Except for exceptions, I’m strongly opposed to cross-cultural Vacation Bible School.
Last Saturday a well meaning church group dropped into Tijuana for their annual Christmas Party including a gift giveaway and Gospel presentation. This is my third or fourth time, passively participating in their event. The leaders are nice, straight-forward, and well organized. Their youth group is all smiles, upbeat, and well behaved [...]
Down on VBS
Posted December 11, 2006 by Ben
“But the fruit of the Spirit is [road rage]”?
Posted November 26, 2006 by Ben
I’ve almost put this in writing at all the wrong times—to let it all out and to gossip the dirt. It would have been a relief to rant and rave over the cyber-waves. Yet I have resisted because of my intense humility. Ha.
It’s no secret that the driving south of the border grays the lines. [...]
Caught by the Mexican Border Patrol, Part 2
Posted November 21, 2006 by Ben
The Federales’ interrogation process was to the point — back-to-back question and statement: “What are you doing? Get in the back of the pickup!” I tried to answer that we were from the church down below, but the officer was definitely not interested in VBS. I responded as ordered and hopped into the bed of the Chevy. Little Carlos was ordered to do the same, but the kid’s knees were shaking too much to climb over the tailgate. At that moment a brother from the church came running out [...]
Caught by the Mexican Border Patrol
Posted November 18, 2006 by Ben
One evening a month, we have a meeting with the moms and kids at a little church in Granjas. The word granjas means farms. Although there are still remnants of farm-life in this community, the majority has filled up with homes of varying shapes and sizes. And although it rests on the border, it has remained dilapidated with Third World characteristics. Granjas is located approximately 14 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, exactly where Clinton’s Operation Gatekeeper border fence ends. The visual is fascinating[...]
Born Into [Tijuana] Brothels
Posted November 13, 2006 by Aaron
On a friend’s recommendation I watched Born Into Brothels last night. This documentary is about the children of prostitutes living in Calcutta’s red light district. Not something you want to rent for family movie night.
The film had some dramatic and shocking scenes in it but what struck me the most is that they probably could have made a nearly identical movie in Tijuana’s own Zona Roja[...]
Godless Publicans
Posted November 9, 2006 by Ben
So how should we treat a pagan or tax collector? The Living Bible Paraphrased says, “the church should excommunicate him.” I think this is the general sentiment I grew up with—the idea that, if a member is in sin and refuses to turn from it after the prescribed steps are followed, he or she should be thrown from the church. However, [...]
Bimbo Maquiladora
Posted October 31, 2006 by Ben
Even before I arrived in Tijuana, I had the dream of checking out a maquiladora. These factories (called fabricas by the locals) employ many thousands of Mexican citizens. Big names like Toyota, Sony, Bose, Tyco and Phillips thrive on the (unlimited) cheap labor and close proximity to the border [...]
Señora Ines
Posted October 21, 2006 by Ben
If only I had had the opportunity that these kids have…[silence] What I wouldn’t have done to have this.–Señora Ines
On Wednesday, Ines and I volunteered to clean up the backside of the school. We gathered palm branches, scrap wood, tumbleweeds, and lots of general garbage. Then Ines struck a match, quickly igniting the pile[...]
Sail to Spain?
Posted October 15, 2006 by Ben
Saturday morning began drizzly. The pastor and I drove out to 10 de Mayo, eyes half shut. He had just flown in from Cancun in the middle of the night; I had woken up at 5:00 in the morning to drop my wife’s car off at the shop. The pastor’s late-80s, front-wheel drive Plymouth Voyager [...]
Pavement Is Forever!
Posted October 12, 2006 by Ben
Or so goes the environmental saying of a coupla decades ago. Just north of the border, new freeways and widened boulevards are usually frowned upon. Strip malls are highly scrutinized, and housing developments encroaching forests are even worse.
As you might imagine, it’s different here. I love paved roads. In fact, I’ll drive out of my [...]