Xochimilco

Our Story

The Xochimilco community sits on top of and along side the old municipal dump.  For 20 years Tijuanas’ trash was brought to the sight.  Two communities sprung up literally on the trash.  One at the top of a large hill the other at its base.    Xochimilco at the top of the hill was built out of the trash it was built on.  As the trucks dumped the trash, men, women, and chidren would scour the rubbage to find items for themselves and to sell.  The trash from grocery stores and street markets provided food.  Groups from the U.S.A. seeing the deplorable conditions started bringing food, clothing,  and other items.  With the increased income from the Americans many of the men quit working and began drinking excessively.  Gambling on chicken fighting became a favorite pastime.  Soon there was prostitution and other vices not mentionable.  A common description was that it was a place that would make Sodom and Gomorrah blush.  Eventually it became too much for the city to allow to continue and the dump was shut down but not the debauchery.

The Xochimilco church was started several years after the dumped closed.  It was started believing that because we serve a big God that loves to use the weak to show His strength it would be used by God do great things for His glory.  The fellowship began in a home and then as it grew moved to new homes until no home could contain them.  A small building was donated.  Without windows or electricity and a dirt floor each of the believers gave a testimony of thanks on the first Sunday to their gracious Lord who had provided such a wonderful place to worship Him.  The first Sunday that there was not enough room, no problem.  The pastor arrived to find that one of the walls had been knocked down to accommodate the overflow of worshipers.  Eventually a much larger building replaced it.  When the new building was built a cap of fifty percent U.S. funds ensured the congregants saw God use them to do His work.  American visiters to the services were asked not to give during the service to ensure the 50% limit was not passed.  God used this churched at the dump to start three other congregations and do ministry in countless locations including Northern Africa.