OUR MISSIONARIES

Hey friends! My name is Ellie, and I am from the suburbs of Chicago. The Lord called me into ministry right before my sophomore year at Indiana Wesleyan University where I was able to obtain my bachelor’s in Adolescent Ministry and a minor in Business Administration. For five years, I worked in church ministry with both children and adults. I moved to El Paso in April 2021, and I have grown to love the community and culture here. I am honored to be on staff at Casas and love that I get to follow in my grandparents' footsteps as they were missionaries in Japan. Here at Casas, I get the amazing opportunity to invest in the lives of our interns and care for our missionaries, as well as do additional things to help the ministry grow. I'm blessed to be a part of the Casas family, and I look forward to what's yet to come for this ministry!

Hey y’all, we’re the Bryans! Hailing from South Dakota (Paige) and North Carolina (Zachary), Casas is our connection. Zach first encountered Casas in 2012 serving on builds with his home church, followed by serving on staff for four years. Paige attended her first build in 2019 where God grasped her heart for Casas and didn’t let go. She served as an administrative intern in 2021 before completing her master's degree. Though we didn’t serve at the same time, God allowed our paths to cross and wrote the rest of the story, opening hearts and doors to allow us to come back and serve at Casas full-time! The mission of Casas has captured our hearts by calling us deeper into love and life like Christ. We are beyond thrilled to be home at Casas and build his Kingdom alongside each of you!

Hey! I’m Josh. I have worked at Casas since 2007 and have served in a myriad of roles over the years. I started as a Juárez Field Coordinator. Then, my wife and I moved to the Dominican Republic in 2015 where I became the Dominican Field Manager and eventually the Dominican Field Director. In 2022, I stepped into my current position as the Foreign Field Director where I oversee our Dominican, Guatemalan, Nicaraguan, and Honduran locations.  As a result, my family and I relocated back to our headquarters in El Paso, TX where we currently live and serve. It has been quite an adventure over the years, and I am honored to play a role in the incredible work God is doing through Casas por Cristo. I’m Allie, and I serve as a Missionary Care Coordinator here at Casas. God captivated my heart for missions when I was 16 years old while working with an orphanage, ironically, in Juárez. As an adult, I have lived and served in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic as a single woman, newlywed, to being a mom of two beautiful children. I feel immeasurably blessed to use the adventures God has taken me on to help our current staff and missionaries.

Hello there! We are the DeLongs and had our first child, Brantley, in June 2018! We both came to love missions, and ministry in general, from a young age. I (Kiersten) went on my first mission trip when I was 15 years old, and while it was not a Casas trip, it was the first time I had heard about Casas. Spencer was 16 when he went on his first build with Casas in Juárez. A few years later, Spencer and I found ourselves studying ministry at Lincoln Christian University where we graduated with degrees in Youth/Preaching and Missions. Since then, we have served in youth ministry in Illinois and were able to lead a trip to Juárez in 2014. Most recently, we’ve been working for Lincoln Christian University and got to lead a group of college students to Guatemala in 2018. Thus, when we received the opportunity to join the Casas team full-time, we could not say no.  We are always excited to see the way that God is moving among His people. To be a part of the Casas team and partner with both the local and global Church to create more opportunities for the Gospel to be shared is something that seems to bring our experiences, callings, and passions together in a pretty perfect way. We are excited to see what is to come in the years ahead.

Hello. I am Scott DeWitt. My wife, Jonna, and I have been serving in full-time ministry for all of our adult lives. We have had a calling to serve God and His people since we were young. Our relationship with Casas por Cristo started in 1999 when I was serving as a youth minister in Illinois. We discovered a love for missions after leading several youth trips with Casas. I then served a short time on the Board of Trustees at Casas. In 2006, God took our love and passion for missions and my position on the Board of Trustees and turned them into a full-time ministry at Casas. I was given the opportunity to move from a ministry serving youth to a ministry serving the poor in México. For the first seven and a half years on staff, I served as the Director of Spiritual Outreach. At the beginning of 2014, I transitioned to serving as the Acuña Field Director, and after five years, I  am now the Vice President of México Operations, overseeing both our Acuña and Juárez locations. There is nothing my family would rather do than to serve God through this ministry. We feel blessed to be part of what God is doing through Casas and all who partner with us.

