"That Trip Changed My Life"

(taken from CMF International http://bit.ly/YuOB9T)

Students and staff from the Globalscope El Pozo campus ministry in Puebla, Mexico, will make the team’s sixth spring break trip March 25-27 to build houses for poor families with Casas Por Cristo, a Christian organization based in El Paso, Texas.

“Five families now have homes because of the five trips El Pozo has made,” said Kami Burns, the El Pozo team leader, “and this year’s we’re changing that number from five to seven.”

The group plans to build both a three-room and a two-room house in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. They have raised more than $6,000 toward the nearly $12,000 cost, and recruited 17 of the 30 students they will need for the project.

“Sometimes this project sounds too crazy, like these are goals we can’t accomplish,” said Kami, “but the name ‘Casas Por Cristo’ reminds me every time I say it that these houses are built by Jesus Christ, and 13 more students and $5,548 more is completely doable for the Son of God.”

The previous trips have been life-changing events not only for the families who receive the new homes, but also for the team participants, including Kami herself.

“In 2008, in my last year of school at Georgia Tech, I decided to go on Christian Campus Fellowship’s spring break trip to build houses with Casas Por Cristo in Ciudad, Juarez, Mexico, for the first time,” said Kami. She had spent time as an exchange student in El Pozo the year before and was excited about reconnecting with her friends there.

“That trip was crucial for me … I realized just how much I loved being in Mexico,” added Kami. “I wasn’t sure when I’d be back in Mexico or when I would see my Mexican friends again, but the lump in my throat when I left told me that maybe God was telling me something. That Juarez trip changed my life.”

Other students have also been powerfully affected by the trip, said Kami. Rada was a young girl with only a slight connection to El Pozo who went on the 2010 trip on a whim.

“The community she discovered on that trip connected her to El Pozo,” said Kami, “and over the course of the next year, she started an internship with us, gave her life to Christ and was baptized, and today she still works on our staff. That trip changed her life!”

Yet another student who was impacted by the trip was a graduating senior, Armando, who had been part of El Pozo for years, but went on his first trip with Casa Por Cristo in 2010.

“Amramdo fell in love with Casas Por Cristo on that trip and interned with them last summer,” said Kami. “There he was baptized and made a commitment to ministry. He interned with El Pozo this fall and is now preparing to join the Casas staff in Juarez and Acuna full time this summer. That trip changed his life!”

If you are interested in joining El Pozo on this trip contact Kami Burns. If you’d like to make it possible for more students to go, you may donate here. Prayers are also requested for the venture, said Kami.

“Since the beginning of the semester we’ve been praying at 2 p.m. every day, and asking supporters, friends and students to pray as well,” she said. “Please join us in praying for God to provide the people and the money to build two houses, and for the families who will receive them.”

"This Love Is Not For Cowards..."

We spent our weekend over President's Day in Juárez, México building a home for a family that lost their husband/father two years ago to murder.  Every person that came to construct this house into a home didn’t just show up, they fought to be here.  They drove across the country with their children and with strangers, standing in their own faith, to show this family an unconventional outpouring of love. They fought to go to a city where no one else wants to go, to give of themselves, to a family that they had never met; but one desperately in need of hope and restoration and a reminder that God has not forgotten about them. We're thankful that this Team Casas crew came together.  We're even more thankful that Berta and her family have a home and a daily reminder that God has not forgotten about them but loves them deeply.

(some scenes from our dedication and weekend build)

Are You Our Next Intern?

With summer right around the corner, and our search for interns in full swing, we asked former interns how their summer with Casas por Cristo affected their lives.  Here's what they had to say...

David Lebby:

If I were to sum up my summer into one sentence it would read, “It ruined me.” My summer had three phases: humility, discovery, joy.

Humility: I was immediately humbled by the overwhelming nature of the work and my complete and total inadequacy.

Discovery: I began to discover that my inadequacies were so pale in comparison to God's overwhelming power and will to use me.

Joy: I found the most intense joy of my life abiding in God from day to day, serving the people of Juárez, being used despite my crippling personal shortcomings.

When I say my summer in Juárez ruined me, I mean it ruined me for the ordinary nature of a life built around my own capabilities and birthed in me a persistent desire for the extreme. Things only possible through Him.

I think everyone enters a Casas internship with flaws detrimental to the role that a leader plays. It was one of my life’s greatest pleasures to watch God overcome these flaws.

Jess Hehrer:

I went into the Casas por Cristo internship with the desire to be challenged and enlightened. I had no idea that in a few short months I would leave as an entirely new person. The three months I spent working alongside the other interns and CpC staff were the hardest months of my life. I was constantly challenged spiritually, physically, and mentally.

