Lord, I thank you for my home!
My brother, John, youth pastor at Abundant Life Church, recently went on a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico. He and 11 others selflessly gave up a week of their lives to build a house for a family and work with a local orphanage. Every year his church will find a family to build a house for in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Mexico. Most of the houses in these neighborhoods have dirt floors, no running water, and no electricity.
When Abundant Life Church builds a house the family does not pay 1 penny. The church builds a house with concrete floors and provides an electrical outlet and paint for the house.
There are hardly any men in the neighborhood. Most of them have left to find jobs and sadly some have never been heard from again. The women, children, and grandparents are left behind to fend for themselves. My brother said the worst part of the trip is when it's time to leave and the children are clinging to them and begging them to stay. It is truly heartbreaking.
The new house is the one the man is standing on the roof and the old house is the blue in the background. The sheds attached to the new house is storage and the outhouse.
The out house. This is just a deep hole in the ground.
Fences are made with tires and whatever pieces of wood that can be found.
Many dogs are roaming freely everywhere but there are hardly any cats to be seen.
Video
Matthew 7:24-27
New International Version (NIV)
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Please feel free to join Brenda's Gratitude Challenge and share your thoughts.
It's hard to fathom sometimes that a lot of the world, near as well as far, live in conditions that we consider uninhabitable. May God bless the work of your brother and his church and all such ministries.
ReplyDeletehi, i am now ur newest follower...thanx 4 following mine as well. I feel u r such a beautiful person, and a kind soul. Lets keep on keeping on girl!
ReplyDeleteHelen
My family frequently vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Whenever we drive to the hotel, I always look around and think of what poor living conditions we don't see when we're staying at the resort. You are blessed to have a brother who is such a great helper and doer of God's work!
ReplyDeleteI am following you now. I love your blog and the content. I look forward to reading more about the Gratitude Challenge.