Thought I would share a video we just received from University Bible Church.  Love how the video captures the family they were building a home for – their joy, their love, and their excitement was so fun to see.  Good work University Bible Church!

Enjoy…

As part of our 30th Anniversary celebration, we have been asking Amor Mission Trip participants to share their stories of how Amor has had an impact on their lives.  Submit your Amor story today! www.amor.org/MyAmorStory

Anna Davis’ My Amor Story:

We pitched our tent in the dry, dusty dirt.
We ate in the dirt, we sang in the dirt.
We played in the dirt, we spat in the dirt.
We went to the baños and made more dirt.
Then we prayed in the dirt, and we slept in the dirt.

The next day we met a family and realized they had lived their lives
everyday, all day, in the dirt.

So we worked in the road that was nothing but dirt,
and we mixed and sifted in the yard that was dirt.
We nailed in the dirt and measured in the dirt,
sawed in the dirt and sweated in the dirt.

For just a few days we built in the dirt,
and rode buses that billowed with dirt.
And an earthquake came and shook the dirt,
and wildfires came and burnt the dirt.
And at the end of the day we’d take a shower,
just to get rid of all that dirt.

By week’s end our sweet family of mama and two sons,
had a house with a roof, two windows and door
and didn’t have to eat, sleep, work, play and live everyday,
all day, in the dirt anymore.

As part of our 30th Anniversary celebration, we have been asking Amor Mission Trip participants to share their stories of how Amor has had an impact on their lives.  Submit your Amor story today! www.amor.org/MyAmorStory

Here is Kyle Ozawa’s “My Amor Story”.

Kyle’s Amor Story:

A few weeks ago, my friend and I returned from South Africa where we spent a week with Amor Ministries, building a house for “Mama Maria” in the township of Delmas. While I have built many Amor houses in Mexico prior to this trip, there was something very unique and powerful about this particular experience. From day one, our group was joined by members of the local community, churches, and schools. What was fascinating was the diversity of the group. They ranged from affluent white Dutch Reformed Church members to local neighborhood kids. Yet, despite their apparent differences, everyone got dirty, picked up a trowel, and helped get the house built in just under a week’s time.

There were moments when the situation was a little chaotic with so many people, but it was an amazing sight to behold. We later learned that for many of the white community members, especially the children, this was the first time they had been in an impoverished “township.” For the local black community, seeing members from the affluent white community work to build a house for one of their neighbors sent a powerful message that reconciliation can truly happen. What I realized in the end was that our work would have a much greater effect than the structure that we left behind. The irony of it all is that in the end, we broke down more walls than we actually built.

Kyle & Bill with Kids

The other day Andy and I were waiting in a parking lot to meet up with a group and take them across the border to our campground. We were sitting in a truck with the Amor Ministries logo on the side when a man came up to the truck and knocked on the window. He said to us, “You don’t know me, but 10 years ago you (Amor) changed my life when you built my church.”

It was incredible to be able to see an example of the long term effects of the ministry.  My hope is that all of Amor’s participants, volunteers, supporters and team members understand they are the “you” of whom this man was speaking.

I have been going with our church, Canyon Creek from San Ramon, CA, to build houses with Amor for about 10 years in the Tijuana/Tecate area. I started going with my children and have continued now that they are out of high school and college. I drive the box truck down, organize the meals and help build. I love this trip so much. It is always the high point of my year. I love getting to know the families and getting to see our church youth with amazing servant hearts. I love being out of my comfort zone and realizing how little I really need to survive. I always joke that they will be wheeling me out in a walker at some point, but I will still go!

We try and let our youth go into a store like Gigante or Commercial Mexicana on our last night to buy local items. I was in line buying some items for my grandkids and other people. It was probably about $20 in American money. A local gentleman came up to the clerk and showed him his credit card and carried on an exchange that I didn’t understand. The clerk told me that the man wanted to pay for my items. I was confused and asked what he wanted. He explained again that he wanted to pay for me. I asked him “why”? He explained that he recognized us from past years in building in the area. He said he appreciated what we did for the community and he wanted to show his appreciation. I was dumbfounded and said, “oh, no…it’s alright, I can pay”. He insisted and said he was thankful to our group and to God.