Over the course of ninety days something crazy happened. I began to rely on the Lord more than I ever had in my entire life. I was able to witness His power, might, and grace, and I personally experienced His strength, peace, and provision. God slowly but surely changed my heart to reflect His.

Serving as an intern with Casas por Cristo has easily been the most rewarding experience in my life thus far. It opened my eyes to a community that has been forsaken by its people, but not forgotten by God. As an intern I learned to act in faith and speak with boldness. The rewards of this internship program are far more than I ever expected, and I owe Casas por Cristo everything for allowing me to participate in such an incredible opportunity.

Rachel Weller: (apprentice with Casas)

My time with Casas has taught me to pray big prayers and never put God in a box.

Jessica Selburg: (summer and winter intern with Casas)

Interning with Casas brought me out of my comfortable Christian bubble and into courageous wonderful pursuit.

Brittany Girle (full-time missionary with Casas since 2004)

I had no clue that a Spring Break trip in college would change the course of my entire life.

Justin Kirklin (full-time missionary with Casas since 2009)
My internship set the foundation for the rest of my life. I now see Jesus as my life and my treasure.

Jason Roth (full-time missionary with Casas since 2007)

Not to be melodramatic, but it did change the course of my life. I had never considered working in missions, or moving accross the country to El Paso. God has better plans than my own. 

We are still accepting applications for internships this summer.  If you are interested in giving 3 months of your life to see how God will use you CLICK HERE or contact Justin Kirklin at jkirklin@casasporcristo.org

Update from Bob & Gwen Wenberg

Keep up with our staff missionaries as they update their supporters about Casas por Cristo and their work here!

Gwen and I will be completing our eighth year with Casas the first week in June. We thank and praise God for how He has provided for our needs.

We want to thank the people of First Baptist Church for your prayers and support.

God has brought Casas through another year.  I would like to update you on some of the things that are happening in our ministry.

In 2012 we built 183 homes in Juárez and Acuña, México, and San Raimundo, Guatemala.  We are off and running this year.  There will be 40 homes built in the month of March. This is a busy month because students are celebrating Spring Break. In Guatemala there will be 8 homes built, 22 in Juárez, and 10 in Acuña.

According to the Mexican authorities there is 78% less violence in Juárez this year. I believe that it is because of these statistics that the amount of teams coming to build is increasing.

Casas’ family news. Our Casas family is increasing in size.  This is happening in more ways than one.  We have an intern and an apprentice missionary that are hoping to become full time missionaries with us when they finish their requirements for staff. Their names are Jessica Selburg and Rachel Weller. A former Casas missionary, Ryan de la Pena, is returning with his family to El Paso and is coming back on staff in the middle of February.

Three of our missionaries, the Laffan’s, the Kirklin’s, and the De la Pena’s will be having babies in the near future.

Casas Por Cristo has reached another milestone in the life of this ministry.  Brandon and Heather Culp have moved to Guatemala to become our first full time missionaries outside of the continent.

Please continue to pray for more teams to register, for the safety of our missionaries and the teams that are building. Pray for the new missionaries and their efforts to raise support so that they can become part of Casas’ family.

Gwen and I want to thank our church family for their support and encouragement as we work at Casas as missionaries.

Continue to pray for our Mexican nationals, David Quiñones and Miguel Flores, who work for us in their native country.

With all our souls we praise the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, in how he has watched over us. 

In his service,

Bob and Gwen Wenberg

Update from Rachel Weller

Team Casas and
Spring Break Prep

This past weekend I got to help lead a Team Casas build with two other staff members. Team Casas builds happen periodically throughout the year and are for those who may not have a team to come down with. Team Casas builds are definitely a unique dynamic where most people on the team have never met anyone else before that week. However, some of my closest relationships I've made through Casas have been on these builds. Within two and a half days, strangers became family as we all worked together to build a home for Berta and her family. Berta was a single mother struggling to make ends meet since her husband was killed two years ago. It was such a blessing to be the hands and feet of Christ to provide for her in difficult times. It was also good for me to go out and build because I had forgotten some aspects of the construction process and I need to be ready to lead teams on my own by March. 

One night we got back from the worksite early so we went for a walk to try to find some hamburguesas (this is the Mexican version of a hamburger typically with ham, avacado, sliced hot dogs, and other toppings depending on who makes them). No hamburguesas were to be found but we did come across a fruit and drink stand. Jorge (one of the team members) bought a Sodasrusa (Russian soda). I can't tell you everything that went into this drink but it was so fun watching them make it. She poured tons of chili power in it so I passed on trying that one as I am not a fan of chili powder mixed with fruit.  Right next to the Sodarusa stand was a coconut and pineapple stand. The woman who owned the stand would take the coconuts off to the side and hack at them with a machete until she had made a small hole in the top. She then squeezed a bit of lime into the coconut and placed a couple straws in the hole to drink the juice out of the middle. There is nothing like walking down the dirt roads of Juarez with people drinking out of whole coconuts. It was one of the most fun expeditions I've had in Mexico by far!

