What was the gift that you dreamed most of receiving for Christmas when you were a little kid?  Were you like Ralphie in the “Christmas Story” yearning for the Red Ryder BB gun?  Or did you hope for a desk and chalkboard where you could make your younger brother play school?

Most likely, a house was never on your Christmas list.  Having a home is just something most of us took for granted.  It would have never crossed our minds to ask for that.  But that is what the Bustillos Marquez family of Puerto Peñasco is asking for right now.

In 2008 they were approved to receive a home in the community of San Rafael.  They were paying for the land so their house could be built with an income of about $80 a week. With three children, including one with autism, this family was living in one room with a dirt floor and a damaged roof.

The Amor bio of the family says that they were “eagerly awaiting the arrival” of the group that was going to help them build their new home.  And the Bustillos Marquez family wanted to say “thank you so much for your help and the blessing this house will be to our children.”  Over three days in November of 2008, the family saw their dream of a home come true!

But three years later this dream was burned to the ground.

As you can see in the picture the Bustillos Marquez family no longer has a home to bless their children.  However, they have a Pastor, Eladio Calderon, from our Mexico Ministry Planning Board that cares about them and has asked us to help this family rebuild their dream.

Our pastors in Puerto Peñasco are eagerly awaiting the funds so that they and their church members can build this family a new home.  We are personally asking you to give this holiday season to help not only this family, but also so many others that are in need.

In a couple of weeks children will be opening the gifts they dreamed of receiving for Christmas.  And as you and your family sit around your tree in the warmth of your home, wouldn’t it be a blessing to end your year by making the dream of this family come true once again?

Click here to give, knowing that your gift will allow our Pastors to help this family and more this holiday season!

In the true spirit of Christmas,
Scott and Gayla Congdon

This post is the last in a series of six written by our Project Nexus team members. Project Nexus is a 10-week summer internship experience for anyone ages 18-25. These Project Nexus team members are splitting their time between three of Amor’s locations working with groups in Tijuana, Rosarito and San Carlos.  To read the last post in this series click here.

By Leah Stewart

Last week, I worked with a group from Dunellen, New Jersey whom I had a ton of fun with. This group was mainly made up of people who have never been on an Amor Mission Trip before.  Two of the sons of the family they were building for worked in construction for a living, so the group was able to work along side the family all week.  Having the ability to work with the family allowed for the connection between the group from Dunellen and the family to grow quite strong.  It was definitely enjoyable to see the relationships grow between them throughout the week.

My favorite part of the week came at the end of the week when the group dedicated the house to the family.  This dedication was especially exciting since the group had gotten so close with the family.  The group became emotional as they reminisced on the memories they had made throughout the week.  When the group handed the keys to the family, everyone was filled with joy for the family and their new home and sadness for the departure of their new friends.

This was the first house dedication I was able to be apart of this summer which is why I was so excited about it.  For me, the house dedication is the best part of the entire trip.  The dedication allows you to look at the work that has been done during the week physically on the house and spiritually and emotionally in the hearts of the families.  At this point in the week, I always remember how little I am and how big God is. Still, He uses me to build this home for a family in need; He allows me to be apart of His story.

This post is the second in a series of six written by our Project Nexus team members. Project Nexus is a 10-week summer internship experience for anyone ages 18-25. These Project Nexus team members are splitting their time between three of Amor’s locations working with groups in Tijuana, Rosarito and San Carlos.  To read this first post in this series click here.

By Allegra Vieux

The typical day in the life Project Nexus team member looks like this:

6:00 am- Wake up.

6:30 am- Breakfast.

7:30 am- Leave for worksite.

8:00 am- Arrive at worksite. Start working on the house.

12 Noon- Eat a brown bag lunch.

1:00 pm- Continue working.

2:00 pm- Greet Mexican vendors, stop to shop.

2:30 pm- Resume work.

5:00 pm- Clean up worksite.

5:30 pm- Arrive at camp, open Amor Store.

7:30 pm- Eat dinner while working Amor Store.

8:00 pm- Close Amor Store.

8:30 pm- Connect with group at campfire time.

10:00 pm- Sleep.

One may think that doing the same thing day after day, week after week would become tedious and redundant, but its weeks like this past one that attests just the opposite.

