Testimony of Delia Alvarez Gutierrez | April 24, 2017

Testimony of Delia Alvarez Gutierrez Meal Plan Provider with Casas por Cristo

Casas por Cristo's mission is to build and serve. We strive to build relationships between volunteers, families, and pastors that would have otherwise never known each other. Through the building process, God allows us to interact with our teams, local families, pastors, churches, and vendors. We do not want to take any of these interactions for granted. We believe that these are unique opportunities presented to us by God to serve each other. Delia, who is married to one of our Mexican representatives, David Quiñones, is the head cook for the meal plan in our Acuña, México location. She is an excellent cook, but for Delia the meal plan is about so much more than just food. She uses it to feed souls. She is the perfect example of making the most out of the opportunities God gives us to share His message of love with others.  The week of March 13, 2017, which we referred to as the crazy week, was the busiest our Acuña location had ever seen with 19 houses being built. As a result of the high volume of teams using the meal plan that week, Delia offered to hire several ladies to help with the meal preparations. Throughout the week, she began each work day by sharing a devotion with all the cooks. She would pray and tell the ladies that God had chosen them for this special work and that they were cooking in order to feed God's angels. Delia had been building a relationship and sharing the message of Jesus Christ with one of these ladies, Aracely, for awhile, but she was not very receptive. She had refused to help cook on two prior occasions because she didn't want anything to do with "los hermanos" (Christians). But God had a plan for Aracely. Before the crazy week began, Aracely had a change of heart and invited Delia into her home to pray for her youngest son who was sick. A few days later when they began to cook, Delia asked Aracely how her son was doing. With gratitude to God, she responded that her son was already feeling better. But that's not all. Aracely's husband told her, "It's very possible that God wants something with us" (They had known God in the past but had been living apart from Him). At the end of the week, Delia, as is her custom, brought all the cooks back together in the kitchen in order to thank them for their help. One last time, she shared with them the message of God and reminded them that they are special women who have value in God's eyes and who have the potential to serve God in meaningful ways. Delia began to pray for the women in the kitchen. All of a sudden, as it says in the Bible, the Holy Spirit fell on them, and they began to cry and glorify God. Aracely was ministered to by Delia and everyone was very grateful to God for the week. When Delia told her husband the emotional and unexpected story, he could sense the presence of God. Without a doubt, Aracely went home with the message of God in her heart. God did something special in her life. Aracely will never be the same again as a result of Delia's faithfulness in using the opportunity the Lord gave her. "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days."                                               - Ephesians 5:15-16 Delia with Aracely and her family

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Team Casas | September 19, 2016

WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE Partner with other individuals to meet the physical need of better housing as a way of also meeting the spiritual need for Jesus Christ. We need volunteers for the following Team Casas dates. The deadline to schedule a trip is 30 days prior to each México trip and 60 days prior for trips to other locations. If the trip is scheduled, new registrations will be accepted until the trip takes place.

Team Casas Schedule MÉXICO October 7 - 10, 2016 | Juárez (scheduled; still accepting volunteers)  December 27 - 30, 2016 | Acuña (at least 14 volunteers still needed by November 27) December 27 - 30, 2016 | Juárez (at least 2 volunteers still needed by November 27) February 17 - 20, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by January 17) June 12 - 15, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by May 12) October 6 - 9, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by September 6) December 27 - 30, 2017 | Acuña (at least 13 volunteers still needed by November 27) December 27 - 30, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by November 27) GUATEMALA December 27, 2016 - January 1, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 11 volunteers still needed by October 27) March 12 - 17, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 13 volunteers still needed by January 12) July 2 - 7, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 14 volunteers still needed by May 2) December 27, 2017 - January 1, 2018 | San Raymundo (at least 14 volunteers still needed by October 27) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC December 27, 2016 - January 2, 2017 | Santiago (at least 7 volunteers still needed by October 27) March 12 - 18, 2017 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by January 12) June 11 - 17, 2017 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by April 11) December 27, 2017 - January 2, 2018 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by October 27)

REGISTER NOW MORE TEAM CASAS INFO 915.778.0046  |   questions@casasporcristo.org   |   casasporcristo.org

Team Casas | August 29, 2016

WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE Partner with other individuals to meet the physical need of better housing as a way of also meeting the spiritual need for Jesus Christ. We need volunteers for the following Team Casas dates. The deadline to schedule a trip is 30 days prior to each México trip and 60 days prior for trips to other locations. If the trip is scheduled, new registrations will be accepted until the trip takes place.

