Family Spotlight | Acuña, México

Meet Lorenzo, Luz, and their two children, Silvia and Ashley. Lorenzo works in one of the local factories and was doing all he could to provide a home and a life for his family. However, like so many, Lorenzo had lost all hope. He believed that he had failed at being a provider - that the life and home he had been able to provide for his family were not good enough. Lorenzo does not know the Lord. Because he felt like he had failed his family, he contemplated suicide just a few days before the materials for his new home were delivered. Thankfully he didn't go through with it, and Lorenzo is still with his family.  While we were building the home, we were not aware of the events that had happened just days before we arrived, and honestly the family didn't let on to the real struggles they were having. We were aware that Luz believed in the Lord and Lorenzo did not. The team thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the family. On the day we were to dedicate the house, Silvia, Lorenzo and Luz's eleven year old daughter, asked if she could read a letter she wrote to the group. Below are the translated words she wrote. Reading Silvia's Letter Today began a new hope for my family. The day we received the material from Casas por Cristo was a very special day, one that offered new opportunities for my family to help us through the struggles of life. When we thought that all hope was lost, God opened doors that were not only full of blessing but also doors that contained you, our American brothers and sisters, who saw our need and out of your kindness filled us with blessings and hope to keep going despite life's difficulties. Above all, I am thankful for our heavenly Father who holds us in His hands, who fills us with hope and faith, and who protects us, guides us, and gives us hope when all seems lost. Today I was talking with my friend. He told me not to worry because God is with us. If He gives the birds food and water, He will give us food and comfort, He will bring people around us, and He will hold us in His hands. God sees our needs and opens doors when we least expect it. Today I am thankful to God and each one of you for every bit of help you provided. We are thankful for this house and that God saw the need we had and never stopped taking care of us. Thanks to the generosity of teams and individuals like those who built for Lorenzo and his family, two of our pastors now have the opportunity to talk to and share with Lorenzo about God, faith, life, and the hope for him and his family that he can't find in the world. ACUÑA TRIP INFO DONATE 915.778.0046  |  questions@casasporcristo.org  |  casasporcristo.org

Commissioned

We had a commissioning ceremony today for Brandon and Heather Culp at our pastor's meeting in Júarez. Our pastors and staff came together and prayed over Brandon and Heather, as they prepare to move their lives to Guatemala to work full time for the ministry of Casas por Cristo in San Raimundo. As we laid hands on our friends, the walls of the church echoed with our prayers and praises sent up to God in two different languages.    

It was a beautiful ceremony, but more importantly a reminder of the call that has been placed on each of our lives. Every single one of us claiming to follow Christ has been commissioned to go out and preach the gospel. Although for missionaries, we often have a ceremony or are presented with a certificate when we are sent out to distant lands to follow our calling, the reality is that we have all been called and sent; we have all been commissioned.  

The definition of commission is this: "The act of granting certain powers or the authority to carry out a particular task or duty." Perhaps it adds some sort of validity to our lives and our calling when our friends and family gather around us and reassure us that we have been called to go out and serve our God, but truly, this validation is already ours. Maybe we just need to take hold of it. 

Mark 16:15 tells us, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Matthew 28:19 says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 

As Brandon and Heather move to Guatemala, they remind us that we have all been commissioned. We are all called to go. We do not need a ceremony, or a certificate, we need to take hold of the calling and responsibility that has been placed on each of our lives with authority and share the gospel with others each and every day.

Day 16 | Eternal Differences

Today we're praying for eternal differences to be made in the lives of the families that we build for and in the lives of the team members that build the homes. We know that God is doing so much more through our ministry than what is visible to us. There are families in communities all over Acuña, Juárez and San Raimundo that are in need of housing. The process that takes place before a home is built connects pastors, families, and churches in two different countries.

When you show up at our office on Monday morning we don't know your story, we don't know how you got here, we don't know where your faith is, all we know is that you are here. The same goes for the family that you will be building for in México. They have dreams, fears, doubts, and a story just like each of us. For each family that receives a home we pray that God would connect the right team at the perfect time. Although we don't see all of the interworkings, we know that God has a plan; a specific reason to have you paired with this family, with our staff and in this community.

Will you pray with us that God will work through the hearts of the families that we build for? Pray that He will meet each family exactly where they are, at the exact moment in their lives when they need to see His abundant love and grace most. Will you pray for every person that will be a future team member or is considering coming on a trip now? Pray that they will also feel His presence when they need it most and that God would work in their lives. Pray for open hearts for the families and boldness and grace for the pastors. Will you pray for us as we seek the Lord in scheduling each home that is built with the family and the team? We know that God is in control of our ministry. We pray that everything that we do will bring God glory and change all of our lives for eternity.
-Brittany