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Perspective is a major determining factor in our perception and experiences of the world. From the perspective of life in the comfort and luxury of the US, it is easy to forget, become desensitized to or even ignore the poverty and hardships that many throughout the world experience. For many people In Juarez, Mexico, living in plywood shacks and barely scraping by is normal life. This sad reality is made even crueler by the fact that the clean, tall buildings of El Paso are situated within eyesight. So, to meet both the spiritual and material needs of these communities, VGBC partnered with Casas Por Cristo over spring break to build houses in Juarez for the Sanchez and Salas families, who local pastors selected based on need and the potential impact of a new house on their lives. On Sunday, March 24, our team of 43 volunteers set out to Juarez, and on Monday we joined with our Casas leaders Brigham and Bridget, who would lead the construction of the houses. Not long after crossing the border, we arrived at the Rose of Sharon Church, where we stayed while building. After arriving, a group went to the park and played soccer with the local kids and teens. Before leaving, we gave the local kids soccer balls with the gospel message on them, which they were overjoyed to receive. 
The house took shape on Wednesday. The concrete had dried overnight and was now ready for the walls to be put on them. After securing the walls, we went to work nailing blackboard onto the outside of the wall and putting chicken wire on top of that to hold the stucco. While this was happening, the roof was built and insulation was installed. The Sanchez family fed Devin’s team with some simple but tasty tortillas with beans, eggs, and ham, showing how generosity can go both ways. Work lasted late into the afternoon, but we still stopped at a local S-Mart to buy ice cream before returning to the Rose of Sharon church.
went smoothly and we arrived back at VGBC on Saturday afternoon. As Monday night’s devotion had us do, our team members asked themselves how God would use this trip to impact our own lives, and answers ranged from seeing God’s plan more clearly to a deeper understanding and compassion for the poor. Many discovered a new and better version of themselves brought out by serving others. For a large portion of the team, this was their first mission trip of the sort, and they were deeply impacted by this experience. It is safe to say that no one walked away from this trip without learning valuable and important lessons for their lives. We are grateful for another productive and wonderful trip to Juarez and look forward to future opportunities to serve others.
