Building Homes and Enjoying Life Together

A New Home

Our youth group returned last evening from their missions trip to Mexico. 47 students and 13 adult sponsors spent the last ten days, 60 hours of which was spent riding in an unairconditioned bus, on a trip to Mexico to build houses for needy families. We partnered with Casas por Cristo to build three homes in Juarez.

Josh's team is pictured above in front of the three room house that they built in three days for a family of eleven! You can click on the picture above to see a short slide show of the team as they returned. You can also go to New Covenants website to see additional pictures of the mission trip.

The debriefing time last evening was powerful, as our teens shared from their hearts regarding the impact this trip had on their lives. The mother at Josh's work site made the entire team a meal cooked on a skillet over a fire made from the leftover scrap lumber. Tears were shed as the keys to the new home were turned over to the families during the dedication ceremonies.

How do you measure the value of a missions trip? By the dollars that it cost to send the team? By the number of houses built or people who come to Christ? Or by the lives transformed?

The futures of three families in Jaurez, Mexico were forever changed by a team from Cedar Rapids, Iowa who before last week, they had never met. The families faith was strengthened and given new hope by a gift they didn't deserve and could never repay.

60 teens and adults returned with hearts that were pierced by the goodness of God, thankful for His many blessings. Blessings they didn't deserve and could never repay. Hearts full of appreciation for shelter, food, clothing, family, and the new level of community they developed with one another. New relationships that grew out of building homes and enjoying life together!