Ephrata man recounts Mexican mission trip

The rooster crowed right on schedule – in the morning. It wasn’t too specific as to what time. Already some of the men I was bunking with were up, getting their coffee. The teenage boys were still asleep. Sixteen of us were bunking in the same dorm room in Reynosa, Mexico. The common purpose was to build a home for a family. I had “tagged” onto a church from Raeford, N.C. I did not know any of the seven members when we met at the airport. I knew it would be another great week when they greeted me with a scrolling sign on one of their phones that said, “Welcome Dan.” Ken had made me feel welcome when I initially called him a few months ago. They would love to have another member. They were committed to build a cement block home for a family in one of the impoverished neighborhoods of Reynosa. It so happened that another church from a neighboring community in North Carolina was coming with a youth group to also build a home. We got along great. It was exciting to see the enthusiasm and energy of teenagers bonding for this worthy cause.

Our seven members were a diverse group. It was rewarding getting to know each member. Ken, our leader, ran a newspaper in Raeford. He, at 59, meets weekly with preteens at the local school to provide some adult guidance. Bill was our senior member at 72. He started coming at 59 and was an inspiration because it is never too late to help. Chuck, a man you want with you on a dark and stormy night, will tell you he likes his kids, but maybe not yours. He has a giant heart and will do anything to help. His 16-year old daughter Stephanie has already been here several times and is quite an accomplished artist. Cheryl is a school registrar and knows kids and parents. She is very proud of her work. Maddy, her soon-to-graduate-from-high-school daughter, loves to dance and was going home to compete in a Celtic dance. She led several of our members and locals in an impromptu dance get-together. Jessica is an elementary special education teacher and has a passion to help kids succeed. She has 12 years of teaching and a lot of questions about how to help our educational system. I was the second-oldest member of the team and this was my second trip to Reynosa. My first trip last October was a life-changing view of Christian mission work. We still need people for “boots on the ground.” It is all about the relationships forged with our brothers and sisters in need.

The routine was similar to the first time I went to build a home. We got up, made a breakfast, met in the courtyard with our Mexican crew. After meeting in a circle, and having a prayer for safety and thanking God, we loaded onto vans and traveled winding city roads to a work site. We poured footings and filled the floor with dirt, followed by pouring a cement floor and then letting it set overnight. The second day was spent moving cement blocks and laying block. Our Mexican foreman kept a sharp eye on everything to make sure it was solid. On another day, we banded our two teams together and poured another church’s house roof. Several five-gallon buckets, partially filled, were lifted by layers of teens and adults to the rooftop. Another church would pour the roofs of the two buildings we built this week.

The family for our home had three kids, a set of twin boys and a daughter just a little older. It was quite providential for me, because the mother of this family was a triplet. When I was there in October, I had worked on her sister’s home. I knew I had seen her before. She recognized my yellow backpack where I kept my water and sunscreen. It was 90 to 95 degrees every day. Each family receiving a home is vetted for the need and they must work eight months on another home before they get their own home.

Faith Ministry, from McAllen Texas, has been helping families for over 25 years, having completed nearly 2,000 homes. Besides building homes, they also provide a free medical clinic, a nutrition program for children and babies and scholarships to help young students go to school. The “Starfish”’ story was a guiding principle for the founder. The needs seem overwhelming but after this past week two more families would be that much closer to receiving a home better than where they are now staying. I will need to call Colleen, our Faith Ministries coordinator, and ask when the third sister’s home will be built. I would love to be a part of helping again.

Dan Martell is a retired high school principal from Ephrata.