| 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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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