Day Two, December 27, Wednesday

We, along with our team from Journey Fellowship are with Strategic Alliance in Reynosa, Mexico. After a a few delays at a crowded mall parking lot stop and at the border crossing, we made it to the El Camino Hotel. I’m tired, but after a good night’s sleep, I feel better and grateful for the mission ahead. Adding to my anticipation is the realization that many of the 213 on our team are multiple, even generational, returnees. They come, and continue to come with their kids and grandkids, building relationships with the community of Colonia. And now, I, too, get to take part in doing the thing God created us to do, the thing that God has been forming in my heart.

For the first blog in this series, visit Reynosa, Mexico: An Introduction.

While the roads in the city of Reynosa are fairly decent, with stoplights, orderly lanes and traffic flow, Colonia’s are not. Their streets are not maintained by the city and they consist of road base made from construction site debris. Navigating the huge holes and large random chunks of concrete make driving interesting to say the least, as well as a very jarring ride. Thankfully, for this trip, the recent weather has been beautiful, so mud is not an issue.

Colonia does not have access to public utilities and the homes are not built with installed wiring or plumbing. The people manage, however, to find ways to access electricity and I’m amazed at the crazy clusters of electrical wires that bring power into the community.

We show up to the job site, a small lot with an older, abandoned, and neglected Strategic Alliance house in the back corner. The “fence” around the property is a hodgepodge of plywood, metal, plastic, and whatever other materials could be found. A new concrete foundation has been poured and is stacked with piles of lumber, plywood, and metal that funding from our church purchased. Somehow, we’ll turn this pile into a home.

In the other corner of the lot stands a crudely constructed shack that I assume is the outhouse. Inside, it has the round end of a cable spool covering a pit in the ground. Thankfully, we have access to the church bathrooms across the street. Unfortunately, Americans forget to NOT flush toilet paper and we have a continual problem of stopping up the toilets.

The construction crew gets to work and makes a quick inventory of all the supplies. The painting crew gets handed three five gallon paint buckets—greige, yellow, and purple. We’re told to paint every piece of wood, starting with the various sized and lengths of boards. We paint, paint, and paint some more.

Our family, Oscar, Pilar, and baby Christian stop by.and everyone pauses to meet them. Oscar pitches in and and helps paint.As soon as the boards are done, the construction crew assembles the walls. We make much progress and by the time we leave, we have the walls framed and the rafters constructed and waiting to be installed.

We’re commended at a little end-of-the-day pow-pow for our team work and everything we accomplished on the first day. However, what’s said next determines the events of my second day: We haven’t had much interaction with the community. We need to work, but widen our vision. We’re there to not only build a home, but also to build relationships.

I’m a bit apprehensive. I’m still mentally and emotionally exhausted. I have the strength to work, to complete the tasks I’m asked to do. But I don’t have the energy to expend on talking to strangers. Especially to those with whom I don’t know their language. I remember yesterday’s lesson. God’s word tells me “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether I am full or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13

I have help. It is through Christ that I can do these things. Paul encourages the church in Ephesus with the prayer, “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:19

The power I need will flow from the love of Christ. I can eagerly look forward to interacting with others when the time comes.

Are you apprehensive? Exhausted? Lacking energy or even strength. It is Jesus who enables us. It is his love that fills us with life and power.

Grace & Peace