Local church group builds a home for family in Mexico

TIJUANA, Mexico — A group from Newton recently went to Tijuana, but not for the usual reason. Some 17 people from First Baptist Church of Newton went south of the border to build a house for a Mexican family. The Rev. Aaron Loree and son Dylan, Jack and Charlotte Maples, Rick Coffelt and daughter Amanda, Dennis Evans, Linda Martin, Craig and Julie Murphy, Kathy Peterson, Jerry and Nan Schmidt, Shirley Schuring, Nancy Smiley, Linda Templeton and Steve Van Ryswyk built the house in conjunction with Puente de Amistad, which is Spanish for Bridge of Friendship. Mike Brandt, who along with wife Cathy, daughter Mikayla and son Aaron took over the program last November, noted Puente de Amistad is under the direction of Des Moines-based Open Bible