Construyendo la Casa de Dios III

(Building the House of God)

December 25, 2008-January 3, 2009

We left on Christmas day, to save money on flights, and returned about 3:30 am on January 4th.

When we arrived we stayed in El Paso for two nights. That time allowed us to gather building materials, health kits, and tools, plus allow the whole team to arrive before we headed across into Mexico. We made one material run into Mexico and had a two hour wait coming back across the border, which made us quite thankful we weren't doing that every day.

The team was itching to get to work, so Sunday morning we starting putting insulation in the dormitory attic. This wasn't a fun job, but we figured that it would help hold heat where we were staying and so therefore should be top on the priority list.

Sunday afternoon we worshipped in Anapra and then gave out quilts and health kits. The quilts had all been made by our very own quilters back in Caro. I think it was somewhere around 35 quilts that we were able to give away along with 50 health kits consisting of a towel, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, nail clippers, band-aids, and soap.

During our work days we were able to:
-replace stucco on the front and back of the church with siding

-prepare two new main doors for the front of the church by installing a window in each
-install gutters and downspout on three different spots where water has been a problem inside the church
-install six "whirlybird" vents for the roof and two intake vents in the back gable

-fix up the playground by installing a teeter-totter, working on the merry-go-round, repairing the swing set, and repairing the ladder

-insulate dorm

-paint the whole sanctuary ceiling and walls, as well as the girl's bathroom ceiling

-install an attic access in the sanctuary
-install an 8'x6' LCMS cross on the front of the church

-cut tree stump down to make a step out of it
-pour concrete around the tree stump and under the downspouts

-install altar, vertical pieces on altar, hymn board, and pulpit

-fix a shower head
-replace some broken shingles on an older roof

It's a lot of odd jobs, but all stuff that needed to be done to get the church in Anapra where it needs to be. There is talk about that church being used as an orphanage or maybe a school. I feel like we moved them closer to realizing that dream.

The group was great! Everyone worked together very well and accomplished much. Our evenings were filled with good study of God's word (revolving around lesser known characters from the Bible), games, and a lot of laughter (sometimes to the point of tears). Celebrating the New Year in Mexico was a different experience for all of us. Anapra was full of loud music, bonfires, and fireworks on New Year's Eve. We sat on the church roof at midnight and watched some of the fireworks after having a little fire of our own.

When the work was all done, we celebrated our success by having some great Texas barbecue at a restaurant in El Paso. Early the next morning the team had to start saying goodbye as each went their own way...off to their new mission fields.

Construyendo la Casa de Dios II

(Building the House of God)

December, 2007

Gloria Al Dios
Here's the report from our college mission trip to Anapra, Mexico.

There were thirteen of us who made the trek. Eleven college students, Al Kline (72 years old), and me (42 years old). They kept us young and we kept them honest ;-) What a great group!

When we first went into Mexico we were blessed with a Mexican Christmas tradition called las posadas (Spanish for "the Inns"). With music by the mariachi band from Ysleta Lutheran Mission we traveled around the streets of Anapra led by Mary and Joseph and the star singing Christmas carols. Periodically we would stop at a house and sing songs. Basically the story goes that Mary and Joseph are looking for a place to stay and are repeatedly told there was no room there, that they had to move on. Finally we ended back at the church where, thankfully, there was room for them. I can say I have now done something I've never done before in my life. I never thought I would wander the streets of Mexico singing Christmas carols in my life!

Although my wife tells me that no one will have sympathy on us, it was cold at night down there. During the day it was a wonderful 50-60 degrees, but being desert, at night it just dropped. The problem was that the furnace in our building was not up to it. It kept on breaking down, and running out of gas.

By covering up the holes in the drywall ceiling, nurturing the furnace, supplementing with another heater, and lots of world relief quilts on our beds, we made it through.

Despite the cold we had a great time during Bible study, playing "mafia", eating Mexican food, and just hanging out together.

The big "news", however, is what we accomplished in a weeks time. We were able to:
-Finish the electrical

-Insulate

-Hang 3800 square feet of drywall (over 2700 square feet of floor space)

-Tape and mud the drywall

-Texture the ceiling

-Paint all of the drywall

-Build a 12' x 16' chancel

-Carpet the chancel

-Build/Install Communion rails

See for yourself. Here's the before and after pictures.

I've been saying over and over: "We took the building we built in May and made it a church!" Gloria Al Dios (Glory to God)

Video from our December, 2007 trip

Video from our May, 2007 trip

We had a great time in May, 2007.  You can see for yourself!

For more information about servng in Mexico on our college mission trip, contact Greg Arnett at: 989-673-4214 or e-mail him at: greg@stpaulcaro.org