Hi, my name is Brigham. My beautiful wife, Jamie, and I have two fantastic little girls, Caris and Calla. I’m originally from Illinois and took my first trip with Casas at age 16. A few summers later I came back as an intern. That summer was a major turning point in my life that deepened my desire to serve God. Afterward, He opened up the opportunity for me to work in youth ministry for nine years. I joined Casas’ staff in the fall of 2016 to serve as the Intern Manager. I have the privilege of working for a ministry that has impacted and shaped my life in a tremendous way. We have been blessed by Casas, and now we want to be a blessing through Casas. We are excited about what God is going to bring about in our time here.

Hello! We are the Duggers and we serve as Field Manager and Field Coordinator in the Dominican Republic. Ian first encountered Casas at the International Conference on Missions. He went on to do two internships in Mexico before taking on his full-time job here in the DR. Alyssa always knew she wanted to serve God cross-culturally, and after meeting Ian at college (where they both got their degrees in missions) and marrying him in 2020, she was so excited to become a part the Casas ministry.

Hello, my name is José Ernesto García. I am from La Loma, but I currently live in Cañada Bonita, a municipality belonging to Navarrete. I am married with two children and I am a sports lover, especially baseball and softball, which I practice in my free time. I like to work in construction, which I know extensively and in detail because I had worked with my father and my older brother since I was a child. On the weekends, I perform with my band. I especially like to sing typical music (merengue). I have had the opportunity to work with Casas por Cristo since 2015. I have been dedicated and honest in my work with this ministry that I love.

Hey. I'm David Griffith, and I joined staff in February of 2018. I’m originally from Monroe, Louisiana, where I also attended college and studied Construction Management. I came on my first trip with Casas my freshman year of college with my campus ministry. After going on a couple of trips, I felt that God was calling me to do an internship. I spent the summer building houses in Juárez, and it changed my life! That is where I met my beautiful wife, Victoria, and first felt that God was calling me into full-time ministry. A year after I graduated from college, I applied to come on staff with Casas. Two months later, my wife and I made the move to El Paso! We are loving it here and are so excited to see the ways that God works through this ministry!

Hey there! My name is Bryor. I was first introduced to the mission field in 2014 while on a build with Casas. Looking back, I’m thankful God used that trip to show me another way to serve Him. I glimpsed God’s purpose for my life. In 2016, I spent the summer interning with Casas. 3 years later, in 2019, I decided to return to Mexico to work full-time at an orphanage. During my 2 years there, I met my beautiful wife, Ana. Ana had been serving at another ministry close to the orphanage. Eventually, I convinced her to move to the orphanage, where we served alongside each other. After some time, both of us felt that God was calling us to something bigger. Ana joined me on a build with Casas and quickly felt the same purpose and calling I had back in 2014. After months of prayer, we accepted a position with Casas one week before our wedding. We are both ecstatic to be partnering alongside Casas to build more than just homes, but the kingdom of God. I am fulfilled only by Him and am joyful to be serving Him in this way through Casas por Cristo.

Hi! My name is Manny, and I live in Navarrete, Dominican Republic. I have been a Christian since I was a teenager, and I have been working with a local ministry, Mas Que Creyentes, since 2015. Working alongside that ministry, I had the opportunity to help serve with Casas por Cristo building houses and driving. I have always loved serving people and helping teenagers grow in God’s way. I’ve been coaching basketball in the community for four years. In 2021, I had the opportunity to help and drive a great team that was here for a week. This was when I felt God pushing me to work with Casas. I officially joined staff in January 2022 as a Dominican Site Coordinator. I’m so excited to see this group of imperfect people doing the works of our perfect God.

