Our Savior Lutheran Church of Minot, ND sent a team of ten missionaries to serve through Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) during the first week of March. Three of the team members were serving on their first mission trip, while the others have been returning for two or more years. This group of adult volunteers came together with one goal in mind—to serve others in need with willing hands and open hearts.

Their primary project was building a new home for Blanca, her three children, and their aging grandfather. After their house caught fire in early January, the family was left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. They had been staying with relatives since then, unsure how they would start over. Blanca shared she felt hopeless trying to figure out how to provide a home again for her children and her father.

In just four days, the team completed a small pink house with white trim for the family. Along with the new structure, they provided a few extra blessings; twin bunk beds for Jonathan and Iker with Spiderman bedding, a folding table with chairs, kitchen supplies, and a small stovetop. Estrella, the oldest of the three children at thirteen, was overwhelmed each time she walked into the house. Through tears, she hugged team members and repeatedly told them, “I love you.”

Blanca shared this act of kindness from people she had never met reminded her she is not alone, and God has not forgotten her. The house brought more than shelter to this family, it brought hope and a renewed sense of peace.

On their final day, the Servant Event team spent time at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey. They worked on several improvement projects around the church building, including repairing rain gutters, sealing concrete walls, welding new gate railings, and organizing the congregation’s collection of crosses on display. As they worked, members of the congregation stopped by to offer food, conversation, and cold bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola to say thank you.

This week of service was more than a construction project—it was an opportunity to walk alongside others, share faith in action, and grow in love for God’s people. The team left with full hearts, grateful for the time they shared with the community and for the ways God continues to work through His children’s acts of love and kindness.