“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”
Habakkuk 1:5

Family of Christ Lutheran Church in Ham Lake, MN, returned to Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) with a second Servant Event team this year!  This diverse team of 15 members—from 14 to 82 years of age, men and women, boys and girls, families and individuals, friends and strangers, experienced servants and all-new to YLM—was an amazing example of how God calls all His people to the Great Commission of loving and serving Him and His people!  In fact, many of the team came from other churches in the communities around Ham Lake.

The diversity of this team was a living testimony of the Body of Christ at work, and what this diverse group accomplished in 1 week, well, “you would not believe if told.”   Some stayed stateside at the YLM campus to repair and service several of the swamp coolers as the summer months approach, helping with other needed repairs around the campus.  The rest of the team travelled each day to the southside of Juarez, to an impoverished community referred to as KM30.

Hidden behind the Sierras (mountains) of Juarez, and though its extreme poverty and lack of infrastructure—paved roads, underground water, city sewer lines and power lines—is evident, KM30 is a growing community.  Every year, more YLM Servant Event mission teams serve in KM30, as seen by the colorful, bright casitas (little houses) teams build in this desert plain.

This multi-faceted group of missionaries worked seamlessly, achieving tasks ahead of schedule despite strong winds and sand on the first day. The ladies of the team were so efficient they had all the painting done on the first day; the guys couldn’t keep up with them! On the second day, as insulation and wiring were done, they saw a need for a second house. With the help of a couple of the men, these hard-working ladies pitched in and helped build a dog house, it’s fire-orange paint matching the new house for Lupita and her eight-year-old son, Luis. What usually takes five days to successfully complete, this team completed in four, in addition to building that second little house!

The doghouse was a joyful labor of love for the four other members of the family. These furry, tail-wagging family members—Escubi, Pancha, Pinta, and Wero—endeared themselves to the team every day, especially at lunch time.  Now, these members of the family (and part of God’s creation) have a safe place of refuge from the elements!

The amazing thing to witness was how such a diverse group of people—first-timers, strangers, from different churches—all got along, laughed, and worked together so well, as if they’ve all done something like this before.

How can it be explained?  One thing was undeniable; like so many other teams, each day, before the team left the YLM campus, when it reached the worksite, and at the end of the work day, dedicated its work to the Lord in prayer.  That’s not to say there weren’t any glitches, but in the end, everything worked out better than expected.  And isn’t that how God works?  Regardless of our failings, faults, and wrong measurements, God’s grace is greater than what we expect or imagine. Such is the Kingdom of God.  Such is a place called Ysleta.  “You would not believe if told,” so, come, and experience it for yourself.

Reach out to us for more information on our Servant Event ministry at YLM. You can call (915) 858-2588 or send an email to luz.soto@ylm.org