Pastors, missionaries, lay leaders and a few teenagers from 5 states and 3 different countries loaded up Wednesday morning for an adventure to Tijuana, Mexico. Crosspointe Church of Anaheim, led by Pastor Brian Moore, partners with MANNA Worldwide to sponsor a feeding center just across the border from San Diego.
The 110-mile drive took one hour and forty-five minutes going and three hours returning. We were blessed to meet the national pastor and his wife, Salvador and Megan Suazo. The Suazo’s have an amazing ministry through their church. They regularly pick up over 300 kids, students, and parents for Sunday morning worship. They started the Manna program 2 years ago and currently feed 45 kids lunch five days a week.
We arrived in time to eat lunch with the kids. For many of our group, it was their first time to experience “MOLE.” I have never been a fan of MOLE, but the Manna cooks prepared a great meal along with a very distinct tasting tea. I was able to use my vast Spanish vocabulary with the kids sitting around us. What is your name? How old are you? Those are the two questions I could ask with my limited Spanish knowledge. I could tell them my name and introduce, “Mi esposa, Joy.”
Salvador introduced us to a few of the leaders of the Manna center and they shared their testimony. We were blessed to hear how God is blessing their kids, their center, and their church. They were very appreciative for the church and the feeding center. The love they express for feeding their children is hard to explain in words. If you have never gone on a foreign mission trip to see, hear, and feel the appreciation you are missing out.
After hearing the testimonies and a little history of the church and feeding center, we were able to tour the campus. They do more than simply feed kids. They teach them the Bible. They have a computer room, music room, art room, and they teach them English. Jim Baize, a longtime BBF Pastor in San Diego secured a large donation from the gym where he exercises. The gym donated money for the Manna center to build a workout facility. They have a state-of-the-art Cross-Fit gym. They use this for gym classes for the students, as well as, a men and women’s outreach in their community.
Thank you, Keith O’Neal and Andrew Even, for planning this trip and allowing us to see how God is working in this poor community of Tijuana, Mexico.
To read the Tribune recap of the meeting, click here.
To read a report from Tim Adrian, BBFI President, click here.
To read a report from Brian Moore, host pastor, click here.
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