COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)

A group from our Partner church, Community Baptist, was our first team of the summer season, arriving on June 6. Ron and Andrea Gross were the very capable leaders of this team, along with our Welcome Home Board President, Manny DeLeon. The group’s ministry efforts focused on two very different areas:  a house build and a VBS.

Working alongside our talented Welcome Home (Casa Hogar Bienvenidos) staff under the direction of Director Brigida Merino Flores, our CBC friends were a huge blessing in helping to present a VBS to the children of the Las Brisas farm camp.

Las Brisas is a very large camp with approximately 100 families, which translates to hundreds of children.  Due to the the size of the camp, we visit here very seldom; so it was a blessing to be able to take the word of God to the hundreds of children who live there.

With so many children, it is vital to have adequate leaders for crowd control and facilitation. Our normal Welcome Home staff of eight was augmented by friends and relatives, in addition to the folks from CBC.  Lively music,  Bible stories, crafts, snacks, gifts were part of each afternoon’s activities and it was a great week.

During the morning and early afternoon hours, the CBC team worked on a house build for Arturo and Isaura and their two children. Arturo just completed his first year at the Bible Institute here in Vicente Guerrero. The family has been living in school housing but is anxious to be in their own home located in Las Misiones. Isaura feels led by God to begin working with neighborhood children out of their home, while Arturo will complete Bible school this coming year.

Thank you, CBC, for being our Partners in ministry and for sending such great folks to work with us here in Vicente Guerrero!

HORSE CREEK COMMUNITY CHURCH (Horse Creek, CA)

Small but mighty! That was the team from Horse Creek, CA, who visited Welcome Home the second week of June. Pastor Mike and Susan Close, along with Scott and Justin Morgan, Bonnie Smith and Rocky Miller (of Dayton, WA), brought $1800, two paint sprayers and lots of enthusiasm to our Welcome Home exterior paint project.

Since the project started in April (see “Changing It Up” blog), we’ve been continuing the painting in small ways, thanks especially to WHO staff person Abel Hurtado.  But the Horse Creek team really made it happen in a big way!

The paint spraying made everything go so quickly, and even the trim work was almost completed through the determined efforts of this team. They worked five long days exclusively at Welcome Home and it made a huge difference!

Most of our visiting teams work on projects outside of our complex… house construction and repairs, other local churches and agencies… but this team brought put all their energies to work right here at Welcome Home, and what a tremendous and humbling blessing that was. We are so grateful for the love they shared with us, not only through their work but also through their presence with us.

We want to share, too, that the money this group raised (from their small church in a rural community of northern California) came mostly from an off-the-charts auction they held. What tremendous support! We are grateful to all who participated in this project through their giving and their prayers. Thanks be to God!

SISTERS, OREGON

David and Debi Schlatter, and their children Joey, Kaytie and Danny, of Sisters, Oregon, began dreaming and planning for a community-based missions trip to Mexico last Fall. While we (the Scotts) were in Oregon last December/January, we met with them once in Portland and spent a weekend with them in Sisters to brainstorm about opportunities, provide information and offer our support. During our visit to Sisters we made several promotional presentations. The local newspaper published articles about the service opportunity and a group of interested families began to come together.

All the hard work came to fruition the third week of June as the Sisters team visited Welcome Home Outreach.  Early on in the planning process, the Schlatters committed to building a house for a needy family. David had a great fundraising “plan” on paper, but it didn’t come out exactly as he’d envisioned. By May, they were lacking the necessary funds for the house, yet were diligently praying for the Lord to provide.

In May a garage sale fundraiser was held; it was advertised in the local paper. A visitor to town, Dale Robinson of Molalla, Oregon, saw the ad and showed up at the garage sale. Dale got to talking with David and others about the missions trip to Vicente Guerrero, and he shared that he has visited our area many times, along with a friend by the name of Jim Harold who, it turns out, knows Steve Scott from previous missions trips. Small world?  No… God’s plan!

