Saturday, December 31, 2016

Casas por Cristo's Top 10 of 2016 | December 31, 2016

Casas por Cristo's Top 10 of 2016
We Praise God For All He's Done
  1. First ever pastor's build in Guatemala
  2. Began building tornado relief homes with CD Acuña and KB Global Care
  3. Partnered with 20 interns and 1 apprentice
  4. Hired 4 new full-time missionaries
  5. Debuted new home model in Acuña, México
  6. Pete Dockery and Justin Kirklin built their 300th and 200th home
  7. The number of homes built in the Dominican doubled
  8. Juárez removed from the most dangerous cities list
  9. A historical milestone - Casas built its 5,000th home
  10. A Time to Build campaign - broke ground and began fundraising



It's Not Too Late
There is still time left to make your year end donation and receive a charitable tax-deduction on your 2016 taxes. Click the donate button above to give today!

We can't say it enough. Thank you to the best group of volunteers and supporters out there. It is because of your faithful prayer, love, and support that we were so successful this year. We look forward to partnering with you all again in 2017.


Wednesday, December 28, 2016

A Historical Milestone | December 28, 2016


House 5,000

In the midst of Hurricane Matthew this October, house number 5,000 was completed in the Dominican Republic for a single mother by a team of all women. Lets celebrate the Lord's faithfulness and the work He has done in our 23 years of ministry. Donate today to help us continue this important work.

Make Your Donation Go Further
It has never been easier to double your year end gift! When you donate online, simply check the employer match box and choose your employer from the drop down menu of over 1,000 available companies. When you complete your donation, your employer will match your gift. Whether you are giving to support a staff missionary or to support Casas por Cristo as a whole, make your donation go further today!

Thank You 

We can't say it enough. Thank you to the best group of volunteers and supporters out there. It is because of your faithful prayer, love, and support that we were so successful this year. We look forward to partnering with you all again in 2017.


Monday, December 26, 2016

2016 Is Almost Over | December 26, 2016

2016 Is Almost Over
God has done great things in and through Casas por Cristo this year. We completed 269 homes ministry-wide, exceeding our initial goal of 250 homes. God is good! That means 269 families now have a safe and secure place to call home and a constant reminder of God's love and provision. We built 42 homes in the Dominican Republic, 62 homes in Guatemala, 63 homes in Acuña, and 114 homes in Juárez this year. Help us continue in our mission to serve families living in poverty by making a year end donation.

Make Your Donation Go Further
It has never been easier to double your year end gift! When you donate online, simply check the employer match box and choose your employer from the drop down menu of over 1,000 available companies. When you complete your donation, your employer will match your gift. Whether you are giving to support a staff missionary, our Time to Build Campaign, or to support Casas por Cristo as a whole, make your donation go further today!
We can't say it enough. Thank you to the best group of volunteers and supporters out there. It is because of your faithful prayer, love, and support that we were so successful this year. We look forward to partnering with you all again 2017.


Monday, December 19, 2016

Best Story of the Year | December 19, 2016

Pastor Spotlight
San Raymundo, Guatemala
Pastor Juan Elvira (4th from left, middle row)
"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." - Juan Elvira

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

915.778.0046 |  

Monday, December 12, 2016

Casas por Cristo's 2016 Highlights | December 12, 2016

What a Great Year

God has done great things in and through Casas por Cristo this year. We completed 269 homes ministry-wide, exceeding our initial goal of 250 homes. God is good! That means 269 families now have a safe and secure place to call home and a constant reminder of God's love and provision. We built 42 homes in the Dominican Republic, 62 homes in Guatemala, 63 homes in Acuña, and 114 homes in Juárez.
House 5,000

One of the major milestones for Casas por Cristo this year was completing house 5,000 in October for a single mother in the Dominican Republic. The team of all women from Northside Christian Church in New Albany, Indiana faced some challenges as they worked through the rain and mud caused by Hurricane Matthew. The locals watched and stared at the spectacle of a group of women doing construction work, something that is totally out of the ordinary for Dominican culture. Not only was this project a major milestone for Casas, but it was also special because it was Allie Crabbs' very first time leading a build all by herself. Allie and her husband, Josh Crabbs, moved to the Dominican in 2015 to serve as full-time field coordinators for Casas there. Moreover, this build happened during our busiest week yet in the Dominican Republic with seven homes going up at the same time.
House 5,000

A Time to Build

This year, Casas also launched our A Time to Build campaign with plans to build a new Administrative Building and International Operations Warehouse for our headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Our vision is to use the new spaces to expand our ministry to 12 more Latin American countries. Casas held a special ground-breaking ceremony with our staff and board members on September 9 to celebrate all of the plans coming to fruition. We also tore down two existing buildings on our property, began fundraising, and submitted plans to the city for approval. We are excited for all the future holds and for the work God is preparing in advance for us to do.

