, but would still like to work the larger list as time and resources become available.

So now I am asking for your help in our next trip. Joe has a wide variety of skills and the people welcomed him with open arms. He's hooked and would like to do the labor. We came up with the following list of jobs that are important to be done.

1. The church doors are still damaged and unable to be locked because of the theft. The Lord wants those doors replaced. Lorenzo, the Head Elder, has asked if it would be possible to have security doors installed. We know that all things are possible if it is God's will.
2. They have 3 leaks in the roof of the church and would appreciate any help that we could give them sealing those up. We determined that the fix is not onerous and really only requires a couple new rows of roofing paper, flashing and some tar sealer.
3. They have requested a microphone and speaker to help with their service.
4. They asked if we could help them fix their pews. Although the pews themselves are okay, the seat padding is very poor. We will try to keep the existing fabric and take them apart and replace the foam.

That was the extent of what they requested. They also desperately need, but did not request, proper water drainage. Their lot has been damaged quite heavily by the rains that have recently hit Baja. The installation of drains and tubing would be a great improvement to the overall stability of their property with regards to erosion. The fix is mostly labor, the materials are inexpensive and we will have their assistance when we can get the materials there.

Their kitchen is small and quite primitive. The propane stove that they once used, has since quit working. They have some cabinets in the kitchen that are not hung. The cabinets themselves are of very poor quality and it would be nice if we could replace those with something that is a little less "used" from here.

We would eventually like to help them tile their kitchen, countertops and build at least some shelving so that they can use that room to prepare their potlucks and shared meals.

Joe and I have taken a stab at the items that are needed to accomplish at least the requested items. I am sending you this list as I know you all want to do God's work as desperately as I do.

Our current schedule is to take what we can and head back down the first week in February. That means we have 3 weeks to gather supplies and/or finances to help with this cause.


* 2 solid core doors (church) - 36" wide - $50/ea.
* 2 security doors - 36" wide - $80/ea.
* 1 door (kitchen) - $40/ea
* 1 door (kitchen) - 32" - $40
* hinges for kitchen doors (6 hinges - kitchen) - $15
* door knobs & deadbolts (six sets) - $60
* foam for pews (how thick?, what $$ is needed)
* 2 large bulletin boards
* large dry erase board & markers
* roof sealant (5 gallon bucket)
* micro phone & speaker to service the church approximately 15' x 30'
* cabinets
* cabinet countertop material
* countertop tile
* tile for floor
* 4 x 8 sheet of plywood
* roll on roofing
* flashing
* tacks
* nails

Miscellaneous

* concrete drill bits - $12
* thin set
* grout
* nails
* screws
* glue
* foam sealant - $12
* acrylic caulk

Drainage

* perforated tube (150' of 4") $8/10 ft.
* y joint
* elbow joints
* drain box (2) $30/ea.


The items in red have already been purchased. If you would like to contribute to any of these items, please let me know. Time is of the essence. Even if you can not donate any of these items or money to their purchase, I ask for your prayers for this mission. We cannot do it alone, but God will make sure that it happens.

I am posting pictures that can be found here for this church:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lynn.guilkey/ElRosario#

God Bless you all!