Ensenada Outreach Center - YUGO

PURPOSE – COMMUNITY – HOSPITALITY – OUTREACH

INTRODUCTION

As the first quarter of 2007 started we took a look at the past in order to grow and ready ourselves for the future. We focused on our purpose for ministry, development of staff leadership & team building, terminology & organizational structure, and ministry programs & systems. *see EOC organizational chart

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Our community starts with our staff. Twenty one persons at the time of this writing, made up of Mexican, American, Canadian & Indian nations. We are coming together as a staff daily to pray with and for one another. We are studying God’s word together at regularly scheduled staff meetings and studies, and practicing Jesus’ example of going out two by two.

This EOC community extends out into Ensenada, as well as stretching across borders to the north. We recognize that without our facilities, this ministry could still exist; yet without this community of relationships, this ministry would not exist.

PROVIDING HOSPITALITY

We are seeing ourselves less as a camp and more as an outreach center. Part of outreach is providing the hospitality to short-term mission teams, additionally we are opening up our door to provide and practice hospitality to our local Mexican community. We are hosting dinners, luncheons & breakfasts for pastors, churches, children & youth groups; as well as to the poor in need.

FACILITATING OUTREACH

Our core ministry continues to be the connecting together of short-term North American mission teams with the local Mexican church & their communities. We are committed to become less visible as a ministry to the local community. What I mean by this statement is; in the past all ministry programs were “ours”, conceived, planned, coordinated and facilitated by “Campo de Suenos”. If you were in need, in the local community, you would make the trip to the gates of Campo de Suenos to submit your plea for help. (Home, food, blankets, clothes etc) In our present course of building a community of connected relationships with the local churches, we are equipping them to be the “local” outreach centers. In turn, as people in need go directly to the local church, we are becoming less visible.

We currently are working with some 50+ area pastors/ churches, coordinating all facets of outreach ministry through them & their churches. Now when a YUGO team enters a village for ministry, we are there at the invitation of the local pastor; participating in his local outreach ministry.

BY THE NUMBERS

During the months of November & December we hosted twelve groups (600+ people), constructed one church building, coordinated seven VBS/ Evangelistic programs, two medical clinics, distributed over 2,500 Christmas gifts (Project Joy), helped our brothers at Grace Children’s Home, and built seven homes. Untold numbers of lives were impacted and transformed from a physical & more importantly, Kingdom perspective.

A MILESTONE EVENING

January, although a quiet month from the perspective of not having any groups, may have been the most significant of the three months of this first quarter. On the evening of January 4^th, we hosted an invitation only dinner, for ten select pastors and their wives. This evening officially commenced our new Homes for the Poor program, “HECHOS 2007”. What makes this year’s program different from years past is that these ten pastors (along with an additional ten pastors upcoming in February) will be the “frontline” connection for this program. They will select the families, provide volunteers for pouring the floor, introduce the building team to the family (first day of build) as well as be present for the home dedication by the building team (final day of build). This along with a commitment to continue in the all-important follow-up ministry (after the short-term team has returned home). Each participating pastor will receive four homes for the year 2007. This act of “giving away” of our ministry is crucial to fulfilling YUGO’s 2^nd Goal [teaching Mexicans to win others to Christ & make disciples of them]. We continue to provide coordination, logistics and oversight to this area of the ministry, yet in the eyes of the local community, we (EOC) are becoming less visible as the place to go for help/ handouts. The local church is being equipped to minister to the spiritual needs as they also care for the physical needs of their community.

ON THE HORIZON

As we prepare to host our first spring teams of 2007, we continue to pray for the development of our leadership team and fortify strongholds. Some weaknesses remain; the EOC properties are in the names of multiple landowners (not affiliated with YUGO MX), local staff are in a “grey” area of employment and numerous EOC vehicles have outdated registrations. These are unacceptable liabilities, and are on the top of my priority list.

In the upcoming quarter we are expecting 1,200+ guests, constructing 33 homes, coordinating 10 community projects, numerous VBS/ Evangelistic outreaches and hosting a Mexican women’s weekend retreat. We pray that whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving all thanks to God the Father through him.

Scott C Wseter

Director

Ensenada Outreach Center