Compassionate members of the Crest Community Church and other congregations in Riverside, Calif., have formed an international outreach ministry to Mexico called the Kingdom Coalition. In partnership with Pastor Oscar Burgueño-Soto, from the poor agricultural community of Ojos Negros, they seek to help these impoverished people grow spiritually and provide their basic needs. Many are migrant farm workers with only an eighth-grade education and their teens are often forced into drug trafficking, leaving them with a bleak future.

Burgueño-Soto’s heartfelt desire is to see the power of Jesus take root in lives of the migrant families. He prayed for a group to provide year-round support and three and a half years ago God answered his prayers by connecting him with David Watring of Crest Community, a BIC congregation in Riverside, Calif.

Watring met Burgueño-Soto when working with the youth on another international outreach in Mexico. “I knew in my heart that Oscar was different than the other pastors we had worked for,” Watring remembers, and that’s when Kingdom Coalition was established—developing a direct line of communication with Burgueño-Soto.

When a need arises among Mexico’s poorest congregations, he contacts Watring and the resources are collected from a network of churches in California. Watring and his ministry transport the needed items to Burgueño-Soto, who then distributes them to churches on his side of the border.

At times the Kingdom Coalition has faced discouraging barriers and has been denied entry into Mexico, but the Lord prevails and the group miraculously finds a different way in. In the past few years, over 250 school kits and 150 pair of shoes have been brought to the children. Truckloads of food and clothing along with ample supplies of cold and flu medicines have also been delivered to these desperate communities. Vacation Bible School is offered during the summer months with up to 265 children attending. The ministry also collected $4,000 for land to build a community center/church and recently, a generous donor bought Pastor Oscar a dependable car with which to serve his people.

Zach, a high school student who’s gone to Mexico with Watring for over three years, delights in seeing the joy on the children’s faces: “It’s a humbling experience and we all cry when we have to leave.” He was one of 42 Kingdom Coalition volunteers who hosted a “Grand Christmas Party” in Ojos Negros in December of 2006. It was a special time of worship and fellowship where 500 people enjoyed a holiday meal and over 300 children were treated to a play time with jump houses, a clown, and gifts for every child.

“God provided enough of everything we needed from food to presents,” said David. Through prayers, resources, and volunteers, the Christmas celebration in Ojos Negros was a huge success. The Kingdom Coalition is committed to working with the children of Ojos Negros and at Pastor Oscar’s request they are planning the next community outreach event, a spring sports clinic, where David’s team will continue to serve as vessels of hope.

Debra Bremer attends Etiwanda BIC Church in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where she participates in Bible studies, river rafting trips, and barbeques.

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