This past week another Project Nexus team member and I worked together with a group from Iowa.  It was a youth group of approximately 45 students who had traveled for three days before arriving in Rosarito, Mexico.  They were incredibly eager to build a house.  Being from Kansas City myself, it was nice to experience some Midwestern hospitality in Mexico.  We built two houses in the same area of Rosarito, separated only by one large hill and lots of dirt.

When we first arrived at the site, we met an older woman named Jimena who was living in a very run-down trailer.  She introduced us to two teenagers and three young children who were all living with her.  As I got out my paper and pen and drew the plans for the house, I experienced the most humbling moment in my life.  Jimena explained to me that she did not want the interior wall we usually include, because the house was not just for her family.  She wanted to use it for church services and to help the homeless in her community by giving them a place to stay if needed.

She had confidence that God would take care of her so long as she took care of the orphans and widows.  How cool is that? It’s not every day you meet someone with that kind of faith.  Stories like these are the reason I can love what may seem like a tedious daily schedule.  I am learning it is so much more than redundant.

This post is the first in a series of seven written by our Project Nexus team members. Project Nexus is a 10-week summer internship experience for anyone ages 18-25. These Project Nexus team members are splitting their time between three of Amor’s locations working with groups in Tijuana, Rosarito and San Carlos.

By Kevin Dobbs

This summer in Mexico has been an incredible and life-changing experience. There is too much to say about how God has been working here so I’ll just share a short story….

The last week of June, I had the chance to work with my first group in Rosarito, building a house for one of Amor’s own Mexican Team Members.

Miguel Dominguez works for Amor as a part of the logistics team in Mexico. He is in charge of getting the necessary tools and materials to the worksites so that groups can begin building as soon as they arrive. Miguel lives in Rosarito with his wife and kids.  Also living with Miguel is his mother-in-law, who has needed a house of her own for quite some time. When I heard that Amor was building a house for Miguel’s mother-in-law and that I would be working with the group building it, I was overjoyed.

There was just something extra special about this build. I saw Amor being who they are in the community they serve in and even more so this week among their own people.

Miguel’s family was at the worksite everyday while he was out doing work in the field. I had just a few interactions with Miguel as he returned home everyday at the same time our group would head back to camp, but I was still impacted by him and his heart for others.

It blows me away every time I see the generosity of families as groups build houses for them.  Although people are coming to Mexico to build homes, the families we build for also truly understand what it means to give. As we prepared for the last day of work on the house, Miguel informed me that he would be cooking a special meal for us on the last day. By the words that he said, and how he said them, I could easily see that Miguel and his family simply had a desire to give. They bought the food, they cooked it, they set out the plates, and they even served the food to us. We simply sat down as they brought us an amazing meal!

By doing this, Miguel and his family were living out the words Christ spoke on this earth. They were truly being the hands and feet of Jesus, serving his Kingdom.  I am continually humbled by this as I interact with the families we build for – and as they serve us each week. I pray that God will teach all of us more about Himself by these generous people who constantly give for the glory of God.

By T.J. Putman, Field Specialist

In Lomas del Rubi, Alejandra, a single mother, has four children and two grandchildren that live with her.  They are supported by the money her 18 year old son makes working on cars at a body shop.  He makes about $60 a week.

Alejandra had lived in her houses in Lomas del Rubi for 24 years.  She had raised her kids in that house.  So when her house burned down in the fire she truly lost everything.  However, Alejandra says she has felt the presence of God throughout this horrible tragedy and knows he is taking care of her.

When the fire came up the hill, Alejandra was watching her grandkids while her three youngest kids were at school.

Alejandra raced to get her grandkids out of the fire – thankful she only had to lead two of them.  Alejandra says she felt the presence of God as he directed her on where to go to get to safety.

Her church has taken care of her family, helping to provide them with food and clothes.

Alejandra truly saw God’s provision for her when she was contacted by a Pastor on Amor’s Ministry Board.

Her old home, where her kids grew up, was burned to the ground.  But God was providing her with a new sturdy home – a home her grandchildren will now grow up in.

Alejandra looked on with tears two days ago as she saw a group of youth and adults pouring the foundation for her new.  The new home God has given her.

To learn more about the fire that burned Alejandra’s home click here.