A team of six from Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison, NE, came down this year to use their talents, time, and treasure to help do needed repairs and updates to Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM). Trinity Lutheran has historically partnered up with Faith Lutheran Church from Branson, MO, to build a house in Anapra, but due to scheduling difficulties on both sides, this year, the teams came in separate months, and as a result both mission teams served in more areas of need on both sides of the border.

Pastor Karl Heimer, CEO of YLM, shared soon after learning of the team’s request to work stateside, “The unusual rainy season caused damage to the roof of the dormitory bathrooms that we weren’t sure how we were going to afford to repair. Trinity was an answer and we’re truly grateful for their continued support.”

This team was comprised of three couples.  While the men, along with men from San Pablo Lutheran Church, worked up on the roof doing what needed to be done, the women were joined by other San Pablo Lutheran Church women to paint the large living/conference room and one of the dorm bedrooms.

Little by little, needed updates have been done to the YLM dormitory this year. The bathrooms were remodeled in the spring, new doors were donated and installed by a team back in March, and paint is bringing a fresh and clean feeling to a place that houses over 200 missionaries a year.

“This is God’s mission and your mission,” Scott, YLM’s Servant Event Projects Facilitator always explains to visiting mission teams.  “This place is a window of what heaven is like.  It is a crossroads where ‘Loving God’ and ‘Loving People’ meet.  You meet Jesus here on the border.”

On their last day, the team of six headed across the border to do minor repairs and clean-up at the dormitory of Iglesia Luterana San Lucas in Anapra, where refugees have been housed since April of 2020. The bathroom plumbing leaks were repaired, broken fixtures replaced, lighting repaired, and all-new shower curtains installed.  Members from San Lucas and Santa Biblia joined in to help, with deep cleaning taking place in the dormitory’s common use rooms, the living room and kitchen. Refrigerators were cleaned out, floors and tables scrubbed, dishes and cookware organized.

“It was really fun to work together,” one of the team members shared afterwards, “They blessed us with their hard work, but also with their hospitality.  And the children helped vacuum and clean, too.”

And speaking of hospitality, the team enjoyed a home cooked meal prepared by these church members, and they were treated to beautiful songs and dance from the children. With these churches coming together to reach a common goal, it showed nothing can keep God’s children from achieving a higher purpose, not age, gender, culture, nor language, for all are loved by God and they are called to serve Him together.