Team Casas Schedule MÉXICO October 7 - 10, 2016 | Juárez (scheduled; still accepting volunteers)  December 27 - 30, 2016 | Acuña (at least 14 volunteers still needed by November 27) December 27 - 30, 2016 | Juárez (at least 4 volunteers still needed by November 27) February 17 - 20, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by January 17) June 12 - 15, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by May 12) October 6 - 9, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by September 6) December 27 - 30, 2017 | Acuña (at least 13 volunteers still needed by November 27) December 27 - 30, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by November 27) GUATEMALA December 27, 2016 - January 1, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 11 volunteers still needed by October 27) March 12 - 17, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 13 volunteers still needed by January 12) July 2 - 7, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 14 volunteers still needed by May 2) December 27, 2017 - January 1, 2018 | San Raymundo (at least 14 volunteers still needed by October 27) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC December 27, 2016 - January 2, 2017 | Santiago (at least 13 volunteers still needed by October 27) March 12 - 18, 2017 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by January 12) June 11 - 17, 2017 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by April 11) December 27, 2017 - January 2, 2018 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by October 27)

REGISTER NOW MORE TEAM CASAS INFO 915.778.0046  |   questions@casasporcristo.org   |   casasporcristo.org

Family Spotlight | Acuña, México | August 22, 2016

Family Spotlight Acuña, México Meet Maria and her son Moises, a sweet family from Acuña, México. Maria is a 70 year old widow with quite a large family. She has seven children and over 20 grandchildren that she loves dearly. Before Capital West Christian Church came to build a house for Maria and her son, they were living in a relative's home nearby. Their living quarters were overcrowded, and Maria was definitely in need of a home to call her own. During the build week, Maria made a point to greet the team in the mornings. She even spent most of her days working hard in her hot and crowded kitchen to make a homemade meal for the team. This was Maria's tangible way to say thank you to the team building her house, and the team considered it to be the best thank you they could have ever received. Maria was often walking around the site smiling with teammates and admiring her new house as it went up. Everyday Maria would walk into the unfinished house and exclaim over and over again how beautiful the house was. This unfinished house, with bare walls and half a roof, made Maria's eyes light up with excitement. By the end of the week, Maria was in tears over her gratitude and joy found in this new house. On dedication day, Maria and Moises' family and pastor gathered around to celebrate the gift of this new home. After the pastor shared and the team expressed their love and gratitude for Maria and her family, Maria conveyed her thankfulness towards God and Capital West for coming to build her home. She told the team how excited and content she was with her new house. It was easy to see that Maria was very excited to have a house she could call her own. She no longer had to feel like a burden to her daughter's family who had been providing her with a place to stay. While this team worked hard to show Christ to Maria and her family, she surprised everyone by showing His love to them by cooking for and hugging the team members every day. This week, for everyone involved, was a shining example of how to live for Christ and love people. God worked through this team and Maria by changing each of their lives forever. Please join us in continuing to pray for Maria and her family!

ACUÑA TRIP INFO DONATE

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Scholarship Opportunity | Acuña Tornado Relief | August 15, 2016

Scholarship Opportunity Acuña Tornado Relief God has made a way for Casas por Cristo to help provide relief for some of the victims of the devastating tornado that struck the city of Acuña in May of 2015. We are pleased to announce a scholarship opportunity for five teams that would like to volunteer their labor to build a home for a displaced family. KB Global Care has donated the funds to cover the cost of materials for these homes to be built, and the city of Acuña has donated the land and organized the utilities for each property. Now all we need is your team to volunteer.

Scholarship Details Five scholarships available to cover the cost of building materials for a home. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2016. Scholarships will be awarded by September 30, 2016. All scholarship recipients will need to complete their mission trip prior to April 2017.  Group size: 14-20 people. Trip Location: Acuña, México The scholarships do not cover the cost of transportation, meals, lodging, or insurance. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

ACUÑA TRIP INFO 915.778.0046 |   questions@casasporcristo.org   |   casasporcristo.org

