Family of Christ Lutheran Church from Ham Lake, MN sent a team of seventeen to build a house in Juarez the third week of August. If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is the third team of missionaries Family of Christ has sent to serve through Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) in 2023. This team was comprised of young adults, from seventeen to twenty-eight years old, with three adults to help with the building process, all of them prepared to love and serve God and people.

Not only did they come down to build a house for a widowed woman, who cares for five of her grandchildren, but also to lead a two-day Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Iglesia Luterana La Santa Biblia. These young adults organized the team’s devotions and Bible studies, daily building tasks, and all activities involved with VBS, including lunch for those who attended.

Socorro, a widow of two years, couldn’t find enough ways to thank the team for their hard work. With the help of her sister and daughter, she provided them with delicious homecooked meals for lunch, and kept a cooler filled with ice, bottled water, and Mexican bottles of soda. Every time she went outside to watch the progress of the little house, she teared up though her smile never wavered.

“I lost my husband two years ago,” she shared as the team painted the inside along with putting up trim to cover the seams, “It was so unexpected, and I couldn’t do anything. I have felt so hopeless, but watching these young people work so hard for me and my family…it gives me hope.”

On Thursday and Friday, the VBS team arrived at La Santa Biblia a little before 10am, quickly getting down to the serious business of playing with the kids, bringing out the coloring books and crayons as more children arrived. The nights before, they prepared what was needed to serve a meal to the children and parents who attended -46 on Thursday and over 70 on Friday.

“This was a wonderful time for everyone,” Rosy, the deaconess assisting in caring for La Santa Biblia’s congregation, shared the week after, “It also helped effectively ensure all the kids of our congregation sign up to receive backpacks in the upcoming distribution.”

On Friday, majority of the team headed over to La Santa Biblia to help with VBS. Children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents were present to learn about being the light of Christ in a dark world. From glow sticks to colorful stars, the kids present were overjoyed with all they received from this team.

The partnership with Family of Christ goes beyond Servant Event teams. This year, they collected and assembled almost 100 backpacks to bring down with them on this trip, and their support and encouragement for the ministry taking place through YLM comes in a myriad of beautiful ways.

If you would like more information on how your congregation can partner with YLM, or how you can bring down a Servant Event mission team, call (915) 858-2588 or email luz.soto@ylm.org.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…” ~Hebrews 10:24