Coming to you from the beautiful MITC campus near the sunny slopes of Pico de Orizaba!

June 4, 2005

Tom & Terry CEI (MITC) Logo

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¡Hola todos!

Week 1

Well, here we are again. This is our fifth year in a row and our fourth to spend the entire month of June with our precious brothers and sisters in Christ here at MITC. Praise the Lord!

We left DFW on the morning of May 28^th and arrived here the same day safe and sound. Brother Alfredo Marquez met us at the airport in Veracruz and drove us to the MITC campus in Córdoba.

We are again staying in the apartment next to the basketball court that is more than sufficient for us. On Sunday we went to Bélen Church and then had lunch with their entire body in their upper room. We got to see many familiar faces including those of our friends Brother Moises and his family. It was here that we caught up with the first work group of the summer.

This work group was large, by MITC standards, with 28 people, all led by Pastor Mark Webb from Grace Bible Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi. This group was also diverse in where they were from as it included representatives from several different churches from several states and Canada.

They were able to accomplish a lot of new work at the new chapel

including a concrete sidewalk, painting and lots of excavation and backfill. Other new work they completed included a foundation for a new church in Cuidad Mendoza and foundation work for the “Villas” on the MITC campus. Maintenance activities included electrical work in the kitchen and painting the inside of Jorge’s house.

Chapel painting Mixing concrete for the Villas foundation

Mark Webb placing concrete Excavation in front of the Chapel

The women of this group completed an extensive VBS (Vacation Bible School) work shop and training for the second year students. They also provided most of the annual supply of materials for the upcoming VBSs. Terry accompanied this group to a VBS at La Concha, a small nearby village.

Backfilling the floor of the Villas Vacation Bible School at La Concha

On Thursday we all went to eat lunch at Brother Moises’ house where he and his wife Clarita fed us a grand meal. All had a great time of fellowship. On Thursday night we all enjoyed the traditional meal of thanksgiving for all the blessings brought to us by God through this group. We even had pizza! But this dinner also means it is time for the group to leave and that they did at 3:00am Friday morning.

28 person, multi-church group from USA and Canada led by Pastor Mark Webb

On Friday the masons made a significant start putting up the walls on the ground floor of the Villas.

Augustin laying bricks Tom with Fredy & Augustin

We are now awaiting the Youth Group from Richland Bible Fellowship Church of Richardson TX, our home church, which will arrive this evening.

The weather started off very hot and muggy and has pretty much stayed that way. We really need the rain as it cools the temperature down 10 – 20 degrees and provides much needed water for the wells.

We will be writing to you again real soon.

Qué Dios le bendiga,

Tom & Terry