It’s summer time!  And you know what that means?  Kids are out for the summer, it’s hot outside, AND it’s time for the Youth Group from Trinity Lutheran Church, Centralia, IL, to come to Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLMHC) for their annual mission trip to Juarez!

This was a special year for this mission team for several reasons;  it was their 25^th year of loving and serving God’s people on the border through YLMHC.  Bert and Judy Griffin, who have led the youth mission team every year, are regulars at YLMHC and across the border in Juarez, where they have built strong ties with Pastor Hernandez and many of the families at Iglesia Luterana Santisima Trinidad.  Bert shared with YLMHC’s Servant Event Facilitator, “I feel a calling down here to the other side of the border.”

The home the team was going to build for a family of Santisima Trinidad was going to be “way out” on the outskirts of Kilometer 27.  This house would be the first one in the immediate vicinity, in an area with no electricity, which is necessary for many of the power tools used for construction.  There was no running water nor a neighboring house to borrow the bathroom.  Bert, Pastor Hernandez, and Scott Juengel, YLMHC’s Servant Event Facilitator, discussed these challenges, and all three came to an agreement.

“Let’s do it!”  These challenges were met by the generosity of Trinity by purchasing a gas generator for the team to use at the build site.  And yes, the bathroom situation was ingeniously solved, as well.

The other special reason became apparent when Bert met Karen and her family, for whom they were going to build a new home.  It didn’t take long for him to recognize the soon-to-be new homeowner and mother was someone Bert had met in his earlier years of coming to build homes for the families of Santisima Trinidad.  Bert exclaimed. “I remember you when you were only this tall,” as he gestured with his hand.  So, here a little girl of the church was now a mother with children of her own and was receiving a house from this team years later.  Who would have ever seen that coming?  God did!

The Trinity Centralia team always comes down in the summer, when the youth are out of school and college, which means up and on the road before sunrise, lots of water coolers full of ice, and get as much work done before the temperatures hit triple digits.  At the work site, everyone helped and was eager to learn new skills, and refresh skills learned from previous trips.  Canopies were set up for regular breaks in the shade, and lots and lots of water and sunscreen were encouraged.

A new addition to the team was Trinity’s new pastor, and his wife, James and Denise Hennig.  They were both familiar with building and able to help the youth in many areas.  It was most fulfilling to see many of the youth take a task and see it to completion. For example, the installation of the metal roof, soffits and trim work, mudding drywall. You name it, there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do.  While the extreme heat and high winds may have tested the team, they never gave up.  Bright and early every day, they labored to get that new home done for Karen and her little family.

Another special part of this trip for Trinity Centralia was reconnecting with Jorge, whom many of this year’s team members helped build a house for last year.  Jorge was a blessing to the team last year—he does construction for a living in Juarez—so the team asked if he would like to help them this year.  Since he did not have any work during the week the team was here, Jorge was elated to help and rekindle Christian friendship, helping carry on the blessing of receiving a home from mission teams like Trinity Centralia.

This year’s mission trip them was, “Salt & Light.  Be these.”  It was indeed a very special year for Trinity Centralia’s mission team.  Jesus speaks of Salt & Light in Matthew 5:13-16, and ends with these words, which sums up the week for all involved,  “In the same way, let your light shone before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

All glory to our Father!

Give us a call at (915) 858-2588 or send an email to luz.soto@ylm.org for more information on how your congregation can send a team of missionaries to help bring the Good News to those in need of God’s love in El Paso, TX and Juarez, Mexico.