Carolyn Koons, a professor at Azusa Pacific University, participated in the short-term missions movement that started in the 1960s. Churches began asking Carolyn to take them to Mexico with her. She took five churches to Mexicali, Mexico, in 1970, and “Mexicali Outreach” was born. From there, it has grown mostly by word of mouth. Each year thousands of participants cross the border with APU’s Mexico Outreach to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the 1980s there was an explosive increase in numbers. The ministry base camp in Mexicali, still located in Ejido Cuernavaca at the edge of the city, could no longer hold all the participants. 3,200 people from Canada and the USA filled the site to overflowing. A small city of tents extended for several acres. In 1987, Mexico Outreach extended into the Mexicali valley with another base camp in Ejido Mezquital. Soon a third would be added in Ejido Vera Cruz in the southern part of the Mexicali valley. There were 3 base camps and well over 200 ministry sites throughout the Mexicali area.
Most church or school groups who came with APU's Mexico Outreach saw an increase in numbers every year. The average size group continued to grow. Annual participant numbers broke the 9,000 mark in the late 90s, and Rancho El Refugio, east of Ensenada, was purchased for ongoing summer outreaches. The Ranch saw as many as 1,200 at one time on the 17 acres during the June trip.
By the end of the decade of the 2000s we completed 40 years of taking church groups into Mexico. There was a great anniversary celebration to thank the Lord and all those who participated. Nearly 180,000 people from the US and Canada participated in Mexico with APU at some point during those 40 years. Ron Cline, who spoke each year in camp for nearly 25 years, returned to speak at Easter in Mexicali. This video shows footage of some of the chapel experience where students are giving their lives to Christ in an evening chapel. There are missionaries all over the world who attest to the influence of Mexico Outreach as the reason why they are missionaries today.