Dios Es
Amor Mission, La Planicie, Tijuana
Pueblos Hermanos helped the Mexican Northwest Border Presbytery start the
Dios Es Amor Mission in the La Planicie neighborhood of Tijuana in 1998,
with economic sponsorship by Rev. Samuel Woo and the United Korean
Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles. Pueblos Hermanos has provided much
support with mission teams, pastoral supervision, evangelistic campaigns,
salary help, and many community health and development projects in
conjunction with the mission. The neighborhood, about 13 miles southeast of
down town Tijuana, was part of a farming ejido subdivided for low cost
lots; there were no utilities, the roads are not paved. The mission outreach
was sponsored economically by the United Korean Presbyterian Church of Los
Angeles under Rev. Samuel Woo with building help from several PCUSA
churches. The mission started well, in conjunction with our health
project, but after three years it suffered a divisive scandal in the removal of its founding pastor,
began recovering under two different student pastors, the second of which
was involved in another scandal. After a year with no regular Mexican
pastor the Rev. Enrique Romero of Pueblos Hermanos was named pastor.
Update 2006:
Steady growth, new land, chiropractor ministry
The Dios Es Amor Mission has grown the past year. There are
now 12 communicant members and average Sunday worship has 25 adults.
New
Facilities: Pastor Samuel Woo raised funds
and purchased the lot behind the sanctuary with its partially started
concrete foundation and columns. He hopes to develop class rooms and
meeting rooms for Christian education, fellowship and outreach to the community in the new facility.
Foundation work has begun in late October, 2006, by three men of the
congregation.
Chiropractic
Clinic draws crowds: In spring of 2006 Pastor Romero brought his
chiropractor Dr. Steve Wilson to the mission to offer free chiropractic analysis
and adjustments for people in need of such in the neighborhood. There has
been a tremendous response to Dr.Wilson's ministry and he comes every other
Friday night now to minister to 100 people who come from many other
neighborhoods in Tijuana besides La Planicie. While individuals are
being treated the rest sing, pray, and share testimonies. Pastor
Enrique has been developing relationships and following up evangelistically.
Update 2005:
New Pastor, rebuilding the congregation
In April of 2005 Missionary Bill Soldwisch was named interim
pastor by the Presbytery and in July of 2005 Rev. Enrique Romero was
commissioned pastor of the mission. He continues to live in the house
he built in the El Lago neighborhood 5 miles away and Gustavo & Maria Elena
Flores continue to live in the manse and keep an eye on the church
facilities. Enrique's wife Delfina, duagher Analidia (Lili) and son Jonathan
minister with him, along with his married daughter Heidi and her husband
Deacon Noé Solano. There are four communicant members and another four
or five adults who attend regularly when the Romeros arrive.
Update 2004:
Pastor David leaves
Pastor David left for vacation in August, 2004 and then sent word
that he was not returning. There was also a moral problem that did not
break into a full blown scandal but was a severe shock nevertheless.
Pastor Samuel Woo, retired from the United Korean Presbyterian Church of Los
Angeles, provided moral, economic and some pastoral support along with
Missionary Brad Arakelian and Bill Soldwisch.
Update 2003: New
Pastor, New Facilities, New people:
David Gutierrez began pasturing the “Dios Es Amos” mission a year ago July,
completing his last year of the Presbyterian Seminary in Mexicali commuting
from Tijuana. As Pastor David arrived, the congregation was finishing off
the three new Sunday School classrooms and bathroom area built where the
trailer had been (it was moved to a rented lot next door) by the La Jolla,CA
PC youth Easter week of 2002. David arrived with his wife Carmita, an
excellent and skilled cook for large groups (having been the cook at the
seminary for two years, feeding 70 people three meals a day) and three year
old daughter Genisis. David had been a manager-accountant for a supermarket
in Chiapas when he received his call to the ministry and took advantage of
the free seminary education offered by Korean missionary Pablo Lim at the
Mexicali Seminary.
After a
year of hard work in La Planicie, Tijuana, tough, he was beginning to doubt,
well not exactly his calling, but he was working so hard and the
congregation was not growing. Then, just as he was completing his first
year, he began to see the fruits of his hard work of meeting people,
sharing his faith, praying with them and for them. One new family began to
attend every Sunday, then another, then another. The congregation is really
growing now, with more than 20 adults and more than 30 children each Sunday,
the sanctuary is clean and painted inside and out (after two years filled
with building materials & junk), and there are three Sunday School
teachers The congregation that had been divided and demoralized by the
scandalous removal of their founding lay pastor, now has a sense of hope and
well being, and people are sharing their faith.
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Update 2006: growth, new land, chiropractor ministry
Update 2005: new pastor rebuilding the congregation
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