Hi, I'm Lindsay. I grew up in Indiana and first served with Casas in 2007 with my home church. I was able to attend four Casas trips before moving to Colorado to finish school. I completed my degree in Nonprofit Management and after graduating, I worked as a Volunteer Coordinator and Grant Writer for a nonprofit in downtown Denver. I worked there for almost two years until I felt God had been telling me that something new was on the horizon. Through an eye-opening, unexpected series of events, He had very specifically been laying Casas on my heart. One thing led to another, and I was so excited to join the Casas team. It is so incredible to see how God works in each of our lives to bring glory to His name, and I look forward to what He has in store through the ministry of Casas.

Hi, my name is Luis Alberto Ichaj. I was born and raised in Guatemala. My wife, Telma, and I have a son named Ian. I started building with Casas por Cristo in 2020 as a volunteer, and with God's blessings, I joined the staff in 2022. I currently serve as a Site Coordinator in San Raymundo, Guatemala.

Hello, I’m Daniel! I grew up in Michigan near Detroit, and I graduated from college with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. My first Casas mission trip was in 2012 with my church, and I really loved that trip. God really showed me that He can use anyone to do His will, and no one is beyond God’s love. That trip inspired me to start going on Casas trips once a year in the summer with my church, and each one was a blessing in its own way. In 2020, I was able to extend my favorite week of the year into my favorite three months of the year by doing an internship, and again in 2022. In each internship, God revealed himself to me in different ways, and I was blessed to take part in spreading the love of God. Now, I’ve been blessed once again with the opportunity to help advance the kingdom of God and work with Casas por Cristo. I’m excited to see what God has planned for the future of this ministry.

Hi everyone! My name is Cayla Kiehl. I am originally from Missouri where I was born and raised. I graduated from the University of Missouri in December 2020. I went on my first trip with Casas in the summer of 2018. Soon after, I felt God leading me towards pursuing missions with Casas further. I spent the next two summers as an intern, first building homes in Juárez, then working in their finance department in El Paso where I met my husband, Justin. Most recently, I was able to serve in the Admin department through Casas' residency program before joining staff in September 2021 as a Finance & Store Coordinator. God has been actively working on my heart through Casas and the city of El Paso, and I am excited to be serving in God’s Kingdom and loving His people however He calls me to!

Greetings! I'm Justin Kirklin. I have a beautiful wife named Julie, and three kids, Eli, Emily, and Ethan. Julie and I met in our home state of Michigan and attended Ferris State University together. We were both introduced to Casas por Cristo through our campus ministry and fell in love with Casas. We married in 2008. In 2009, we accepted a position with the ministry and moved to El Paso to start our wonderful ministry together with the rest of the Casas staff. After spending 2014 to 2018 launching our Dominican Republic location, we are now back serving alongside Casas in the States. We look forward to our continued service and ministry to our teams and the families we minister to!

My first trip with Casas was in the summer of 1998 with my home church from Fayetteville, Georgia. The following summer I started this full time journey with my first internship as a Junior in college. Every day since 1999 this ministry has been a part of who I am in Christ. I have been blessed to marry my wife, Amy, and have her support in our work at Casas. Our three boys, Jonas, Kash, and Titus were born here and have been raised watching and serving the people of México. There is no place I would rather be in this world than right here on the mission field working at Casas por Cristo and serving Jesus Christ.

Hello, my name is Lalo. I was born in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico, and moved to Juarez in 2002. I have attended my church for 20 years, and I met my wife Jazmin in our church where we were both baptized. We have four sons, ages 2 to 14. My first build was in March 2022 when I received my home from Casas por Cristo. I deliver house materials to the families, take care of teams who stay at the SHOC, and help maintain the SHOC and warehouse of trailers, tools, and materials. Casas por Cristo is a beautiful and very special ministry that I love because it helps people and shares the Gospel, with the aim of saving souls for Christ. I like being a part of this and knowing that the work I do is for God.

