Broken

So this week was hard and yet amazing! I was added to help Alexis build a double with Crossroads Community Church from Naperville, IL. Our site had 3 hole where we needed to pour around. It is where the bathroom drained to so there needed to be ventilation. We did not have a concrete truck so pouring the slab took all afternoon on Monday. Tuesday we built walls and stood them. We put on blackboard and some chicken wire. The roof also got put on and the ply wood and tar paper got put on as well. That day we saw some black smoke in the distance and didn't think anything of it. We thought it was burning tired or garbage. Wednesday we finished all but some of the drywall and electrical. We had a man who didn't even know the family helping do the stucco. That night after the team went to bed Aubrie, Alexis, Kevin, and I went over to Miguel's house and filled a bunch of water balloons. We finished the drywall and electrical Thursday morning and painted the house white. During siesta, the team was called outside to take a group picture. We attacked them with water balloons. It was hilarious. We dedicated the house to the family that afternoon. It was amazing to see the team at work. We were staying at the SHOC and Miguel's (our Mexican rep in Juarez) wife and daughters cooked a lot of food and we had a little fiesta at the SHOC. It was sweet! We crossed back over Friday morning and went to eat at Rudy's around 10:30.
Then it was back to the property. We were informed that the smoke we saw on Tuesday was 3 Casas houses burning to the ground. I was shocked. It was decided that the interns (with some help of full time staff) would rebuild these houses. We have the money right now to build 1 1/2 houses. We went and visited the families to talk to them and tell them that God has not forgotten about them and we want to help. The city had already bulldozed 2 of the 3 houses that burnt. Here are a few pictures of what happened. http://picasaweb.google.com/sespears/InternBuild?authkey=Gv1sRgCIrAk9CGvNbrgwE&feat=email# When I walked inside the third house, I started crying. I remembered how scared I was of my house burning down and this was a reality to them. It is still making me tear up and I know when we are building for them I'm going to be a wreck. After we left the families, we scouted our sites for next week. I am excited to build again. We told the team that morning about the fires and our plan to help them. After we had returned from Mexico, we went to our Friday intern meeting and "story time" meaning testimonies from the full time staff. When we were finished we went over to visit with the team. We shared a little bit more about the families and showed some pictures. We mentioned the money and then were stopped. The leader had told one of us that morning that they would raise the rest of the money we needed to build these homes for the families. They had been challenged and they gave 2/3 of the money to us right then and there. I started crying again. Just knowing that God put on their hearts to help these families they had never met was amazing. Over half the room was crying by the end of the time. I am extremely grateful that I was able to meet and work with these people. I have been broken. God is AWESOME!

There are many stories to tell and many families that need help. If you have been challenged or would like to help us build houses. You can donate online or you can send a check to Casas por Cristo. https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1005 Here is the website. To help us, make sure you put in the comment box INTERN BUILD. or you could send a check to Casas at PO Box 971070, El Paso, TX 79997. In the memo it should say INTERN BUILD or it will go into the general fund for Casas.

This ministry has really touched my heart.

<3 Lisa