The team enjoy a delicious homecooked lunch made by Nancy

Peace Lutheran Church from New Berlin, WI has been doing mission trips into Juarez through Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) for several years. Their praying, planning, and preparing for this 2021 mission trip began back in late 2019.

“We were ready to come down in March 2020,” Marilyn Thompson, the leader of the team, shared, “Our flights were scheduled, and the family chosen for us had their foundation ready, but the lockdowns changed all those plans.”

All studs and rafters are completed and secured at the end of the first day

For more than a year, Marilyn, her family, along with two friends, had been praying, raising funds, and preparing to come down to YLM to serve others. The day they arrived to El Paso was full of joy, relief, hugs, and laughter. “I’ve been working with Marilyn in planning the logistics for their trip for two years,” Luz, who helps plan and organize Servant Event logistics, shared with the rest of the team, “Phone conversations, texts, and emails had led to building a friendship that was strengthen when we finally met in person.”

Mayco, a Haitian refugee living at San Lucas, and Eric work together early Wednesday morning to finish securing the metal roof of the house

This small team of six not only continued to prepare to make this trip despite the continuous necessity of rescheduling, finding a new family, and raising more funds due to the increase of cost on building supplies, but they diligently worked to get more people to come.

Four year old Dilan carefully painted the edges of the trim for his casita

“Even though we didn’t get more people to join us,” Marilyn explained soon after their arrival, “We had the minimum amount of people to build a house, so we stuck to that plan, knowing there was a possibility we may not complete the project. It was reassuring when the YLM Servant Event Projects Facilitator told us the house would not be left undone, so we went forth in faith.”

The blessings that came in stepping out in faith with their small team of six were poured out over them every day of their week here. One of those ways was Nancy, the woman who, along with her husband and 4-year-old son, Dilan, would be receiving this little house. Every day, she prepared delicious homecooked meals for the team’s lunch hour and served them with a big smile of joy.

The team enjoyed homemade burritos and fresh horchata agua fresca on Wednesday

“I am so grateful for their help,” Nancy shared on Wednesday morning as the team split up to complete the metal roof and start the insulation inside the house, “My little boy is thrilled for sú casita (his little house), and the way I can share my gratitude with these beautiful people is by feeding them.”

Within the Mexican culture, food is a major way people serve others, and on this week, this team found themselves being served daily. Not only was the food delicious, but Nancy provided aguas frescas and on the last day, a delicious choco-flan.

“This wasn’t the only way God blessed us through the people we came to serve,” Marilyn shared at the end of the week, as the final details were being completed, “He brought us help in the form of two Haitian refugees staying at San Lucas, where we had our materials stored. Without their help, we would not have finished the house at the end of the week.”

 Many hands went into the events of Peace’s week in Anapra, with everyone serving and being served. For everyone involved, the discovery of the gifts given by those receiving has shown how service to others results in them serving in return.

Give us a call at (915) 858-2588 or send an email to Luz Soto at luz.soto@ylm.org for more information on how you can get your church on YLM’s Servant Event Mission Trip 2022 Calendar!