David told Dale about the remaining money needed to fully fund the house; Dale took that need back to his own congregation (Beaver Creek Community Church) and just days later told David that his church had committed $2,000 to help the Sisters team with the house build! Praise God for this miracle! This is such a wonderful tangible picture of how God cares and provides when we are faithful to His call to serve.

Dale Robinson wanted to join the team but was not able to do so; however, Jim Harold did jump on board and came along to help out. The team also included the Peter Magnus family of Bend, Oregon. Dr. Magnus is a pediatrician/family practice physician and he spent the morning hours during the week working at the medical clinic at Cristo por su mundo orphanage.

Others in the team included Tom and Sandy Schnell and daughter Claire; David Guzman (Azusa, CA)

The group built a home for Omar and Melena and their two children. The family is very active in Pastor Frank Lopez’s Iglesia Rio de Agua Vida in Playitas. Debi Schlatter, an elementary school music teacher, and the children of the team worked together to provide music and special crafts for our preschoolers as well as children in the Padre Kino farm camp.

Great week, friends from Central Oregon! We hope you’ll come back to visit Welcome Home again!

HILLSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH (El Cajon, CA)

During the last week of June/first of July, Welcome Home was overflowing with a lot of enthusiasm and activity. One of the teams with us during that week was the group led by Pastor Donna and Jim Rothenberger of Hillside Community Church of El Cajon, CA.

We are always happy to welcome back the Rothenbergers and their crew of young adults who come each year as part of their leadership development program.

This year the Hillside team worked together on housing repairs for a woman in Zapata named Marilissa Salosso. They poured a concrete floor, dug a fosa (septic), installed doors and windows.

Sadly, we have no photos of this team (“our bad”) – but if anyone from Hillside has some to share, we can add them to this post!!

Happily, however, Hillside has already booked their annual Welcome Home adventure for July 2011, so we will see you next year!

NEW HOPE COMMUNITY CHURCH (Portland, OR)

Youth Pastors Peter Johnsen and Kurt Kroon brought the high school group from New Hope Community Church (affectionately known as StuCom, for “student community”) to Welcome Home for their second annual Mexico missions adventure. New Hope Community is a Welcome Home Partner church that not only provides ongoing financial support but also sends at least two missions teams each year to work together with us.

At the direction of Steve Scott, the New Hope team found themselves involved a number of work activities. The team’s main project was working on the home of a family referred by Pastor Ken and Rita Marr of Capilla Calvario (Calvary Chapel) in Vicente Guerrero. The group laid a concrete floor, provided windows and doors and a roof to the home of Martin and Orelia and their family.

New Hope manpower was also used to begin work on the Welcome Home shop extension (i.e. cutting concrete and preparing for block laying), as well as doing some painting at Welcome Home, helping with roof demolition at another house in preparation for a roof job scheduled for the following week (see July Groups blog). . . and to do the ever-popular bano hole digging!

The team did outreach ministry in a remote camp called Bella Vista, distributing food bags to families as well as sharing the Gospel message.

You rock, New Hope StuCom! See you next year!

Over the past four years we’ve had several styles and colors of t-shirts available for purchase here at Welcome Home. This summer we came out with a 2010 “limited edition” shirt that was a big hit.

The 2009 shirt, our “Yo Heart Casa Hogar Bienvenidos” design, was a winner as well.

Now, looking ahead to our 2011 season, we are soliciting design ideas for our next best-selling Welcome Home T-Shirt!

The Welcome Home T-Shirt Design Contest is open to anyone and everyone. So pull out your creativity: Think about the missional call and focus of Welcome Home, our Baja Mexico location, etc. Please limit your design to one or two ink colors and three or fewer screen areas. Also, please suggest ink color(s) as well as a color for the t-shirt itself.

Designs should be submitted in .pdf format via email to steve_jackie_scott@yahoo.com, no later than October 31, 2010. In a cover e-mail, please tell us a bit about yourself and how you are connected to Welcome Home. Selection of the winning design will be made by Welcome Home staff and announced around December 1.

