Juarez09

2009-07-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

Click on the thumbnails below to see all of the pictures from the trip:

Back in the states

2009-07-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

We finished the house!!! Today at around 2:00 the final piece all of the clean up was finished and we were able to dedicate the home to Vicki and her family. I am going to be honest, I am not sure their was a dry eye in the group. It was so cool to be able to hand the keys over to her and her family and tell her "Welcome Home."

An overview of the day.... We were able to finish around 2 and head over to a Gordita stand for some Mexican food. After that we made one last stop so some of the students could pick up some Mexican Coke a Cola (Yes it does taste different) and we easily crossed the border. As we were leaving, I was so relieved to know that not once on the trip did we witness any sign of violence or danger. After getting to El Paso we stopped of at our hotel and then the group was treated to a big dinner at a local El Paso restaraunt. It was nice to unwind and laugh together after a hard week.

This has been an amazing trip for our group. Right now as I type there are two of our students sitting and talking to our guide Travis about what they can do to intern with Casas Por Christo in the future. To see the students pour out their everything for this mission was very humbling for me. We should all be very proud of these High School students.

We fly out tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers over the last 4 days. The group felt those prayers and we made it known to them that people were following the trip on this blog. If you know or have a student who went on the trip, make sure to grab them and ask them about their experience.
The luckiest Youth Pastor alive,
Matt

Day 3 in Juarez

2009-07-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Two things I have learned you don't do in Juarez...

1. Assume the road signs are marked correctly. For example, when the youth pastor has a van load full of students and he turns onto a one way road into oncoming traffic because there was not a sign that told me different. Yeah, you dont do that.

2. Assume that you can say "English words" in a Spanish accent and expect the locals to understand a darn word you are saying. For example, today we ran out of ice on the work site. I grabbed Alex Whitmore (no, he only speaks a little French) to go to a local store to pick up "purified ice." I got the store, told them I needed icea (yes, I added an "a" to ice) and I fake shivered. The guy looked at me confused. Alex picked up a piece of ice in the cooler and the guy nodded his head. I told him "Pure, Pure, Si.." He again looked at me like I was an idiot. He went back, packed a bag of ice and came out and put it on the counter. I said "Pure, Pure?" No response. So, I picked up a piece of ice and pretended to eat it and said "Si, ok?" He shook his head and said "Si." I paid him some pesos and moved on. When we got to the van, Alex looked at me and said "You know, I am not sure that this is Pure, what if someone dies?" I told him that I trusted the man behind the counter and that I was sure (not all that sure, but I had to comfort Alex) that the ice was totally pure. Anyway, I got to the site and one of our guides told us that the store was legit and we would be fine. By the way, no one has died from ice poisoning.

I say all of this for you to get a good laugh and pass it on to the elders with a note of concern for the health and safety of your children :)

We had a great day today! This morning we were able to put up all of the outside part of the walls, finish the roof and begin dry walling the inside. Tonight we worked hard getting parts of the dry wall up and the students put "stucco" on the walls. The kids had a chance to play with the neighborhood kids tonight and Andy Kuhn got a soccer game going with some of the neighbors. Today we went to the Soriana (Mexican Wal Mart) and bought a Kitchen Table, chairs, towels and some other items for the home. It was cool to let the kids hang out around the store and see them interact with people.

Tomorrow we are packing up from the church we have been able to stay at. We should be finished with the home by noon tomorrow! The students (and adults) are so excited to pass off the keys to the home off to the family, it is going to be a great day. Be praying for our return to the states tomorrow. We will need to go through some check points and hopefully we will have no hold ups.

Forgive me for my improper sentences and slurred stories, we are all pretty tired tonight. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts this week. See you tomorrow night.