Hello, my name is David Quiñones. I have been working with Casas por Cristo for fifteen years. I was born and raised in Juárez, México. I am married to Delia Alvarez, and we have two beautiful sons, David Jr. and Irvin. I began my work with Casas in February 2004 in Juárez. Due to the violence that occurred there, we decided in March 2009 to continue serving the Lord full time with Casas in Acuña, México. It has been a big challenge for our family because this is the first time we have ever moved away from Juárez. Through his grace, God has taught me to serve others. It is my privilege to serve God at Casas. Being a missionary allows me to work with my hands and teach others as we build homes. It is my responsibility to make preparations for our volunteer groups, to be attentive to their needs while they are here, to visit families before and after construction, to host the monthly pastors' meetings, and to keep the central warehouse and its tools in order.

Hi! I am Keturah, and I work as a Development Coordinator here at CpC. I went on my first Casas trip in 2004 when I was just 14 years old to help build a home in Juárez. This trip is where I really fell in love with missions and ultimately led me to study Missions and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Since then, I have been able to serve the Lord by loving international students in universities, teaching ESL, and working with churches in the US and abroad. I am so excited that my journey in following and serving Christ has come full circle and that I get the opportunity to work full-time with this ministry that was so instrumental in my faith walk at such an early age. I look forward to recruiting other people and allowing them the opportunity to be a part of bringing Christ's love to the nations as well!

I know no other life outside of the ministry. My parents served as missionaries with Colegio Biblico in Eagle Pass, TX / Piedras Negras, MX for 37 years. I studied Youth and Pastoral Ministry at Dallas Christian College and New Testament Preaching at Johnson Bible College. I have served on staff at the Christian Church of Midland, TX, First Christian Church in Weslaco, TX, and Raintree Christian Church in Lubbock, TX. Somewhere along the way, I met, fell in love with, and married my wife of over 20 years, Rio, and witnessed the birth of our beautiful daughter, Taylor. After serving on the board at Casas por Cristo for a couple of years, I came on staff as the Executive Director in 2005. I have never felt more at home than I do here. This is what God has been preparing me for my entire life. I love being able to present the gospel to people in a real and tangible way. I love being able to connect regular church folks with regular families in foreign countries and let them see that they are both children of the King. If I'm not here doing something with Casas or remodeling something at my house, you'll find me at some camp ground. Our family loves to camp. Any time I can string a couple of days together you'll find my wife and I pulling our trailer to some state or national park and getting away from it all. The staff here insists that in my retirement I am going to be a tour guide at some park.

Hi, we’re the Roths - Jason, Janette, and our twin boys, Caleb and Thomas. We both grew up in Indiana and first met at Ball State University, although we never dated until after we both wound up on staff here at Casas por Cristo. Janette came and interned with CpC in the summers of ‘01 and ‘02 before joining staff in 2005. We were married in 2009 when she served as the Intern and Volunteer Manager. However, she left staff once we found out we had two on the way! A few years back, she started a cottage bakery from our home, and now that the boys are in grade school, she has come back on staff at CpC to work part-time as one of our Team Coordinators. I (Jason) went on my first Casas por Cristo trip in 2003 with a crew from our college ministry. Our Casas leader for that build happened to be a certain former intern named Janette Miller! I had no construction experience at all going in, but I wound up having one of the best weeks of my life! I loved the tangibility of what we were doing; it was one of the most powerful ways to love with actions that I had ever seen. After two more trips, I applied to intern in 2006, and after two internships, I felt that this was where I needed to be. A couple of years later, I figured out who I needed to be with, too! When I joined staff in 2007, my office job was as a Site Coordinator, making maps and working in the database. However, in 2011, I switched roles to fill a void we had in financial bookkeeping. So, when I’m not working with a team building a home, I get to crunch the numbers and reconcile accounts! It’s not glamorous, but it’s very necessary to facilitate the work that we all love.

