Christmas in Tijuana is fast becoming one of our FAVORITE holiday traditions!
On Saturday, a team of 34 from Canyon Springs Church headed down to the border.  The team, made up of kids, teens and adults, joyfully parked at the border and walked across carrying gifts and cookie supplies to bring to Vision De Dios.  When we arrived the ladies from the church had tables set-up and families were eagerly waiting for us.  It was all-hands on deck as we set-out over 300 cookies, frosting and sprinkles.  It was so fun to watch our Canyon Spring kids and adults mix-in with the people of the community decorating cookies, making a mess and laughing together. Then we gathered in the church for some enthusiastic singing and the telling of the Christmas story through drawings of baby Jesus and candy canes.  After our time of worship we sent the kids out to play some candy cane relays while the adults from both churches  set out the 100 Christmas shoeboxes filled with goodies.  Then we lined up the kids and had them find a shoebox and we opened them together.  I have never seen so much joy as I watched these kids open their boxes.  From a teenage girl hugging her new make-up palette, to a boy showing his friends his new watch to the little girl who snuggled her fluffy stuffed puppy.
One boy was trying to show his dad everything in his shoebox but dad was distracted helping little sister with her box, so I sat down next to him and we looked at each item.  A stuffed lion, a coloring book and crayons, some hygiene items.  It was a moment of pure joy for both of us!
Thank-you Canyon Springs for making this day of joy possible.  You provided the shoebox gifts, the cookie supplies and an amazing team of people to let the church of Vision de Dios and its’ surrounding community know that they are loved.
Merry Christmas!
Jilane

 

Enjoy a few pics from our day in Mexico!