St. John and Renewal Lutheran Churches of Denver, CO returned to Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) for their third year of service, bringing a team of ten ready to work with joy and purpose. From the beginning, their ministry has centered on dual projects that include building a home for a family in need and preparing a VBS for neighborhood children.
In their first two years, they also introduced Women’s Ministry, which has been a blessing to more than forty women who carry the weight of single parenthood, poverty, and the daily responsibility of providing for their families. Their hearts continue to be drawn to the KM30 area, where many families live without running water or electricity, in pallet houses pieced together from scraps of wood, cardboard, tarps, and metal sheeting. It is a community that welcomes them with warmth and gratitude, and one they hold close.
This year, the team lead approached YLM with a request to offer medical care, as the team included a Wound Care nurse and a student completing her Nurse Practitioner studies. Through their connection with an organization that equips medical mission teams, they secured donated supplies that included gauze, antibiotics, medication, gloves, and other essentials. These were taken across the border the week before their arrival, ready for the work ahead.
The Medical Clinic was held at the Community Center, just down the dirt street and around the corner from the building site. For four days, Grace, Lauren, and Tish welcomed neighbors with kindness and patience. Tish assisted with translation, and a Mexico nursing student joined them, helping with vitals and minor concerns. Forty people were seen during the week, each one receiving care for both body and spirit. Spanish Bibles, Christian literature, and children’s books were shared with those who visited, offering encouragement and hope.
The family served this year was Omar, his wife Kenia, and their teenagers, Mia and Omar Jr., who will both begin high school in the fall. They live on property owned by Kenia’s mother, who divided her land into smaller lots for each of her daughters. Until now, the family lived with Kenia’s elderly mother in a small house at the front of the property. This new home gives them space of their own for the first time.
Kenia’s story touched the team deeply. Five years ago, she lost her left leg after an accident involving red laser therapy on a small foot infection. She now uses a prosthetic gifted by the Juarez Rotary Club, but because she did not have the recommended time for swelling to settle, the prosthetic fits poorly and causes chafing and bruising. She visited the Medical Clinic to be seen by Grace, who cared for her with gentleness and skill.
Throughout the week, the team poured themselves into the work. They built with determination, prayed with families, and offered compassion to every person who stepped into the clinic. Their presence was a blessing to Kenia and her family, and to the entire community. They expressed joy at what they experienced through their partnership with YLM, grateful for the opportunity to serve in ways that care for both body and soul.
YLM is blessed to continue nurturing this growing partnership with St. John and Renewal. They work with steady hearts and have become trailblazers among our Servant Event teams. They were the first to bring Women’s Ministry to our partnering churches, and now they have opened the door for Medical Clinics as well. Their willingness to listen, learn, and respond to the needs of the community continues to inspire us.
If you are interested in serving through YLM’s Servant Event Ministry, give us a call at (915) 858-2588 or send an email to luz.soto@ylm.org.
