The week of May 9-17, YLM welcomed 8 guests from north of the border: a servant event from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada! It was the school’s first trip to YLM, but will hopefully become an annual offering; students were able to earn required “co-curricular units” for attending.
They elected to build a house in Mexico and were assigned one for a couple, Lilia and Jorge, who have been on the waiting list for 4 years! They live near Pastor Hernandez’s San Pedro and San Pablo mission site, but far enough away that there are many unchurched families in the neighborhood. To remedy that, Pastor Hernandez plans to begin holding devotionals in Lilia and Jorge’s yard (hopefully with the addition of a covered porch for shade) next year. He already has a name for the new mission plant: “La Sinagoga” (“The Synagogue”). The additional 12 x 24 ft. of space will also allow Lilia’s widowed mother to come from Durango so that Lilia can care for her.
The Canadians left their mark on the building itself–by installing ceiling fans, painting it purple throughout (Lilia’s choice), and hanging a Canadian flag that is visible from the street–but also on the neighborhood, especially the children. It seemed like the entire community came together on Friday to thank their new friends with a potluck meal. The Seminary students & staff members will never forget everyone’s generosity and hospitality, and they too will be long remembered for duck, duck, goose, candy, piggy-back rides, and of course, the legendary post-house blessing water balloon fight!