Missionary Spotlight | Nick Wille | August 8, 2016

Missionary Spotlight Nick Wille Meet Nick Wille, missionary with Casas por Cristo. Nick came on staff in 2016 as our Acuña Field Coordinator after serving with us for two summer internships. On top of leading teams through the home building process, Nick also scouts work sites, creates maps, and maintains the Casas facilities in Acuña. INTERVIEW WITH NICK 1. Tell a little bit about yourself and where you're from. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, but I was born in Seoul, South Korea and was adopted when I was three years old. I love keeping up with sports (for sure the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues). I love working with my hands, and I have done a lot of woodworking in the past. 2. What made you choose to serve at Casas por Cristo? I went on a Casas trip as a high school freshman and could not get the experience out of my mind. Before I started working with Casas por Cristo, I loved working with my hands and being able to create something. I also really enjoyed serving others and helping them in any way I could. My other favorite thing to do when I was back home was hang out with the high school students. They drove me crazy sometimes, but they were fired up about God and wanted to learn. Casas por Cristo combines all three of these passions, making it the perfect fit for me. 3. How have you seen God through your ministry at Casas por Cristo? I've seen God in so many ways. I think the biggest thing I've seen from God is that He has given me so many opportunities to tell my story, which is actually His story. I had no control over the events of my life, and sometimes I felt like I was lost or misplaced, but God placed me exactly where he wants me to be able to do the work He has planned for me. 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? The biggest challenge for me so far has been the language barrier. Learning a new language does not come easily to me, but I have been working to improve my Spanish. I am looking forward to spending four weeks studying Spanish in Guatemala. It has also been a challenge for me to be so far away from family and friends. But I am thankful for the other Casas staff and how they have taken me into their families. 5. What are some things people should be praying for on your behalf? Please pray that my faith continues to grow, that I develop more skills for working with teams, and that my Spanish becomes better. I would also ask people to pray that I would find friends and be able to build new relationships in Del Rio.

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Team Casas

WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE Partner with other individuals to meet the physical need of better housing as a way of also meeting the spiritual need for Jesus Christ. We need volunteers for the following Team Casas dates. The deadline to schedule a trip is 30 days prior to each México trip and 60 days prior for trips to other locations. If the trip is scheduled, new registrations will be accepted until the trip takes place.

2016 Team Casas Schedule MÉXICO June 13 - 16 | Juárez (scheduled; still accepting volunteers) October 7 - 10 | Juárez (scheduled; still accepting volunteers) December 27 - 30 | Acuña (at least 14 volunteers still needed by November 27) December 27 - 30 | Juárez (at least 10 volunteers still needed by November 27) GUATEMALA July 3 - 8 | San Raymundo (scheduled; still accepting volunteers; only 1 more volunteer needed to add a 2nd house) December 27, 2016 - January 1, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 12 volunteers still needed by October 27) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC June 12 - 18 | Santiago (scheduled; still accepting volunteers) December 27, 2016 - January 2, 2017 | Santiago (at least 16 volunteers still needed by October 27)

REGISTER NOW MORE TEAM CASAS INFO 915.778.0046  |   questions@casasporcristo.org   |   casasporcristo.org

Missionary Spotlight | The DeWitt Family

Meet Scott and Jonna DeWitt, their daughter Madison, and their son Mason. Scott came on staff in 2006 as the Director of Spiritual Outreach after serving as a youth minister in Illinois for twelve years. In 2014, he moved his family to Del Rio, Texas to serve as the Acuña Field Director. INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT 1. Tell a little bit about yourself and where you're from. I grew up in Southern Indiana, and my wife is from Western Pennsylvania. We met at Johnson University in Knoxville, TN and were married in 1992. We served in youth ministry together before we were married and knew that God had called us to a life of ministry. We were privileged to work with one part-time ministry in Kentucky and two full-time ministries in Illinois prior to our work with Casas por Cristo. Those experiences and people will forever be a part of our lives. 2. What made you choose to serve at Casas por Cristo? We brought our youth group on several Casas trips. On one of these trips in 2005 our bus broke down. As a result, Jonna, Dave, one of our youth sponsors, and I stayed behind to get the bus fixed and to drive it home. At the time I had just joined the board and was getting more involved with Casas. I enjoyed the work and loved the people and mission of the ministry. We were able to spend a couple days with the Casas staff and later that summer were asked to consider coming to Casas as the Director of Spiritual Outreach. After speaking with mentors and praying lots, we knew this was an open door God had placed in our path, one we couldn't refuse no matter how hard it was to leave our church family in Illinois. We committed in September 2005 and through many gifts and prayers were able to move our family to El Paso the summer of 2006. 3. How have you seen God through your ministry at Casas por Cristo? God continually amazes us everyday. The blessings and strength he has given us to be able to continue with Casas are amazing. It is not to say the devil hasn't worked hard to stop it, but our God has carried us through it all and continues to open doors for us to walk through. The opportunities that our family has to build with people and for families is a true blessing to us. Seeing the love of God poured into a home and a family fills our hearts to overflowing. Who else can say that they get to see God come alive in the people they serve? 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Well, a challenge is something that is hard to overcome. We have to say challenges are there all the time. Being so far away from relatives, being away from the kids and Jonna, raising support, being weary and tired from weeks of consecutive builds, the weight of an entire department and now location on my shoulders are all challenges, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. These struggles have strengthened my love for God, family, and the ministry of serving others. 5. What are some things people can pray for on your behalf? We covet prayers for strength, courage, and boldness to serve in the times we are weary or overcome with tiredness. We would love prayers for our family structure as our children are getting older and things are changing with teenagers that are involved in so much. Most of all, pray for people to come and serve with us to reach those that have physical needs and burdens.

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