“Do what you do so well, that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” ~Walt Disney

When those who’ve come to Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) through a Servant Event mission trip are asked “How was your trip,” you may not get the chance to finish the question before they start telling you of their experience!

For first-time Servant Event participants, Jim and Pam Siebarth from Lakewood, CO, the stories their life-long friends, Bill and Sarah Masters, shared of YLM and its many mission opportunities, had them join them and their church, Trinity Lutheran of Madison, NE, on a Servant Event mission trip to Juarez. The small team were excited to have Jim and Pam join in, making it possible for them to build a house for a family in need.

Early every morning of their week at YLM, the team of eight would leave and get right to work after praying together. Every evening, they expressed amazement at how well they were working together to achieve this mission. Each team member had skills, knowledge, and willing hands that made it possible to complete this little house.

However, when you ask the members of this team which of the five days was the most important part of the week, they would all answer the fifth day, when they finally had the opportunity to meet Claudia, a single mom of five who would be receiving this little house. Claudia and her children all live with her mother, which means not much space for everyone. For over ten years, Claudia has been volunteering at YLM and San Pablo Lutheran Church, making the trip to and from El Paso at least three times a week.

Claudia has struggled for most of her life, raising five children alone and attempting to provide for them, but the biggest battle she now faces is a recent diagnosis of cancer. Chemotherapy and its side effects kept Claudia from being able to join the team throughout the week, but she made sure to text Scott Juengel, YLM’s Servant Event Director, to extend apologies for not being present and ask for pictures of the team’s progress.

Friday, Claudia and her children came for the house dedication and every member of the team was thrilled to connect with all of them. For YLM, through the Servant Event mission teams, housebuilding is just a way to get a “foot in the door” for people to meet one another in love and service, but most importantly, in a willingness to share the love of Jesus. It is usually the house dedication, as the team goes from outside the house to inside each little room to pray for the house to become a home, for the family who would be living within its walls to seek God, and for the opportunity to further share God’s love with others through hospitality, that leaves indelible memories in the hearts of Servant Event mission teams.

For YLM, another blessing was to see how much Jim and Pam enjoyed their first-time experience when they requested to stay longer!

“What more can we do for the mission,” they asked once they dropped off part of the team at the airport and returned to the YLM campus.

Along with Steve and June Taege, from Lincoln, NE, they worked on small projects around campus that were just waiting for someone to help complete. Steve and June arrived halfway through the Trinity team’s building week to spend ten days working with YLM staff on different administrative projects.

These four servants, after meeting each other for the first time, worked together around the YLM campus and shared all their meals, going from strangers to friends in a matter of days. In between cleaning the dorms for the next Servant Event team, fixing broken concrete sidewalks, stripping and waxing floors in the dorm’s conference/living room, replacing fluorescent ceiling lights with LED and rearranging furniture, they played card games and shared about life and family and their experiences with YLM.

With the help of God, YLM continues to do everything they can for the glory of God and the spreading of the Gospel, facilitating mission experiences such as these. As the beginning quote from Walt Disney states, encouraging others, friends, and family, to become a part of God’s kingdom work taking place through YLM, and experience the life-long friendships that will be built through mission work!

Call (915) 858-2588 or send an email to luz.soto@ylm.org for more information on bringing
your church, family, friends, and neighbors to serve through YLM’s Servant Event ministry!