Casas por Cristo : blog: Missionary Spotlight

Monday, July 4, 2016

Missionary Spotlight | David Robertson

Meet David Robertson, missionary with Casas por Cristo. David came on staff in 2005 as our Executive Director after serving as a youth minister for fifteen years. He casts the vision for the future of our organization and makes sure the day to day operations are running smoothly at each of our locations.

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID

1. Tell a little bit about yourself and where you're from.

I am a missionary's kid. My parents served as missionaries on the US/México border for 37 years. So mission work is in my blood. I met my wife, Rio, at the first church I served at in Midland, TX. She has made me better every day since then. From there, we went on to serve at churches in Weslaco, TX and Lubbock, TX. Our daughter, Taylor, was born while we were serving in South Texas.

2. What made you choose to serve at Casas por Cristo?

I had been running from the mission field my whole adult life. At all of the churches we served at, we helped make missions a priority by taking youth and adults on mission trips. We had the privilege of getting to help lead a number of trips for various other mission organizations. But I would never entertain the thought of serving in the mission field myself. I was asked to serve on the board of Casas, and within a few years knew that this is where God wanted me. I could not run any longer. I was so impressed with this ministry that organized and facilitated turn key trips. Teams were actually able to come in and give a family a real, tangible, and completed home. This screamed Matthew 25 to me. I knew that this is where God wanted me and my family, yet it still took the constant encouragement and push from my wife to get me to take the plunge.

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." - Matthew 25:34-36

3. How have you seen God through your ministry at Casas por Cristo?

I see God in the interaction between each team and family. I see God through team members' lives being radically changed because they offered themselves as His hands and feet for a week. I see God through the countless numbers of family members that encounter the love and grace of Jesus Christ for the very first time. I see God through the incredible unity that we have in our local pastors committees. I see God through pastors that are able to put their love for God and for the families in their communities above any denominational differences. I get to see God through the incredible team of missionaries that God has assembled here. I am always amazed by their service, sacrifice, and constant desire to know Him more.

4. What has been your biggest challenge so far?

My biggest challenge has always been to get myself out of the way and let God's incredible plan move forward. The years of violence here in Juárez were very difficult for all of us, but through the challenges God grew this ministry to Acuña, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. Each expansion has presented its own challenges, but God has used each one to prepare us for future growth.

5. What are some things people should be praying for on your behalf?

Specifically you can pray for our family. Our only child, Taylor, is heading off to college in the fall. This is going to be a new chapter for all of us. Pray that we all glorify God through this transition.
And as always, pray for Casas por Cristo. Pray that we would always follow God's plans and strategies rather than our own. Pray for those families that we don't even know about yet that God is going to reveal himself to through a team of volunteers, a local pastor, and the gift of a new home.