The last week of December holds special meaning for many people, stretching from Minnesota to El Paso to Anapra, Mexico. In 2025, students and adult chaperones from Mayer Lutheran High School of Mayer, Minnesota marked their 20th annual mission trip through Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care. This milestone year brought together 38 participants, including teachers, parents, alumni, and the school’s new Campus Pastor, all ready to serve and grow together.
As the team arrived, they welcomed a second group joining the work. Eight members from King of Kings Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa came alongside the long-standing MLHS team. Though new to this particular trip, they quickly became part of the shared rhythm of service, meals, prayer, and daily work. Together, both teams formed a strong community rooted in faith and purpose.
Mayer Lutheran High School prepares year-round for this trip. Students raise funds, recruit teammates, and pray for the families they will serve. This year, their efforts focused on building homes for three families in Anapra. The large group divided into three smaller teams, each responsible for one house. Days were filled with framing, painting, wiring, insulating, and installing windows, lights, doors, and metal roofing. Every task moved the homes closer to completion and created space for teamwork and learning.
Time on the building site went beyond construction. Team members spent hours with children from the families and surrounding neighborhood. Laughter carried across the yards as games began and friendships formed. The MLHS team came prepared, bringing boxes filled with toys, crafts, coloring pages, pencils, beads, and thread for bracelet making. These moments offered rest from the work and opened doors for connection across language and culture.
Serving together strengthened faith for many on the trip. Students learned patience and problem-solving. Adults shared guidance and encouragement. New friendships formed between teams who had never met before arriving. Through shared work and conversation, the Body of Christ grew stronger, reaching across borders and generations.
Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care, now known simply as YLM, remains grateful for partners who return year after year and for those joining for the first time. These Servant Events continue shaping lives, both for families receiving homes and for volunteers who leave changed.
If you are interested in bringing a Servant Event team to serve through YLM, we invite you to reach out for more information. These opportunities create space to serve, grow in faith, and walk alongside others as the Gospel moves through shared work and willing hearts.
