Tijuana Red Light District

A mission of hearts, hands

CLEAR LAKE — It was a mission of hearts and hands that took nearly two dozen North Iowans to Tijuana, Mexico.  

Twenty-one members of the Clear Lake Open Bible Church spent a week building two homes for needy families in the shanty towns around Tijuana.

The group, which also included 11 members of the Iowa Falls Open Bible Church, stayed at a mission base in Tijuana called Puente de Amistad, meaning Bridge of Friendship. 

“You can make a difference on just one street for just one night,” said trip member Steve Rogers of Manly.

Rogers was part of a group that went into the slums and red light district of Tijuana soon after the North Iowans arrived in the country. The group ministered to the needy by preaching and offering a meal.

“The people, you could tell they were just down and out,” Rogers said. “We could just tell it was a rough neighborhood. The concrete on the sidewalks was just falling apart. It used to be concrete but its not anymore.”

But fancy tile remained in front of nightclubs blaring loud music into the streets. 

“It was sort of crazy,” Rogers said.

Larry and Peggy Davis of Mason City said the trip helped them see how blessed we are in the United States.

Peggy said she was struck by the number of prostitutes working the streets.

“I feel so bad for the women that are there. They just have no self-worth. They see themselves as worthless,” she said. “We just went down and told them that God loves them and blesses them and Jesus loves them. You just want to take them and get them out of there but you know that it’s not going to happen.”  

 Katie and Adam Henaman of Mason City and their daughters, ages 9 and 11, made the trip.  

“I was scared to death. I couldn’t sleep for weeks before the trip. You just hear about the crime and the sex trafficking and it just played in my mind,” Katie said. But once they got to Mexico, her fears abated.

“You see the greater good. You see what you’re doing. It (my fear) just kind of went away once we got there.”

Katie had never been on a mission trip before. Adam had been to Peru twice.

“It just kind of reconfirmed the fact that one or two people or a group of people can make a difference,” Adam said. “Everybody wants to change the world. That’s a little unrealistic but you can make a difference in one or two people’s lives. You can make a big difference and it really doesn’t take that much.

Life on the edge: Zona Norte "Tijuana Red Light District"

Last night we got to go as a team to Zona Norte which is Tijuana's main redlight district. I have to say that although I was prepared for what I was about to see, I was extremely moved by what I saw. This area is huge, we walked up the street 3 or 4 blocks and then circled back to the other side. Each street was just lined with prostitutes just standing with there back against the wall, waiting for some one to talk to them. Then I walked another street and there was more, this happend for 3 blocks. Between all of this was night club after night club and the places just got worse and worse. Zona Norte is worse than anything that I have ever seen before wether it be in a movie or something I watched on television. Seeing all those girls just lined up on the wall, sometimes twenty of them between a shop. It broke my heart, they were younger than me, all had stories, all had lives, but for one reason or another they chose to believe the lie that is all there is to life. That this is all they are worth, its hard to even know where to start when you are confronted with a situation like this. It seems like such a big undertaking but I know there is small ground to be made. And with prayer and understanding, I know God will open up more doors!

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