And the prize? In addition to the personal feelings of pride and accomplishment, and the world-wide fame and notoriety, the winner will receive one week free room & board at Welcome Home, as well as a feature blog article. And, of course your very own t-shirt!

We want to see your work, so get creative!

This week of August 23rd marks the first week of the new school year here in Mexico. All the public and private schools are back in full swing, including the Casa Hogar Bienvenidos daycare. After “letting go” of fourteen Kindergarten graduates earlier this summer, we have received many new children into our program.

In mid-July we celebrated the graduation of our oldest group of Kindergarten students (there are two levels) with a very meaningful graduation ceremony held here at Bienvenidos.

The festivities for the children and families included music by the students, words of encouragement by Brigida Merino Flores (daycare director) and Delia Garcia (Mexican Board member), the presentation of “diplomas,” and a prayer of blessing by kinder Enoc’s father, Cesar Aguiar.

Our graduates were then treated to an overnight campout here on the Bienvenidos grounds – complete with hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream and water fun. Thanks and blessings to our wonderful teaching staff for their tremendous love for the children!

We have a hard time letting go of these precious Kinders who have been with us, some for as many as four years. But with the new school year underway, we have 56 students enrolled, many new faces and names to learn, and the place is hopping! Each of these little lives represents an opportunity to share the love of Jesus.

Please pray for our teachers and all the staff who minister to these little ones day in and day out. They are the reason Welcome Home exists!

And they are the reason your tax-deductible gifts are so very important to this ministry. THANK YOU for your continuing love and support of the program here at Welcome Home.

Welcome Home is a place of comings and goings. Week in and week out, with visiting missions teams, we find ourselves saying our good-byes — but also welcoming new faces. It sometimes feels like a revolving door!

And within our staff, we also experience these transitions. At the end of July we welcomed a new intern, Stevie Lindsley, to our Welcome Home family. Stevie first visited Welcome Home last March with the Peninsula Baptist Church team from Ocean Park, WA. Her mother, step-father and brother had been here previously, but this was Stevie’s first Mexico adventure. She liked it (naturally) and asked about serving as an intern — and here she is!

Stevie graduated with a degree in Spanish from Western Washington University in Bellingham. Most recently, she was living and working in Bellevue. Here at Welcome Home, Stevie is great help in our kitchen, but has also worked alongside our construction team on house builds, our shop extension, painting and so on. We appreciate her willing spirit and are blessed to have Stevie with us during August and September.

About the time that Stevie came to Vicente Guerrero, our wonderful intern couple, Josiah and Gabrielle Rydmark, were preparing to return to Oregon. Josiah and Gabby have been tremendous workers at Welcome Home and their departure on August 1st was bittersweet indeed. They have become not only beloved members of our Welcome Home family, but also valued members of the Vicente Guerrero community, and we miss them very much. The good news is that we know we haven’t seen the last of them! They are already talking about when they can get back to Mexico — and we know God has great plans for them! Pray for Josiah and Gabby as they continue to seek God’s will for their lives.

Another returning face to Welcome Home is Meghan Scott. After teaching this past year in Ensenada at a private bi-lingual school, Meghan has moved “home” to Vicente Guerrero where she will be working with her parents, Steve and Jackie, and the Casa Hogar Bienvenidos staff in the preschool. Meghan, who holds a degree in Human Development from Warner Pacific College, will be initiating English language classes with our preschoolers, as well as doing professional development training with our teaching staff. And with her Spanish language skills, Meghan is a great help to Steve and Jackie. We are all excited about Meghan’s new assignments and delighted that she is on board!

Pray with us as we seek God’s direction regarding staffing needs for the 2011 season.

Life is characterized by change… but we know that our sure foundation is our never-changing God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

Many of you who have visited Welcome Home over the past couple of years have become acquainted with our good friend and son in the Lord, Neri Omar Maya. Neri’s life story and his testimony of the life-changing grace of God in his life are nothing short of miraculous. We are blessed to have had Neri as part of the Welcome Home family.

