The story of Petra.
Petra is a recent widow. She had been living in a structure made of cardboard and other scrap materials by herself. When her home had caught fire, Pastor Leti saw a great need for Petra to have a safe, secure home, especially since she lived alone. Fernando, her son, helps her when he is able, but her other children do not. Pastor Leti greatly desired for Petra to live a life of peace and comfort, so when she got an application, she knew instantly that it was for her. She knew Petra would never ask for anything, so she acted on her behalf and submitted the application for her.
The story of Centro Cristiano Elohim.
Pastor Ezequiel has been the pastor of Centro Cristiano Elohim for eight years and is a member of our Juárez Pastors’ Committee. If you’ve built in Juárez, Pastor Ezequiel most likely translated for the family and pastor in your First Look video. This congregation is mostly made up of new believers that were baptized at the church. Pastor Ezequiel stated, “Our goal as a church is to continue to honor and glorify God in all that we do. We want to help everyone in our community know Christ and have a relationship with Him.”
The story of a new home for Petra.
Earlier this month, Pastor Ezequiel gathered his own congregation to build for another family in Juárez made possible through the generosity of one of our donors. They hadn’t been assigned a family to build for yet, but when they went out to interview Petra for her First Look video, Ezequiel said he just knew he wanted his church to build for her.
This was a very special week for all involved as the people of Juárez served one another in Jesus’ name. Two members from the church had lost loved ones exactly one year prior to the build for Petra. Both of them had mentioned throughout the week that she had reminded them of their lost loved ones and believed that it was no coincidence.
The dedication of Petra’s home was a truly moving experience. It was a time full of laughter, tears, dancing, worshipping our Savior, and the perfect depiction of God’s love for His people. Petra’s son, Fernando, was so moved by these acts of service done by others in his community for his mother that he accepted Christ at the dedication.
His story.
Through this building process, we all form unique, God-centered relationships throughout the week, but before the build, we all come into the week with our own individual stories. How devastatingly beautiful is it when God writes His story through the building of a home, the building of relationships, and the building of His Kingdom. God so exquisitely orchestrated all of these individuals together for this one week for one purpose only – to bring glory to His name.