In early October, 26 men from Seattle went to Tijuana for our 19th consecutive year of house-building service trips with men from Teleios, DADS, and Emerald City Bible Fellowship (ECBF). It has always hit me that each year is richer and more meaningful because it builds on all the previous years of service.
That is probably true for a lot of what we do, standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. In 2000, the first team, made up of the Teleios board, made the trip with a desire to serve and find a way to care for those different than ourselves. That launched a partnership with ECBF and a deepening connection with the DADS ministry. I remember Connie Jacobsen openly weeping tears of joy. This was a part of his dream for Teleios--men from different ethnicities and backgrounds working together in service.
The most powerful part of our time together is when each man takes 15-20 minutes to share his life story and then is prayed for. The power of the Holy Spirit in the midst of us has brought healing and meaningful connections through the raw honesty of the men. For me, it is one of the most significant gatherings we have in the year and one that comes home with us to Seattle.
Over the years, the friendships that have formed reflect the Apostle Paul’s statement,
“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with it commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross”. Ephesians 2:14-17.
We enter under this reconciliation of Jew & Gentile.
Each year, our trip to Tijuana is a time together where I can taste and see that we are “one new humanity” in the love of Christ!
Art