Salutations! We're the Sanders Family, and we are originally from the Mt. Carmel, Illinois area. I (Roberta) serve as Operations Manager while Travis (my husband) leads builds. We have two adorable kids, Violet and Harvey. We fell in love with the ministry of Casas in high school and college while on mission trips to Juárez. God moved our hearts to serve as interns with Casas in 2005 and 2006, and the rest is history. We love how building homes for families in need tangibly shows God's love. One of our favorite things about Casas is how the ministry builds relationships between families and local pastors and churches as a way to meet their spiritual needs.

Greetings! My name is Jackie, and I am beyond thrilled to be joining the Guatemala team as a Field Coordinator. I am a mom of five with one son (Xavier) left at home. I also have three precious grandchildren. In March 2020, I joined a build in Acuña, Mexico with my son’s youth group. The Lord ignited a fire in my heart for this ministry immediately. Since that first build, God has provided the opportunity for me to serve on 21 builds in Mexico and Guatemala. As a full-time homeschool mom, I had dreams of interning as soon as Xavier graduated, but the Lord called me to join Casas full-time in Guatemala before that. My favorite day of a Casas trip has always been the first because it is the day I have the most days “in country”. Living in Guatemala means that every day will be my favorite day “in country”! A close second is the last day when we worship with the family and thank God for the provision and hope He provides to His people. Every build and dedication reminds me how abundantly God gives, and how He delights in us when we offer ourselves as a vessel for His work in the Kingdom. We are thrilled to be serving here and we can’t wait to meet and serve with you!

Hi, my name is Edyn. I was born in San Raymundo, Guatemala. I am someone who seeks out advice because I like to learn about life. I started helping Casas por Cristo in 2020 with the Hope Restored program as a volunteer. I volunteered for three years, and then Casas hired me to work with the food program here in Guatemala. I really love to build houses because through that we can give hope, a gift to a family, and provide them the word of God. I have God in my heart, and I know that he is always with me. I am happy to be a small part of the ministry.

Hey, I'm Wilfred. I started helping Casas in 2017 after the ministry provided my family with a home. I didn't know how to speak English when I started helping Casas and did not know much about construction either. I was able to attend an English academy for nine months in 2018, and the staff has been teaching me how to build homes. During this process, I fell in love with what Casas por Cristo does for families because they don't build a house, they build relationships with God. That's what I hope to be able to do - help more families grow closer to God.

Hey, my name is Kyle St. Amand, and I am from Hartselle, Alabama. I first served with Casas while my home church was doing their first build in Acuña in 2011. I have been working for Casas since October of 2017 and have been in the Guatemala location since January 2018. I married my beautiful wife, Hannah, in May of 2019 and she moved down to join me in Guatemala the day after our wedding. We have been enjoying this experience that God has put us on and look forward to what he will provide in the future. God is doing great things through this ministry, and we are happy to be a small part of it.

Hello friends, I am Luke. Before serving with CpC, I worked at a small construction company based in Fayetteville, GA. My first Casas trip was in the summer of 2017 with Southwest Christian Church. I enjoyed it so much that I signed up for another trip in February 2018. That trip led me to sign up for a summer internship in both 2018 and 2019. If I could go back in time ten years and ask my old self, “How would you like to go to a third world country and build homes for the poor in the name of Jesus?”, my response would have been, “You’ve definitely got the wrong guy!” However, in Christ, I became a new creature. God filled my heart with the desire to serve Him by helping others. God’s intervention completely rearranged my life’s priorities. Now, what matters most is living out His will for my life. Casas offered me a full-time staff position as a Guatemala Field Coordinator, and I gladly accepted this position with inspiration from Proverbs 16:9. I’m excited about what the future will bring and am excited to grow with this wonderful ministry!

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I am Darrell. I was raised in Honduras as a missionary kid. I served in a professional career for many years and have retired. I knew in 2019 that God was opening my heart to serve him using my hands (Ex. 31:3-6) with Casas por Cristo. My wife, RuthAnn, and I have four daughters, four sons-in-law, and ten grandchildren. They are all equally excited to see how God writes the next chapter of our story as people come to know Christ through Casas.

