Calling All Prayer Warriors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, it’s crunch time. We are down to 43 days until we need to make our first of three $55,000 payments in order to purchase Connections House, our team dorms and home here in Rosarito. It has truly been a blessing for us to be able to rent this property, however the owners do want to sell it. We earnestly seek your prayers as we make the decision to move forward with this purchase. Please see the information below to help us with your tax-deductible donation. We will need to assess the situation again in two weeks in order to make a final decision.

As you can see, we have raised less than half of the first payment. While we continue to try and secure a private loan to make up the difference, we also have to remember one thing. And that is, once we make the first payment, we are all in. We’ll have 12 months to come up with the second payment of $55,000. Borrowing part of this down payment may prove to be difficult for two reasons. One, because we would be making loan payments at the same time as making interest payments to the owner. And two, because it will put us behind on being able to save towards the second down payment. Obtaining a private loan for the full amount needed to purchase the property would be ideal. For those of you that may not remember, the reason we are not able to take out a bank loan is because Mexican banks will not loan money to Americans, and American banks will not loan money for Mexican property.

While we are certain that the Lord has called us to this ministry of working with short-term missions teams as well as providing housing, we want to make sure this is the property that He has in mind long term. We need to remain open to the possibility that this place was something temporary on the way to something different or better. So we ask you now to join us in praying for wisdom and discernment. This is His money and it is our desire to be mindful and diligent when it comes to how it is used. May it be all for God’s glory and for the purpose of expanding His kingdom!


Protesting of Gas Prices in Mexico

If you haven’t seen our facebook posts, or heard on the news, the gas prices in Mexico made a huge jump at the beginning of the year. This has caused some major protesting, especially here in Rosarito where we have a Pemex gasoline distribution plant. This plant fills approximately 220 trucks per day with gasoline. Pemex also currently owns almost all of the gas stations in the country, which is supposed to change sometime this year.

On January 1st, gas prices spiked with about a 20% increase throughout Mexico due to the deregulation of the gas industry by the government. The cost of gas here in Rosarito is about $17 pesos per liter, or $3.20 per gallon (up about $.50/gallon over night). The minimum wage here is $10 pesos per hour, which means that people need to work about six hours to earn the money to buy one gallon of gas.

There is protesting and unrest all over the country. Thankfully, things have been calm and non-violent here in Rosarito for the most part. There was a blockade to the Pemex plant for several days. Most or all of our gas stations ran out of gas after a few days as a result, in Rosarito, Tijuana, and beyond. However, with police reinforcements, the blockade was ended and the shortage was averted. There were some reports of looting and some injuries during the protesting. Also, our two nearby border crossings were closed on a couple different occasions. Praise the Lord that we have had no deaths and little violence as a result of the protesting, which is not the case in other parts of the country. Police vehicles are still escorting the gasoline trucks to and from the Pemex plant. Otherwise, despite the fact that gas prices have not budged, things have calmed down even more.

Please do keep this situation in your prayers. The peso is worth close to half as much as it was when we moved down here almost seven years ago. That along with the sky high prices of gas has made the cost of living rise heavily. While we are blessed to be able to cross the border to fill up with gas, etc., it is likely that these high gas prices are going to cause the cost of other things here to rise – food, drinking water, propane, etc.


Thank you so much to each and every one of you for your prayers! Thank you for your support and financial gifts. We know that we wouldn’t be here without them! This ministry would not function without them. We are thankful to God for all you.


Financial Gifts

Checks with your tax deductible donation towards the purchase of Connections House may be made payable to “Calvary Chapel Rosarito”. Please write “Connections House” on the memo line and mail to:

Calvary Chapel Rosarito, 511 E San Ysidro Blvd #6355, San Ysidro, CA 92173