Lacking Nothing

It was one year ago that over 100 children circled our team of MPACT men as we were about to depart the community center in Juarez, Mexico to travel back to our hometowns back in the states.  With our arms linked together, we listened to a young boy named Kevin pray for us in Spanish, while our friend Vanessa kindly provided the translation.  

“Father, thanks to our friends from the United States who came to help us this week.  I pray they make it home safely to their families.  Please Father, when they get home, I pray they have a safe place to sleep, and they have enough food to eat.”

When little Kevin prayed these words, I gulped.  A tingling sensation travelled down my arms, a single tear slid from my eye, and an unfamiliar warmth enveloped my entire body. It occurred to me.   In my 60 years of life, I have never prayed those words.  I have never prayed for a safe place to sleep or enough food to eat.  Not once . . . EVER!  Yet this was the focus of this little boy’s prayer for our team who had just completed a week’s worth of work, fellowship, discipleship and service to this community in one of the poorest places on earth.  I knew, when Kevin said “Amen” that we would have another team serve at Amigos en Cristo again in 2025.

Our team of men just returned Oct 18th from our second mission trip to the Anapra section of Juarez.  As you may have heard, this place can be very dark. When you turn off the main roads, there is no pavement or proper drainage.  Only rutted out roads with holes deeper than the axle height on most cars.  Most homes are tiny with many not having running water.  Some are made of pallets or scrap materials and those with electricity have tapped into the power poles on street corners with a spider web of lines gathered at the top.  You can often see smoke from a burning shack because of improper electrical use.  There are shrines to Santa Muerta scattered in the area where many have fallen into the cult of death worship and cartel activities.  Dogs roam freely always in search of a snack.  The typical Anapra factory worker earns up to about $100 per week. 

In the middle of this are the two community centers and fine arts center of Amigos en Cristo.  And in the middle of Amigos en Cristo is the light of Christ shining brightly through the eyes and smiles of the hundreds of children that are fed, educated and discipled there each day by the same light that shines through the eyes of the most amazing staff and volunteers I have ever been a part of. 

There is a peace and joy in these people that I don’t see that much back at home.  As we work on building projects and improvement of the facilities, we can see the El Paso skyline and the promise of the USA only miles away.  Just across that border, I fit in perfectly with others that have every convenience of life.  A home, running water, electricity, cars, golf carts, a refrigerator filled with food and drinks, cell phones, computers, the best clothes and health care.  I lack nothing at all, but these people, who lack most modern conveniences also seem to lack nothing . . . In Christ. 

Last year, after our week there, we handed the keys to Gabby to show her the 200 Square foot addition to her home that we built which included a running water sink, a refrigerator and stove/oven.  She smiled and cried tears of joy that she now had 400 total square feet for her and her family.  She praised God for his blessings.   Later that day, as we said goodbye, little Kevin prayed we would have the exact same blessings bestowed on us, back in the US, where I’ve never lacked anything at all. 

This year, our team was determined to make a difference serving the people of this town.  We saw our prayer friend Kevin.   He was a little taller and his hair had grown out.  Our building project this year opened a new dining area where all the children can eat and worship in one room.  We put on a men’s conference at the local Cornerstone Church where we shared the Grace message of hope for the men to grown in the knowledge of who they are so they could be most effective spiritual leaders god intended them to be.  We discipled and supported the staff and volunteers.  We taught the high schoolers the gospel, we played with the younger kids and we laughed, cried, prayed and celebrated with our staff friends as they shared their testimonies of hope in Christ.  We went to serve, but in the end, our family at Amigos en Cristo served us much more, and our faith grew exponentially because of our time there with our family! 

We have set up our 2026 trip to go back and serve the children and staff of Amigos en Cristo.  I humbly ask that you pray about serving these wonderful people with our team of men again next year.  Please mark down the dates.  October 3^rd – 10^th.   Email us if you are being led to serve. More info will be made available in January. 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1:2-4

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  Use them well for serving others.”  1 Peter 4:10

Peace, prayers and grace to you all!