June 6th marked a milestone for Neri as he graduated after two years of concentrated studies at the Instituto Biblica of Cristo por su mundo here in Vicente Guerrero. Neri graduated with academic honors and we are so proud of him and the great perseverance and commitment he showed during his years of study.

Immediately following graduation, the students of the Instituto left for a month of service in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. We anticipate hearing great stories of the students’ time ministering there. Neri will return to Vicente Guerrero where he will be working at least the next six months with Pastor Ken Marr at Capilla Calvario (Calvary Chapel) here in Vicente Guerrero.

We are proud of you, Neri! And we know that God is going to continue to use and bless your life as you remain strong in Him.

It takes a whole lot of work on the part of many people to maintain the Welcome Home compound. In the past few months there have been several projects undertaken which we want to acknowledge. We praise God for His provision of gifts — hands, hearts and resources given out of love.

Three men from the southern California area of Rancho Cucamonga have given several of their precious weekends serving here at Welcome Home.  Marty Kivett, Dan Rippey and Roger Katona are electricians who have gone the extra mile to upgrade the electrical service here at WHO.  Marty and Roger also serve on the WHO U.S. Board of Directors.

The project for these men was to install a new electrical meter base and distribution hub. In place of the old single meter for the entire compound, we now have four meters distributing the electricity throughout the facility. With this improved control of the distribution of power, our overall electrical costs will be lower.

In addition to their travel and time, these guys solicited the donation of materials needed to make this project happen. We are tremendously grateful to Mike Wilson Construction Company (LaVerne, CA) and Graybar Electrical (City of Industry, CA) for their generous donations of materials.  

A big thank you goes out to Harry Barnes, Wayne Gassmann and Russell Finch of the Portland, Oregon, area for bringing a trailer load of supplies and equipment to Welcome Home, as well as to many other Christian mission works here in the San Quintin Valley. One of the donations from this team was a Maytag washer and dryer [propane] set for our laundry room. Other items included an assortment of tools for the construction ministry and dozens of pairs of Danner work boots which were distributed around the community.

With all the rains that pelted Vicente Guerrero during the winter months, we had some major mold problems. One of those affected areas was the bathroom adjacent to one of our guest rooms.  While spending her spring break at Welcome Home in March, Meghan Scott did a fantastic job of scrubbing the bathroom ceiling and walls with bleach, and then painting the whole area, first with Kilz and then with a good wall paint. Thanks, Meghan, for your great work on a nasty job!

In between his everyday assignment of transporting our children to and from Welcome Home, our good brother Abel Hurtado has been keeping busy. When necessary, the construction crew recruits him to help with the pouring of concrete slabs for our upcoming house builds. But Abel has also been faithfully working almost every day on our ongoing painting project. We are grateful for his faithfulness and perseverance.

And we cannot say enough about our interns, Josiah and Gabby Rydmark, and our wonderful construction foreman, Jose Luis (Colores). Josiah and Gabby have truly been a God-send this Spring and we are so appreciative of their hard work and love for the Kingdom work here.  Jose Luis remains a steady and faithful worker here and we are so blessed to see his growing faith in the Lord ! 

There have been a couple of special things these guys (Josiah and Jose Luis) tackled this spring. The newly fashioned archway (featured photo in the blog Changing It Up!) is their handiwork. We also found a water leak and dry rot issues in the men’s restroom on the second floor of the east dormitory.  So the bathtubs were torn out, new plumbing and cement board installed, showerheads raised — and, voila!, newly tiled shower stalls. They are a great improvement for all you men who will stay here this summer!

At its May 20th meeting, the U.S. Board of Directors of Welcome Home Outreach Ministries approved the addition of new Board members, David and Donna Araya of Yorba Linda, CA.