Matt

Day 2 in Juarez

2009-06-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

It was difficult getting up this morning! We were all pretty tired and sore from a long day yesterday. Luckily, this morning was cloudy and cooler so we had a little jump to our step and accomplished a lot. During the morning we were able to put up the walls to the house, which made this mission a reality to the kids and really pumped them up. We had a great Siesta time this afternoon. Alex Whitmore and John Phillips cooked burgers and dogs on the grill and we walked over to a local market for some Mexican Doritos and soda. This evening we were able to get the electrical in the house, the insolation up inside the house and put on the base of the roof. About 20 minutes before we were about to finish we noticed a storm coming in from the east. At that time we had no roof and a house with dry wall on the ground and insolation in the walls. Our guide was worried that both of these would get wet so the students kicked into overdrive and put the roof up! They are working very, very hard and I am really proud of them.

The family that we are building for has been watching us build for the last two days. It has been really cool to interact with them (they laugh at me because I know NO SPANISH). They are very excited about the house and I can see a great feeling of appreciation from them even if we dont speak the same language. Today we asked for a list of things that the family might need for their new home. Vicki (the mother) told us that she really wanted a kitchen table and chairs for the home. So, before we leave we are going to go to a local store and buy them the table and a few other items for the home.

On another note, we have seen no violence, and have not once felt in danger. We know that this is due to your prayers and the security that has been set up by the national government.

Thank you for checking in on us. Tomorrow is a full day of putting up dry wall, finishing the outside walls and getting the roof done. Be praying for the weather to be somewhat comfortable. See you tomorrow night.

matt

Day 1 in Juarez

2009-06-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Two words come to mind when I think about our day, Hot and Proud. We had no problems entering into Mexico this morning. We passed through 2 military check points and both of them gave us no trouble. A normal summer building schedule for Casas Por Cristo starts about 8 in the morning and goes till Noon when the group will stop for a Siesta. It is too hot to be working outside during the afternoon, so the groups will take a break and resume around 5. We arrived in Juarez about 9:30 this morning and didn't begin building till 10:30. Because of that late arrival, we decided to work through the afternoon in order to get the foundation laid and be able to put up the walls to the home on the second day. Needless to say it was a long and hot day, we went through over 50 gallons of water! After the long day we had the foundation laid and it will be an easier path for the rest of the build. I was very very proud of our students, they worked so hard in order to get the foundation laid. At the begining of the day our guide told them about the importance of getting the foundation laid and they took it as their personal mission to make it happen today. We had a nice relaxing evening with some chicken on the grill for dinner (Thank you Lisa Volz, Sylvia Sfuentes, and Andy Kuhn).

Tomorrow we will be putting up the wall of the home and begin working on the roof. Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow.

We are in El Paso!!

2009-06-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

After a long day of travel (that began at 3:00 this morning), we have made it to El Paso, Texas. The students are all pretty tired but they have had great attitudes and I am so proud of them. Tonight we are staying at Park Hills Christian Church in El Paso and crossing the border at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. Tomorrow we will be meeting up with our Casas Por Cristo rep, crossing in to Mexico through New Mexico and begin laying the foundation for the home. We had a great night of prayer and worship last night and we can feel your prayer support.

Specific Prayer needs:

-That we would get some good rest tonight and be charged up for the first day tomorrow.

-Unity with the group. I know that this is an area that Satan is going to be on the attack with our group.

-For the family we are building for. Just think, tonight they are thinking about the home they are about to have.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. We will continue to update the blog while we are in Juarez.

Matt

And We're Off...

2009-06-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

Its 2:45 am...we are about to wake up all of the kids. There are three of us adults who have not been able to sleep at all, so please be praying for all of our attitudes today. :) We're all excited and ready to go.

We had a good hour of worship and prayer time last night. Matt had us pray for the city of Juarez, the family we are building for, travels, and each other.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

PS...if you leave any comments of encouragement or prayers, we'll try to read them to the team throughout the week. All you have to do is click " # comments" below and fill out the form.

We aren't the only ones counting down!