 

Now I'm back in the office for the next two weeks preparing for the craziness of spring break around here. We currently are planning on building 39 houses in the month of March, which has some staff out building for 4 weeks in a row. I'm planning on leading two builds in Juarez so far with a potential third to be added this week. I definitely cannot be a procrastinator anymore with how the next couple months are looking. Thankfully, I found a little netbook on clearance two weeks ago and have been able to be super productive with writing papers and getting ahead in classes on my weekends and days off of work.   

I'm continuing to raise support to be able to officially go on staff. My awesome supporters are helping to give $575 a month out of my $2,000 per month goal and I thank everyone who has supported me financially, emotionally and spiritually thus far. Support raising is a period that can become very frustrating but I'm choosing to trust that God will continue to provide if it is His will for me to serve him with Casas por Cristo. 

If you wish to help support me in my ministry with Casas por Cristo, you can do that through our GIVE DIRECT site and choose 5472 Support: Rachel Weller in the Program area field. Checks also can be sent to PO Box 971070, El Paso, TX 79997 with my name in the Memo line.

As well as e-mail updates, I'm going to be posting stories and pictures on facebook, twitter (@rachelmweller), instagram (@rachelmweller), and will be using my blog at http://rachelweller.blogspot.com/ (I promise the blog will happen... 10 page papers come before blog posts right now)

Last but not least, I LOVE hearing from you! It has made the distance much easier seeing valentine's day cards in my mailbox, sitting in Starbucks having skype dates (we don't have internet at our apartment so I'm the awkward girl chilling in the corner of public places talking to my computer) or getting encouraging facebook messages from friends. - Rachel

Keep up with all of our staff missionaries as they update their supporters about Casas por Cristo and their work here!

Nineteen

There are 19 families that have been on our waiting list to receive a home from Casas por Cristo for more than four years. Nineteen families that each have five or more members and are waiting for a three-room home that we call a “double.” These families have made their houses out of the same cardboard that we use to pack our belongings. They pray that their homes will weather the storm and long for the one that Christ will provide one day.

These families have been waiting since 2008. Since before the drug war began. Since before all the four-year olds in the world were born. Since before some of our college interns were old enough to drive. Since before many of these families’ own children were born. They have been waiting and hoping and praying, because a prayer is all they have.

If we continue at the present rate, these families will be waiting another two years before they receive a home. Children that were 12 when their parents applied for a home will be 18 and moving on, never seeing their prayers answered. Every day we meet countless families in desperate need hoping to be added to this list, yet are denied because our list is already too long.

People ask our ministry all the time, “What are your greatest needs?” Right now our answer is…

Sandra Almanza

Maria Cristina Reyes Hernandez

Ricardo Aguirre Hernandez

Santa Carrasco Aburto

Rocio Landa Martinez

Roselia Garcia Valdez

Luis Manuel Hernandez

Jaime Cueto Escanuelas

Emilia Mancinas Lopez

Maria Luisa Ramirez Macario

Jose Manuel Flores Leos Gabriela Espino

Marlit Ortiz Reyes

Maria de Jesus Rodriguez Tena

Amalia Gomez Ramos

Alberto Carlos Garcia Vazquez

Graciela Sierra Cana

Pedro Valenzuela Moralez

Francisco Trejo Juan Paulo

Perla Valverde Solis

...and their families are our greatest needs.

These are not just names. Together they represent over a hundred men, women and children in houses that are not fit to be called homes. They are mothers and fathers that want to provide for their children but can’t. These individuals have spoken up on behalf of their families and asked their local church for help; for our help. Theirs are some of the countless prayers around the world, crying out to God in need. Their prayers are not just open ended words spoken into the night sky, these prayers represent names, faces and lives that have now been brought into your life and ours.

Without teams stepping up to build these homes, these families will continue to wait and wonder. 

Will you help us change their future? 

Will you organize a team to build their home and answer their prayers?

Register Today

Need: 18-25 people per team

Where: Juárez, México

Cost: $7000 per home

Check out our full Beyond Building magazine here

HOME 4000

On May 18, 2012 we dedicated Home 4000 for Sandra Gutierrez, Alfredo Perez and their six children. Their family had been anxiously waiting and praying for this dream to come true since April 2008. In celebration of 4000 homes, this build was funded entirely by our supporters and built by our staff, pastors and interns. Home 4000 was truly an example of what has made the previous 3999 homes possible – God’s provision, partnership and YOU!

Check out our full Beyond Building magazine here