A Time to Build Groundbreaking Ceremony


Tornado Relief Homes

In May of 2015, a devastating tornado swept through the city of Acuña, México, destroying homes and displacing families. As a result, a company called KB Global Care contacted Casas about partnering to provide relief homes for the affected families. The city of Acuña donated the land, KB Global Care provided the funds for the home building materials, and Casas provided the volunteer teams. Scott DeWitt, Director of Acuña, worked countless hours on this partnership to provide seven homes for displaced tornado victims this year. Every year, the cities of Del Rio and Acuña come together to celebrate their amistad, or friendship, with a special ceremony where one influential member of the community is recognized for their efforts. We are so honored to announce that as a result of all his hard work, Scott was named the 2016 Mr. Amistad by the city of Acuña. He is the first American the city of Acuña has chosen to receive this honor.

Scott DeWitt with the mayor of Acuña and their wives at the Amistad Ceremony


Staff and Interns

Additionally, Casas enjoyed serving with 20 interns and one apprentice this year. These young men and women raised their own funds and sacrificed three months of their time and energy to build homes for families in need and serve in our administrative and field offices. We could not have survived our busy seasons without their help. Their passion for service brought a wave of refreshment to our ministry. In September, Casas hired Brigham Dion as our Intern Manager to help fill a much needed void in our internship program. We look forward to seeing how Brig will invest in, disciple, and nurture our interns in the future. Also, Casas hired three other full-time missionaries this year. Wayland Dietrich moved to Guatemala in January as a Field Coordinator, Josh Imhoff and his family moved to El Paso in July to serve as Project Manager of the A Time to Build project, and Donnie Stubblefield joined staff in August to help us with team recruitment and development. We are excited about all the gifts that our new staff members will bring to the table to help our ministry.
Donate
We praise God for all the great things He has done through Casas por Cristo this year. We would not have been able to accomplish so much without your generosity. Thank you for your partnership. Help us continue in our mission to serve families living in poverty by making a year end donation.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Missionary Spotlight | The Stubblefield Family | December 5, 2016

Meet Donnie Stubblefield, his wife Leslie, and his children and grandchildren. Donnie has been leading teams on trips with Casas por Cristo for many years, but he officially joined staff this August to help us with team recruitment and development. His vision is to help Casas reach 1,000 homes a year by the year 2025.
INTERVIEW WITH DONNIE STUBBLEFIELD

1. Tell a little bit about yourself and where you're from.
  • Growing up in Versailles, Missouri, my parents did not attend church. So I went to the Presbyterian, Methodist, Assembly of God, and Baptist churches with friends that invited me. I was baptized in the First Baptist Church of Versailles as a teen. One day in high school, a beautiful young girl from our rival town, Stover, walked into the fast food restaurant where I worked. When I was off of work that evening, she and I talked for three hours. At the end of the night, I asked her if she would be willing to go on dates with me Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. She said yes, and I knew right there that God wanted me to be Lutheran. Leslie and I married three years later. I ran the family lumber and hardware business, and she worked as a registered nurse. In 1994, I felt called to youth ministry and missions. In 1996 we began serving at St. John's Lutheran Church in Ellisville, Missouri. Then in 1997, I brought my church on our first mission trip with Casas por Cristo.
2. What made you choose to serve at Casas por Cristo?
  • Kristin Thomas [now Dr. Kristin Thomas Sohl] was a high school senior and asked me if we could do a faith building mission trip to Latin America. I had a Casas flyer from a conference, and I gave it to her and asked her to pray. She called Casas, and then we visited Juárez. We have been building relationships in Christ there for almost 20 years now.
3. How have you seen God through your ministry at Casas por Cristo?
  • Mark 10:45 stands out as an answer when Jesus said, "the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve." I have witnessed the change in the lives of so many students and adults when they pass the Bible and the keys to the new home to a family living in poverty. The Holy Spirit moves faith from their head to their heart, and in that moment, they are blessed to realize how they are "Jesus with skin on" for that family and each other as they serve for His Glory.
4. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
  • I want more people to experience how building houses builds disciples. So, my biggest challenge is getting the word out about what God is doing through Casas por Cristo for His people and His church! People hear Juárez, México, and they worry about the violence. I understand their concerns, but, the need for homes for families living in poverty is BIGGER than México. That is why Casas is in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and is looking to expand to 12 more countries! We are commanded to "go and make disciples." With 5,000 homes built so far, Casas is looking at over 22,000 people hearing the Truth and experiencing His Love!
5. What are some things people should be praying for on your behalf?
  • Pray for my family. We are all moving to the Southeast next year. My oldest son, Josh, and his wife, Taylor, are expecting twins in February in addition to their one year old son, Emerson. They live in Savannah, Georgia. Also, pray for my daughter, Chelsea, and her husband, Eric, with the sale of their home and moving their daughters to a new school and church. Pray for my youngest son, Nick, who is studying Engineering at NIU and for Leslie and I with the new chapter of missions and youth at Casas por Cristo.
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