2009-06-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Most of us who are going to Juarez09 should be packing tonight. Everyone is really excited! The student who has been texting prayer reminders wrote that we aren't the only ones counting down - referring to the family. How cool is that? Reading that made it extremely real and cool that we are going to be effecting another family's lives!!!!

Just for your information, everyone going on the trip will be meeting at the church tomorrow night at 9pm to pack and check-in.

We would like to invite you to join us for a worship and prayer time at 10 pm. It will last 30-45 minutes.

Here is today's prayer reminder text message:

Read Romans 12 & 13. Remember to pray for Victoria, Vianey, Mirna, Carlos, Victor and Ivan. I can't wait! So Excited! We aren't the only ones counting down!

I must...

2009-06-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

I was just reading through some of the pre-trip devotionals we have in our guide book and was challenged by this:

Read Romans 12:9-19. Try putting your name and "must" in front of each sentence. How does reading it make you feel?

Romans 12:9-19 "⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Prayer Reminder

2009-06-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

PRAYER REQUEST: Please be praying for the flights to work out. Continental is not giving us seat assignments until 24 hours before the flight.

Here is today's prayer reminder text. I love the verse that was given...everyone is getting very excited to be heading out!

Please read 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13. Remember to be praying for the city and people of Juarez. God created us all equal and loves his creation so much!

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 (New International Version)

¹¹Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹²May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Praying for our Group

2009-06-23T10:50:00.001-07:00

We have had several people ask for a list of people going on the trip so they can be praying specifically for each missionary. Here is a list of everyone's first name. Thanks for your prayers!

Joe
Brianna
Tesa
Jerry
September
Breana
Monika
Breanna
Rebecca
Krista
Andy
Kelly
Anne
Matt
Aurora
Joey
David
Alex
Sara
John
Tim
Rhys
Rachel
Sylvia
Rebecka
Linnea
Lisa
Alex
Hannah

Today's Prayer Reminder

2009-06-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today, the prayer text reminder from one of our students said this:

Read Deuteronomy 1:29-31. Please remember to pray for the safety there. It has gotten so much better down in Juarez and I really think prayer will keep us safe. :)

Deuteronomy 1:29-31 (New International Version)

²⁹ Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. ³⁰ The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, ³¹ and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

Text From One of Our Students

2009-06-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

One of our students going on the trip has really stepped up and has been leading a prayer time for our trip every Sunday night for the past 4 months. Its incredible to see our students praying together (no adult leading) for the city of Juarez and the family we will be building for. Today, this student has started texting out prayer updates to everyone going on the trip. Here is today's prayer reminder. Will you join us in praying?

hey! read ecclesiastes 3: 1-14. please remember to pray for the suffering thats going on in Juarez right now. pray they find peace in God :)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 (New International Version)

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What does the worker gain from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on men. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. ¹³ That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

586 Families are Waiting

2009-06-09T15:40:00.001-07:00

These are some of the faces of families waiting for homes. If you look you will realize that these are pictures of birthdays, family outings, graduations, Christmases and weddings. They are of children that have dreams, mothers that only want to give food to their children, and fathers that have promised they will provide for their family. Each of these families has come to us asking for our help; for your help. We are asking you to help us make that possible. Right now there are 586 families who are waiting to receive homes. Without your help they WILL NOT receive them. Each of these pictures tells a story; would you be willing to be a part of their story?
~ Brittany Girle, Team Coordinator

We are very excited to be a part of Casas Por Cristo's mission to build a home for one of these families. We recently discovered that the family we will be building for has been waiting for 14 months for a home. 14 MONTHS! Its exciting to be a part of the remedy!

Passport and Payment Due

2009-06-09T12:00:00.001-07:00

For those of you going on the trip, I wanted to remind you that passports and the final payment is due this Sunday, June 14. 18 Days and counting!!!

Family Update

2009-06-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe our trip to Juarez, Mexico will be here in a few short weeks!

We have also received the names of the family that we will be building the house for. Please join us in praying for this family over the next month.