Those of you who follow our blog know that David and Donna serve as Baja Missions Facilitators for the Calvary Chapel of East Anaheim, and lead church missions teams into Baja four to six times each year. Destinations for their ministry include sites in Rosarito, Ensenada and Vicente Guerrero, where they choose to stay and minister through Welcome Home. David and Donna feel a call to full-time missions work, but as they wait on the Lord for His direction they are ministering and serving wherever they are led.

A native of Costa Rica, David is a teacher by profession, currently teaching Spanish at Laguna Hills High School. He has taught at the elementary, middle school and community college levels, and has a Masters degree in Administration. He has also had the opportunity of translating several books into Spanish, including Ray Comfort’s The Way of the Master. Donna is a gifted musician and worship leader and business women in her own right.

We are so blessed to count David and Donna as friends of Welcome Home and we are grateful for their commitment to this ministry as well as to the people of Mexico. Welcome a-Board, hermanos!

The Spring months of March, April and May brought six teams to Welcome Home on short-term missions trips. The groups were very diverse in demographics, as well as in the goals and projects accomplished during their time in Vicente Guerrero. Take a look at how God uses each and every one as part of His team — building the Kingdom and extending His love here in Mexico.

>>>from BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
In March, Doug and Twila Wiebe led a strong young team from our Partner*congregation, Cornwall Church of Bellingham, WA. Although this team was only able to spend a few days at Welcome Home, they provided the money and manpower to put a new roof on the home of a single woman named Luz Ibarra. Luz and her 18-year old daughter live adjacent to the Casa del Sembrador rehabilitation center and she helps out Pastor Mario and the men there whenever possible. With the very wet winter and spring we’ve had, her roof was really in bad need of repair. This Cornwall team was able to do the job with just two days work and $1500.

(*For those who don’t know. . . Welcome Home Partners are churches and individuals who are committed to financially supporting Welcome Home Outreach Ministries at a level of $2400 or more per year. Our Partners [and other donors at all levels] make it possible for us to keep the doors of our guardaria [preschool daycare] open all year round, and we are so grateful to God for providing these good friends and donors.)

Along with their work project, the Cornwall group also ministered to the people of a small, newly established village called San Francisco. Many of the people in this village have moved here from the farm camp Las Escobas which we used to visit but which is now closed down. Kevin Stamper (pictured at right) will be back at Welcome Home in July, leading his team of young people from the Cornwall Church.

>>>from FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

During the same week that Cornwall visited, we welcomed back Shane Hopkins and his gang from Fairbanks, AK. Shane is youth director at Door of Hope Church in Fairbanks, as well as athletic director at Fairhill Christian School. The Fairbanks team had representation from both the school and the church, as well as from the Fairhill Community Church of God of Fairbanks.

We were also delighted to welcome back our friend Brad Roosma who accompanied this Fairbanks team. Brad first came to Welcome Home in 2008 with Shane’s team, then came for an extended stay in the winter of 2009. This March 2010 trip marks his third visit to Vicente Guerrero. Brad is employed by Fairhill Christian School as well.

The Fairbanks team helped complete a house begun in February by the Life Prep Academy group. The house was built for Victoria, a woman with epilepsy, and her daughter. You can see from the brilliant pink that she selected for the house paint that Victoria is full of life! The keys to the newly completed house were handed over to Victoria during a moving dedication service.

Ministry in the community was also a part of the Fairbanks’ team’s schedule. At Welcome Home the same week as the Cornwall team (above), the Fairbanks group ministered in the village of San Francisco, and also helped with missionary Erma Fennell’s outreach in Diaz Ordaz.

>>>from OCEAN PARK, WASHINGTON
The last week of March found a group from Peninsula Baptist Church of Ocean Park, WA, back at Welcome Home for a second time. We were very pleased to welcome this team led by returnees, Claude and Connie Noyes.

The PBC team built a house for the family of Felipa and Juan in the Playitas area, referred by Pastor Francisco Lopez of the Rio de Agua Vida Iglesia. The 7-member family is active in Pastor Frank’s church, as well as helpful in the various ministry activities of Hannibal Reyes.

