Tales of Wanderlust: Casas Por Cristo

My Spring Break this year was unlike any other that I've ever had. I didn't have the whole week off, but I did take Thursday and Friday off to fly to El Paso. I was blessed to work with a mission team from FBC Canyon and members of my Dad's present church FBC El Paso to build a house in Juarez, Mexico. Click here to read my dad's blog about the team.

We built the two-room home for Ellie, a single mother who was about my age, and her three small children. They had been living with her parents in the house next door. Ellie had never had a home to call her own and was unable to afford to build one with her limited resources. The people from FBC Canyon raised the $5,000 to buy the supplies for the house and then came down during their break to help build it for this precious family through a ministry in Juarez called Casas por Cristo (Houses for Christ).

Now, I do not even pretend to know anything about building a house. I have no construction skills to my name. But, I came with a willing heart and able body to work with a team of skilled craftsmen who actually knew what they were doing. We started the project on Thursday morning. We met at the church at 6 a.m. and traveled about 20 minutes across the border to a suburb of Juarez called Anapra. While I have traveled quite a bit around the world, I have never been anywhere like this before. The streets were made of dirt. I was amazed that the homes were even standing. Some of them were poorly constructed and others had been worn down over time. The families in Anapra do not have much but what they do have, they are very willing to share. I cannot tell you how generous the family was that we worked with. The grandparents graciously opened their home to us and made us delicious food every day. The stood by and watched us work with great anticipation of the final results.

I also have to mention how gracious and kind the men were that we worked with. Jamie and I were two of three girls on the team. The other girl was Rachel, one of the team leaders, who had built more than 20 homes with Casas por Cristo and so obviously she knew what she was doing. Jamie and I had no clue. I cannot tell you how many times one of the men would come by and encourage us in our work. Many of the tasks we did were seemingly menial, but we were constantly told we were doing a good job and that what we were doing was so important. From sifting sand for hours to measuring 2x4s and sponging stucco, I learned a lot about how a house is built. But I also learned about hard work, the power of a smile, how to encourage one another, and what it means to humbly serve. The men we worked with were some of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I never heard a harsh word spoken on the site. While many of them did not even know each other when they started, they worked together so seamlessly to construct the home for Ellie and her children.

The sweetest moment on the trip for me was on Friday afternoon. The guys were putting stucco on the walls and then Jamie and I were tasked with following behind them and "sponging" the stucco to give it texture. While I was bent down working on a lower section, Ellie's three children and other precious little ones were seated just a few feet away carefully watching my every move. I could tell that they wanted to help, but had been instructed not to touch anything or be in the way. So, I grabbed an extra sponge and handed it to Valydia, the oldest daughter who is probably about 9 years old. I don't speak Spanish, but I showed her how to move the brush to help texture the wall. If I could do it, she could do it. So, she started working by my side, rotating the sponge just like I was. There were parts of the wall where the chicken wire was poking through, so I showed the little boys how to pick up some of the extra mud from the ground and patch the wall. You would not believe how carefully and precisely they followed my lead. They were beaming with pride when I would tell them "Bien or Si," the only Spanish I knew to encourage them in their efforts. Those children were so precious and it was an honor to work beside them to help build their home.

After the foundation was laid, the walls were raised, the roof was attached, the insulation put in, the dry wall was hung and the electricity was wired, the house was complete. Saturday we had the honor of dedicating the home. Several of the Canyon team members who had been working in El Paso and some of the wives were able to come over for the special ceremony. We handed Ellie keys to her new home, a Bible, and handmade gifts. And then, we prayed for her and her family. That God would work in their lives and that her house would become her home. Tears flowed as people expressed their prayers for this precious family. We were all truly humbled and honored to be a part of such a beautiful project.