Praise God! We’ve arrived safely in Tijuana 🇲🇽
We started the day early so we could have breakfast at the hotel at 6:30am before starting on the road again for our final road day to our destination.
Our van windows soon changed from showing views of Utah to show the striking Arizona landscape for a brief time before we entered Nevada, where we got a glimpse of Las Vegas before we made a stop for gas in Jean.
We snapped a few photos before loading into the van again, where the team members did their daily devotions, reflecting on how Jesus’ ministry on earth - teaching, performing miracles, healing the sick - was fuelled by daily time praying to the Father.
Two hours after entering California, we stopped for lunch in Victorville. After lunch, Pastor Rick navigated the multi-lane, palm-tree lined highways of southern California and we arrived at the US-Mexico border around 2:00pm. We are grateful for another smooth border crossing!
From the border crossing the team soaked in the sights, smells and sounds of the city in silence, as Pastor Rick drove towards the Radius Serve facility. It felt surreal to see the Cerro Colorado mountain with the phrase “Jesucristo es el Señor” (Jesus Christ is Lord) near the peak in real life - an image that has been used to promote this STM.
We arrived at Radius Serve just past 3:00pm and were welcomed warmly by the staff. After settling in, the Radius Serve staff gave the team an orientation to explain safety & housekeeping rules and what to expect for the week.
The team then loaded trucks with the materials required for the house builds planned for the following day.
Pastor Rick and a few teens headed to the supermarket to pick up breakfast for the week while the rest of the team enjoyed free time getting to know some of the Radius interns.
For dinner, the team was excited to have their first taco experience in Tijuana at Tacos Los Poblanos, where they practiced their Spanish ordering tacos de asada (beef), tacos de pollo (chicken), tacos de adobada (spicy pork) and other items. The team left with satisfied bellies and Pastor Rick left with a new shirt courtesy of the restaurant!
Back at Radius Serve, the team had their daily debrief and reflected on their first impressions of Tijuana, sharing their thoughts on the level of development, the disparity that can be seen within and between communities, and initial glimpses of the culture.
The team also discussed their takeaways from the next chapters of “Don’t Waste Your Life”, exploring how taking risks for God can be costly and challenging but ultimately magnifies his greatness.
Thank you for praying and for following along so far. A big shoutout to Pastor Rick & Joanne for driving the past 3 days to get us to Tijuana safely. We look forward to Day 3 for the first house build!