It was a special treat during this week to host Jackie Scott’s sister, Judy Kelly, who lives in the same vicinity of Washington’s Long Beach peninsula. This was Judy’s first trip to Vicente Guerrero and her granddaughter, Stephanie Kelly, was part of the PBC team as well. Always nice to have family visit!

>>from CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, NY

Each year we are blessed to have a visiting team from our Partner* church Centralia Community Church of God (WA). Pastor Elmer Goodeill has become a great friend, along with co-leaders Dr Justin and Debrah Sherfey. When the Centralia group returns to Welcome Home, we are always happy to greet old friends, as well as meet newcomers.

As in previous years, the focus of the Centralia group was two-pronged: medical and puppet ministries. Twenty-four persons from the Centralia area and fourteen medical students from New York comprised the full group. The medical work was led by Dr. Sherfey and Dr. Chris Yarter of Centralia, and Dr. Sharon Barlizo of New York College of Podiatric Medicine. The medical students were divided into three teams, each led by one of the doctors and serving in various areas of our San Quintin valley area, including the community of Colonet. Doctors worked in clinic and community outreach settings and saw patients with a variety of general health concerns.

The puppet ministry was led by veterans Mark and Nancy Carlson and their great group of young assistants from the Centralia Church. Spanish language Bible stories were vividly portrayed by the very colorful cast of characters. In addition to their regular presentations, the Carlsons were very gracious in helping give training to a local budding puppet ministry effort led by Judy Harding and Angel Davalos.

>>>from ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA

Another group that we welcome often to Welcome Home is from the Calvary Chapel East Anaheim, CA. Under the leadership of the church’s Baja Missions Coordinators, David and Donna Araya, a small team of men (+ Donna) were our guests and missions partners in early April. The CCEA team arrived on April 3 and were able to celebrate Easter Sunday with the Capilla Calvario Vicente Guerrero congregation. Easter activities included a sunrise service in the colonia’s baseball field adjacent to Welcome Home, as well as morning worship at Capilla Calvario followed by a baptismal service at the [cold and windy] beach, where one of the CCEA team memebers, DJ Trudeau, was baptized along with a group of 9 CCVG members. Back at the church after the baptisms, the CCEA team served up a great hot dog lunch to the whole congreation. What an exciting day it was — complete with a 7.2 earthquake that rocked the Baja that afternoon!

The Easter cry of “Cristo vive! Christ lives!” was ringing in our ears and hearts all week long, especially once DJ started teaching the WHO daycare children to shout it out at mealtimes! It was an inspiring reminder of the living Christ we serve.

The CCEA team went to work starting our Welcome Home compound painting project. They worked diligently on painting the entire exterior of the classroom building and we are so grateful for their labor that got our big painting project off the ground.

As they usually do, this team also spent time in ministry at the elder care home Casa del Bueno Samaritano and the rehab center Casa del Sembrador. We are always delighted to have our Calvary Chapel East Anaheim friends with us and look forward to many more opportunities to serve the Lord together!

>>>from PORTLAND, OREGON

Yet another of our Welcome Home Partner*churches, New Hope Community Church of Portland, sent a team our way this Spring. Led by Pastor Mike Magura, a group of young adults (most of whom are students at Portland’s Warner Pacific College) came to serve in Vicente Guerrero just after the college year ended in mid-May.

The New Hope team brought the funds and manpower to build a house for Celia, one of our Welcome Home single mothers whose son Isaac is in the Welcome Home daycare. At the house build, the team had a great time working along with Celia’s cousin, Philemon, who spoke some English. Some team members also spent time helping to prep a house site for a house to be built by a teaming in early June.

The group also ministered in the San Francisco village where the Gospel was shared and clothing distributed.

We are looking forward to welcoming another New Hope Church team in late June when the high school students, under the leadership of Peter Johnsen and Kurt Kroon, make a missioins trip to Vicente Guerrero. Thank you, New Hope, for being such great Partners* with Welcome Home Outreach Ministries!

