Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church recently returned to Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) to share love, service, and the Gospel along the border. Since 2018, this team from Pierre, SD, has being building a strong bond with YLM and the communities in El Paso and Juarez.

This year’s group included two families and several individuals, both seasoned and new to the mission. They were joined by a fellow believer, Mark Giardinelli from Boerne, TX, who was eager to experience YLM for the first time.

Faith’s team is known for their diverse skills. Every year, they build at least one house, sometimes two, for families in Juarez, earning a reputation as a “well-oiled machine.” This year, they completed and dedicated a beautiful turquoise and white house for Petra and her family, including her disabled father, by Thursday instead of the usual Friday.

Beyond construction, Faith’s team is passionate about spreading the Gospel. Weeks before their arrival, boxes of Spanish and English Bibles, children’s Bible storybooks, pillowcase dresses, toy cars, and more start arriving at YLM. Throughout the week, they distribute these in various locations: a local El Paso Walmart parking lot, the neighborhood near Petra’s house, an S-Mart in Anapra, and downtown Juarez. They even shared the Gospel at an El Paso Chihuahua baseball game, passing out trivia cards with Gospel messages on the back.

They truly “hit it out of the ballpark” in spreading the Word to others!

On Friday, the team visited Iglesia Luterana La Santa Biblia in Anapra, where Vicar Alex from San Pablo Lutheran Church in El Paso joined them to deliver a message. Afterwards, they stopped by Petra’s new home for final goodbyes, before heading to the Sierras de Juarez, where a sign reads, “La Biblia es la Verdad. Leela” (The Bible is the truth. Read it.) to get a team photo. Their Friday was concluded in Zona Centro (Downtown) of Juarez, where they visited the market and shared the Gospel.

Saturday morning, instead of rushing off to the airport, the team intentionally scheduled their flight for the afternoon, that way, they were able to help with YLM’s Saturday morning’s food distribution, handing out the remaining Bibles and children’s books, as well as cleaning the dormitory before leaving.

Call (915) 858-2588 to learn more about experiencing a YLM Servant Event, where you will discover the joy of spreading the Good News. God uniquely created you for this purpose, and His power will fill you as you step up to the plate, where the Spirit will move you to do amazing things beyond yourself.