Mother: Victoria
Kids: Vianey, Mirna, Carlos, Victor, Ivan

We have seen God moving and laying His hand on this trip in so many different ways. We are excited to see what He has in store!

About Casas Por Cristo

2009-06-02T13:42:00.001-07:00

Casas por Cristo was founded in 1993. In 1994 Casas por Cristo built 48 homes. In April 2001 Casas por Cristo built its one-Thousandth home. April 2003 marked the completion of house 1500, while December 2004 we built house 2000. The end of 2006 saw the completion of over 2600 homes. Over the years the face of the ministry has changed, but the purpose of Casas por Cristo has stayed the same--building Homes to the glory of God.

For more than thirteen years Casas por Cristo has worked to share the love of Christ through building homes in Juarez, Mexico. Casas por Cristo works in partnership with the local pastors in Juarez by coordinating teams from the US and Canada to come down and build homes for needy families selected by the Casas por Cristo Pastor's Committee.

The Pastor's Committee is comprised of over 100 local Mexican pastors. One of the functions of their monthly meetings is the selection of family applications. The pastors solicit applications from church members, neighbors and families in the communities in which they work. Every application is reviewed by the Applications Committee. After this selection process the applications are turned over to our El Paso office to be partnered up with teams.

Applicant selection is based on their need to obtain sufficient housing and means to do so. Families must be able to prove ownership of land, provide water, and have the land cleared and leveled in preparation for the team’s arrival. Families are not required to be Christians or attend their sponsoring pastor's church. Casas por Cristo is a tool for the use of the local Pastors to evangelize the community in Juarez.

Casas por Cristo has fourteen full-time staff (and growing) in El Paso and three in Juarez. All El Paso staff members are support-based missionaries. The livelihood of each of these people is based on your support. The cost of the house pays for the materials in the home, Mexican staff salary and ministry overhead. If you enjoy working with your staff member, please prayerfully consider supporting them. At the end of each week, you will have the opportunity to provide them with an offering in a provided Casas por Cristo donation envelope. To stay current with a staff member’s news, you can request to be added to their newsletter mailing list.

Daily Itinerary*

2009-06-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Time Zones: El Paso and Juarez both operate on Mountain Time. When establishing meeting times, we will always refer to Mountain Time.

Saturday, June 27
9:00 PM Arrive at the church

Sunday, June 28
3:00 AM Depart for the airport
5:45 AM Depart from Chicago
8:14 AM Arrive in Houston, TX
9:02 AM Depart from Houston
9:50 AM Arrive in El Paso – Head to church

Monday, June 29
6:00 AM Wake up
6:30 AM Cross the border/Drop luggage off at the church/Pick up tools
9:30 AM Begin working on site
12:00 PM Head to the Church for Lunch and Siesta
(Siesta will be used for naps, relaxing and cooling off)
3:00 PM Head for the Work Site
3:30 PM Begin Working
8:00 PM Head to Church
8:30 PM Dinner
9:30 PM Worship and Devotions
10:30 PM Goodnight!

Tuesday, June 30 – Wednesday, July 1
6:00 AM Wake Up
6:30 AM Head for the Work Site
7:00 AM Begin Working
12:00 PM Head to the Church for Lunch and Siesta
(Siesta will be used for naps, relaxing and cooling off)
3:00 PM Head for the Work Site
3:30 PM Begin Working
8:00 PM Head to Church
8:30 PM Dinner
9:30 PM Worship and Devotions
10:30 PM Goodnight!

Thursday, July 2
9:00 AM Dedication of the Home
11:00 AM Return tools to Casas warehouse
12:00 PM Cross the Border Back Into El Paso
3:00 PM Check into Hotel
5:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Chillax

Friday, July 3
7:00 AM Depart hotel for the airport
10:25 AM Depart from El Paso
1:25 PM Arrive in Houston, TX
3:45 PM Depart from Houston
6:31 PM Arrive in Chicago
8:30 PM Arrive at the church! YAY!!

* Subject to change – flexibility is key!