Well, our Spring months were exciting… and now we anticipate great things happening with and through all the teams who will visit during the upcoming summer months. Welcome Home will be a full and bustling place throughout June, July and August. Please pray that God’s protection and anointing will be upon each and every person who is committing themselves to ministry in Mexico this summer!

If you or any church or school leaders you know want more information about bringing a missions team to Mexico, please contact Steve and Jackie Scott via email: steve_jackie_scott@yahoo.com. We are here to serve you and we invite you to have the experience of a lifetime!

Well, we said we weren’t going to do it. . . but how could we resist the invitation of one of our favorite young men?

Since his first missions trip to Welcome Home with a team of athletes from Western Washington University (led by Jim Brewer) back in the spring of 2007, Michael Green has become one of our “regulars.” He has visited Welcome Home solo, donates dollars when he’s able, and has served as coordinator and team leader of college-student groups in March 2008 and 2009. He keeps in touch with us regularly and is always interested in what is going on here at Welcome Home and in Vicente Guerrero. It’s clear that we have won a place in Michael’s heart. . . and he in ours. He’s family!

So when Michael called to tell us of his engagement to Kristen Hung, we (Steve and Jackie) were thrilled for him. We had the opportunity of meeting Kristen this past November when we had dinner with her and Michael in Washington state. Kristen won our hearts and our approval (as if they needed it!). And while we were pretty sure that we wouldn’t be able to make their spring wedding, we assured them that we’d be present in spirit.

Michael forged ahead on his final semester at Western Washington and graduated in March, then moved right into his new job with the Boeing Corporation. Plans for the April wedding moved forward and we received our wedding invitation, but had to tell Michael it wasn’t in the cards for us to attend.

But, how could we resist? We decided to make it happen. And so, on Michael and Kristen’s wedding day, April 11th, we surprised them at their beautiful wedding in Puyallup, WA. It was a wonderful evening and so worth every effort to be there. A special treat was the opportunity to reunite with a whole bevy of Welcome Home “alumni” who, by the way, clean up pretty good!

Congratulations, Michael and Kristen! We pray that your life together will be blessed richly as you keep Christ in the center of your home and marriage. We love you and we know that we’ll be seeing you both here at Welcome Home very soon!

Next time you visit at Welcome Home, you’ll notice a big change. The signature blue color of the Welcome Home compound is soon to be a thing of the past.

The Baja sun, wind and rains give a significant beating to the buildings here and we decided that 2010 was going to be the year of the facelift. This compound looks pretty doggone big when you start thinking about the scope of the exterior painting project, labor- and dollar-wise. But, knowing that our God is our provider, we began praying and making plans.

Then, last Fall, some of Welcome Home’s good friends contacted us asking what project we might need help with. The Davisson-Bergler clan (of Oregon and California) have a unique family tradition. Each Christmas, rather than exchanging gifts among the extended family, one of the families has the opportunity to name a favorite charity where money that would normally be spent on gifts can be directed. Christmas 2009 was the year for the Jerry Davisson family (pastors of the First Church of God, Tulare, CA) to name the charity of their choice and they tapped Welcome Home Outreach Ministries!

We told Jerry and Kris of our hope for the 2010 painting project at Welcome Home and they jumped right on board. By the end of December, we were blessed with $1,800 towards the paint for this big project. Praise the Lord!

A whole new palette of colors was selected and we are off and running. The new colors — Iced Tea, Rye Grass, Adventure Orange, Buttercup and Antique Red — are bold and vivid. We’re anxious to show them off to you when you visit.

The painting labor was begun just after Easter by a team from Calvary Chapel East Anaheim, then followed up with work by some members of the New Hope Community Church young adults team in May, as well as ongoing work by WHO staff, Abel Hurtado, Jackie Scott, Gabby Rydmark and Neri Maya. In early June, a team from Horse Creek Community Church (CA) has committed to bringing additional funds for paint and will concentrate their efforts on the bulk of the painting. Over the course of the next several months we’ll employ as much available manpower as possible from visiting teams!

Come look us over!