A Pastor's Perspective
In the years before Casas por Cristo came to Guatemala, we did VBS for the children and families within our church. Although I felt like this was an effective method to minister to those already in the church, I was looking for a way to reach those who did not yet attend. I first learned about Casas por Cristo's wish to come to San Raymundo from David Robertson, Executive Director of Casas, and Queno Nij, President of the Guatemala Pastors Committee. I had already known David from attending Bible College with him in Eagle Pass, TX. I was intrigued at the possibility of Casas coming to Guatemala, so I went to the first meeting they had and discussed the ministry with them and their hopes for coming to San Raymundo.
At first, I'll admit, I wasn't sure of the impact Casas would have here. But when I received the first application of a new home for a family, my mission became reality as I now had an effective way to minister to new families outside the church. The first build impacted more than just the family who received the home; it reached the entire community as families upon families came to see what was going on - some even heard about it up to 30 minutes away and came to see. From this point on, I began to use the home applications for two groups of people - families of the church who have been faithful but are struggling economically and non-Christians in hopes of reaching them with the love of Christ. People continued to ask me about the homes and Casas por Cristo, and as time went on, more people began attending my church. To this day, when people ask about receiving a home or how to apply, I tell them it isn't a requirement that they attend church, but I do ask permission to enter their home in order to share the Gospel and do a Bible study with the family. Since I began working with Casas, five entire families have been baptized in my church, totaling almost 25 people. In fact, Mission Builders from Eagle Pass, TX, built me a new church in order to accommodate all the new people that started attending church through my partnership with Casas.
The families are also taking it upon themselves to go out and share the Gospel as we're commanded to in Matthew 28. After receiving a home from Casas, one family then went out into the community and brought three additional families, who weren't Christians, to church. As a pastor, for me and my church, it is a huge blessing that the families are picking up their own crosses and following Christ. Through the gift of a home, and witnessing the actions of the group during the week, families are grasping the Gospel and combining action with belief. Since there aren't near enough applications for every family to receive a home, it is all the more important for the families themselves to reach out and share the Gospel.
In addition, a home also has the potential to improve the financial standpoint of a family. Now they have a place to work out of, can save money from not having to rent, and the perspective of other people in the community is that Casas helps people from all walks and paths of life. It ties people from all backgrounds together in communities. For example, there is one family I sponsored a home for, and their son wanted to go to secondary basic school (6th grade). The family makes baskets for income and couldn't afford for the son to continue his schooling. They told him that he had to stay home and work. After the family received a home, I told the family that God has given them a blessing, and they need to make a sacrifice for their son to go to school. Due to not having to pay rent anymore, the family is saving money and using it to send their son to school. This was a non-Christian family that is now one of the most faithful families in the church. They have been attending for four years and the son is now in high school.
One of my favorite memories of a build with Casas was the action of a particular group. Most groups bring toys for kids in the village, which the families and children love. But one group washed the feet of the people from the community who attended the dedication ceremony. As a result, people began asking questions about why Americans were doing such a thing, and it struck the interest of people in the community. I viewed this as an opportunity to share the Gospel and explain why Jesus washed his disciples' feet.
As a pastor, there is nothing I enjoy more than reaching people for Christ. And since Casas has come to Guatemala, it has been the medium that allows me to do just that. It offers me a doorstep into the lives of the families to share the Gospel. When teams are here, I feel like I am not alone. I feel like as Christians, we're all in this mission together - the mission of reaching the lost and broken-hearted for Christ. I know that God is always with me, but when groups come, it is like God is saying, "Here is an additional partnership for reassurance, just so you don't doubt me."
Also, one of my favorite things about Casas por Cristo is that neither the ministry, nor the pastors, ask for anything in return from the families who receive a home, just like Jesus did during His ministry. In Guatemala, there are some government missions that have approached non-Christians and said, "If you come to church you'll receive more blessings and more money." Basically, they tell people whatever they might want to hear in order to get more people to attend their church. But then they don't keep their promises to the people, and the people have become distrusting as a result. Casas por Cristo has helped to change that mindset, and people are impressed when they find out the house is free. It gives us pastors the opportunity to share the truth with them about Jesus.
- Story by Juan Elvira, Sponsoring Pastor in San Raymundo, Guatemala
