For nearly twenty-five years, Trinity Lutheran Church of Lincoln, NE has faithfully sent a Servant Event team to serve alongside Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM). Each year, the work looked similar, yet God continues to move in personal and powerful ways through each team and each family.
This year, the ten-person team traveled to Kilometer 30, where Marco Josué, his wife María, their two-year-old son Marco, and baby Josué had been living in a one-room structure pieced together with wooden pallets and plywood. Cement blocks held down roofing paper overhead, offering limited protection from wind and weather. Outside, a small swamp cooler rested on a makeshift shelf, doing its best to hold back the desert heat. It was a space shaped by necessity yet filled with hope for something more.
That hope became visible as the team began building. Over four days, walls went up, insulation was installed, and a new home took form. Each nail, each board, and each shared moment reflected a deeper purpose. This was not only construction. It was care lived out in real and tangible ways. By the end of the week, the transformation was clear. What once stood fragile and temporary had been replaced with solid walls and a secure roof. For the family, it meant rest, safety, and a new beginning.
Throughout the week, ministry extended beyond the home build. A couple of the team members led a four-day Vacation Bible School, welcoming between thirty to sixty children and adults each day. Through Bible stories, music, and shared meals, relationships began to grow. Care was shown not only in what was taught, but in the time spent together. Sixty-seven quilts, along with school and hygiene kits, were distributed to the families who attended, meeting practical needs with generosity and intention.
Aaron Resendiz, a member of YLM’s Mariachi San Pablo and a pre-seminary student with the Hispanic Mission Institute, served alongside the team as a translator. His ability to move between English and Spanish allowed conversations to flow and connections to deepen, strengthening both the build and the ministry throughout the week. With joy, he provided the guidance for the closing day known as Dedication Day, bringing everything together. As prayers were spoken, Scripture read, and praise rang out, and the home was entrusted to the Lord, emotions filled the space. Gratitude and quiet joy marked the moment as the family stepped into a place prepared for them.
Because God brings His people together with purpose, this week became more than a project. It became a witness to His provision, His care, and His faithfulness through His people.
Thank you, Trinity-Lincoln, for being part of this work.
If you’d like to experience God’s fulfilled promises to those in need, reach out to YLM’s Servant Event ministry for information on how you can partner in this mission to “change lives every day through simple acts of kindness.” Call (915) 858-2588 or send an email to luz.soto@ylm.org to connect!
