Every year we have volunteers come down to help us with our workload through project Barnabus. These people are a huge blessing to us, and since I started working here there has been one that comes every year once in the spring and once in the summer. His name is Keith Bird. I would like to relay to you an experience God blessed him with while here.
Keith loves to work with brand new groups. He delights in being able to share the knowledge he has learned over the years, and most groups are delighted to have such help. This year the Sigma Phi lambda Sorority from Waco, Texas came to build a home and he was fortunate enough to be assigned to this group.
The group worked the first day on the foundation and a few walls. That night mother of the woman of the house passed away.
As Keith and his group returned the next day they learned of the occurrence, and were unsure of how to proceed. I had never had anything like this happen before either, so they decided to finish the construction of the walls away from the site and stand walls the following day.
Somewhere in the course of the day Keith thought that it might be nice to have a Spanish-speaking pastor visit with the family and allow the group to show their concern for the family. As it so happened there was just such a pastor in another group the he was assigned to.
The family had cleared a room in their small pallet shack and the brand new shiny coffin seemed so out of place in that small run down room. They left the coffin open and explained to the group that she so wanted to see the new house and so the coffin stayed open. The pastor came and related the condolences of the group to the family. He gave a small service and sang some songs and played his guitar.
As Keith told me this story he choked back the tears as he recounted how beautiful the service was. He told me that one gentleman in the family accepted Christ as his savior. I was also fighting back the tears just hearing the story.
The family was gone, busy with all the arraignments and burial, the rest of the time their new home was being constructed. It was so wonderful to see the extra care that went into this house. There was not big presentation to the family. The group left quietly leaving the keys with the neighbor. But in my heart I know the family can see how much the group cared for them. It showed in their work.
Keith told me it was the most beautiful thing he had seen in the five years he has been coming to serve. I am so blessed to know these people.
Thank you God.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
The Impact of One
So far this spring I have been privileged to see about 1000 group participants come to Juarez to build 44 houses in the course of two weeks. As I sit here and really think about what it means I am struck by the huge numbers of people that are affected by an act of love in Jesus name.
If you consider that most families we build for are 4 to 6 members in size. 220 Mexican family members in the last two weeks that have been directly touched by Gods love in Juarez alone. Those that serve are also affected, bringing the numbers to 1220, and that does not even scratch the surface of the potential numbers of people who could receive a blessing from this simple act of love and service. Family, friends, neighbors, of both participants and Mexican families could be indirectly affected. Who really knows what that number could be save God himself?
I want share with you a story of how one young man (Brent) has changed the lives of his entire family and had a huge impact on his church and the work they do on mission trips. Brent was finishing high school and preparing to go to college. He had been saving his money to buy a computer to help him with his studies while at college. His mom (Lori) told me that this computer was his life at that time. You just couldn’t get him to stop talking about it.
At the same time his mom was planning the churches first Mexico mission trip for the youth group. She told Brent that she thought she was going to have to cancel the trip because they did not have enough people signing up.
Brent said to his mom, “ You know if I sign up for the trip more people will go.”
Lori said, “ I know.”
“So, do you want me to sign up?” He asked
She replied, “ That is a decision you have to make for yourself.
The next morning Brent told his mom that he was going to sign up for the trip. They had a small group of fourteen people come to Juarez to build their first home. Lori told me that Brent complained most of the time he was here. He would tell her he was hot, tired and just wanted to go home because he had to get ready for school. But one night right before they finished I was asked to stop by their campfire. I did, and while I was there I answered many questions about Amor and the work we do. But, somewhere along the way I was asked how much the house cost to build, and when I answered unknown to me, Brent was amazed. He later told he mom that the amount I said was the amount he spent on his computer. To him all the important things before his trip were no longer important. He just saw a family receive a home and everything else melted away.
Brent died in a car accident on his way to college that summer.
His mom and his family are grateful that Brent came to Juarez and that God changed his heart before he took him home. The church has since more then double the numbers of people they bring on their Mexico mission trips. They may have never come to Juarez if he had not signed up for that trip. He may have never seen God I such close way if he had not decided to come.
If you consider that most families we build for are 4 to 6 members in size. 220 Mexican family members in the last two weeks that have been directly touched by Gods love in Juarez alone. Those that serve are also affected, bringing the numbers to 1220, and that does not even scratch the surface of the potential numbers of people who could receive a blessing from this simple act of love and service. Family, friends, neighbors, of both participants and Mexican families could be indirectly affected. Who really knows what that number could be save God himself?
I want share with you a story of how one young man (Brent) has changed the lives of his entire family and had a huge impact on his church and the work they do on mission trips. Brent was finishing high school and preparing to go to college. He had been saving his money to buy a computer to help him with his studies while at college. His mom (Lori) told me that this computer was his life at that time. You just couldn’t get him to stop talking about it.
At the same time his mom was planning the churches first Mexico mission trip for the youth group. She told Brent that she thought she was going to have to cancel the trip because they did not have enough people signing up.
Brent said to his mom, “ You know if I sign up for the trip more people will go.”
Lori said, “ I know.”
“So, do you want me to sign up?” He asked
She replied, “ That is a decision you have to make for yourself.
The next morning Brent told his mom that he was going to sign up for the trip. They had a small group of fourteen people come to Juarez to build their first home. Lori told me that Brent complained most of the time he was here. He would tell her he was hot, tired and just wanted to go home because he had to get ready for school. But one night right before they finished I was asked to stop by their campfire. I did, and while I was there I answered many questions about Amor and the work we do. But, somewhere along the way I was asked how much the house cost to build, and when I answered unknown to me, Brent was amazed. He later told he mom that the amount I said was the amount he spent on his computer. To him all the important things before his trip were no longer important. He just saw a family receive a home and everything else melted away.
Brent died in a car accident on his way to college that summer.
His mom and his family are grateful that Brent came to Juarez and that God changed his heart before he took him home. The church has since more then double the numbers of people they bring on their Mexico mission trips. They may have never come to Juarez if he had not signed up for that trip. He may have never seen God I such close way if he had not decided to come.
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