Hello, I’m Donnie. The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to serve youth and adults throughout the Midwest and Latin America for more than 20 years. God began my journey in Missouri when He led me to be the Director of Student Ministry from 1996 to 2004 at St. John Lutheran Church in Ellisville, MO. My very first youth team to serve with Casas por Cristo in Juárez, México came shortly after in 1997. The next door that God guided me and my family through was to serve the youth in Aurora, IL, as the Director of Student Ministry at Crossroads Community Church. I continued to take youth, college students, and adults to serve in Juárez, as well as in Belize and Guatemala via short-term missions. From 2006 to 2009, I held a position on the Casas por Cristo Board. The love of my life, Leslie, continuously supports the plans that God has for our lives. We are the proud parents to Chelsea, Josh, and Nick, and we have six beautiful grandchildren.

Hi! We are Chris & Becky Summerlot. I (Chris) am a carpenter from Indianapolis, Indiana. During my first trip with Casas por Cristo in 2008, I fell in love with it immediately and applied for an internship in 2009. Instead of the internship, God had other plans for me like growing spiritually and starting a family with my beautiful bride, Becky, and our two sons, Matthew and Jonathan. In 2019, after going on multiple builds in Juárez, Acuña, and San Raymundo, organizing three Casas trips for my home church, and leading two builds as a Casas volunteer, God finally opened the door for us to work full-time at Casas. I love Casas because it mirrors the Gospel message by giving the free gift of a home, just like the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We are excited to use our God-given gifts to further His Kingdom with Casas por Cristo.

Hi, y’all! My name is Rebecca Thompson, and I am originally from Macon, Georgia. I called Fort Worth, Texas, home for four years while earning my Bachelor’s degree from TCU, where I was first introduced to Casas por Cristo. After my first mission trip with Casas in March 2020, I knew that God was calling me to serve here for a longer period of time. I began my journey at Casas as a Team Coordinating Resident, planning to only stay around for a year before returning to school for my Master's degree. But God took hold of my heart and told me I wasn't done at Casas yet, which is how I ended up on the Development Team. I'm so blessed to be able to use my gifts to serve a ministry I love so dearly, and I can't wait to see how God continues to use Casas to impact our team members' lives and the families we build for!

Hi, my name is Wilmer. I was born in San Raymundo, Guatemala. I completed my college degree as a musician, and I serve as a worship leader at my church with my wife, Vallery. I started helping Casas at the end of 2021. I enjoyed the work that they were doing in my community, and so I applied to join their staff. I have really enjoyed working at Casas so far. We look forward to our continued service and ministry to the people in Guatemala.

Hi, my name is Michael Vo. I am a small-town boy from West Point, Georgia, and I went on my first Casas trip when I was a sophomore in high school! Although it didn’t hook me right away, it definitely caught my eye. I came back the following year, and on that build, I felt attached to the people of Mexico as well as to working in ministry. I did a summer internship as soon as I could and loved it! Fast forward a couple of years, and I found myself doing another internship, but this time it was with the intent to someday work for Casas full time! I am very excited to be a helping hand in expanding God's kingdom here in Júarez!

My name is Nick Wille. I am from St. Louis, Missouri. My first and only trip was back in 2007 when I was a freshman in high school. It was my first time out of the country for a mission trip, and it was an amazing and eye opening experience for me. I've since graduated with a degree in Industrial Technology from Ranken Technical college in St. Louis. I love to work with my hands and build things. I also volunteered a lot with my home church youth group and loved working with the students. I've completed two internships with Casas por Cristo during the summers of 2014 and 2015. They were awesome opportunities. I met great new friends and just fell in love with the ministry. I am now working in Acuña Mexico. I love getting to be the hands and feet of Christ, and I'm so excited to see what God has for me and Acuña.