I realized that I didn’t need his gift monetarily, but that I needed it for my heart and for his heart. It reminded me of how we think we are so self-sufficient that we don’t need God’s gift of grace. I just had to accept the man’s gift with a gracious heart. I was moved to tears throughout the rest of the day. It was an amazing story to share with the youth that evening. A few of the kids were with me in line at the time. One of them said that he had been praying for a sign of the impact of the work we do when we go there. That was quite a sign. I was able to share it with Gayla when I met her the next morning. I am so thankful for Amor Ministries and what it has meant in my life, my family’s lives and our church family’s lives. Thank you for your faithfulness!

In my experience hope is often found in the places I don’t always expect. It is also contagious. Several years ago I was on a team that built a home for a Mexican family in Rosarito. The family of four had been living in a house they had pieced together over the years from scrap wood, cardboard, and whatever else they could find. In the four days we spent building the home we had an opportunity to spend time with the mother and her two children as they were often outside helping us build while the father was away working long hours to earn a small salary.

On our last day of building the home for the family, they seemed to have grown one extra family member. All afternoon the mother carried around an adorable five month old baby boy dressed in a Bugs Bunny jumper (complete with bunny ears). Her teenage son and daughter made faces and played with the baby as if he were a younger brother and the mother bounced him around, fed him a bottle, and gave him lots of hugs and kisses. As we watched the family shower this baby with love and attention, we were aware that he didn’t belong to them and wondered about his story. We asked the mother what the baby’s name was, and she didn’t know. She asked her daughter the same question who didn’t know either. When they asked the woman who dropped him off the same question, again the reply was the same, “I don’t know”. No one knew the baby’s name, but they all knew his story.

His mother was addicted to drugs, and she and her friends had stolen things from the family we were building the house for. She was heavily involved in this lifestyle and was unable to care for her son. The families in the community had taken on the responsibility of caring for the baby, and each family would take turns watching him. It didn’t matter that this family had suffered at the hands of the mother, or that they didn’t know the baby well enough to even know his name. The child needed someone to take care of him, and this family loved him and treated him like family in the midst of their own immense need.

After finishing the house I left feeling the hope that radiated from a new home for a family, a community providing love for a child, and my image of how generous the human spirit can be.

We had the privilege of building a house for Ricardo and Manuela Escobar, both in their mid-sixties, and their extended family. But building them a home does not begin to tell the whole story of what we experienced on this trip. Therefore, I’d like to take a minute to tell you a great story. So, please take a few minutes to relax and let your imagination take you to the very edges of the possibilities of God’s grace.

Ju-bi-lee (noun)

Definition
1) A season of celebration.

“Jubilee” seems like an old-fashion word that isn’t used much. But in the Old Testament, the Jubilee Year was celebrated every 50th year during which time land that was sold for whatever reason was to be returned to the original owner and slaves were to be emancipated (Leviticus 25). If you were on the receiving end of the Jubilee Year, it was definitely a season of celebration. God, in his wisdom, wanted to make sure that everyone had the opportunity to get a fresh start. In other words, God is a God of “do-overs!” Well, we had the opportunity to witness a kind of Jubilee during our final week in Mexico. After we presented the completed home to the Escobar family, the girls and I lagged behind the rest of the group to do a final clean-up of the yard and then we loaded into my truck and began to drive away. I suddenly noticed, in my rear view mirror, Mr. Escobar running toward my vehicle waving for me to stop. Following him was a clean, well dressed Mexican man in a white cowboy hat. We got out of the truck and Mr. Escobar explained that he wanted me to meet his boss. The man’s name was Cesar and he greeted me in broken English. He was a successful race-horse breeder and actually owned the land on which we built Mr. Escobar’s house. He also owned the adjacent land and was constructing a new ranch on one of the larger parcels down the road. This is where the story gets really good! Cesar explained that he and Ricardo have known each other for many years. A few years ago, Ricardo, while living elsewhere in Juarez, applied to receive a home through Amor Ministries. Ricardo would have been approved except that he did not own the property on which his house was to be built. Amor doesn’t really have many restrictions to being approved for a home, but owning the land on which a house is to be built is one of those requirements. As a result, Ricardo was not approved. Cesar, realizing that Ricardo may never get another chance to live in anything more than a pallet shack wrapped in tar paper, gave Ricardo a parcel of land provided Ricardo and his son worked off the cost of the land by constructing the house and out-buildings for his new ranch. In many respects this may seem like the perfect arrangement but consider, for a moment, the arrangement from a third world perspective.

We often think of slavery from an entirely negative perspective because of the many inhumane slavery environments around the world today and from our own American history. However, during the history of the Old Testament, a slave was commonly someone who, for whatever reason, was either substantially in debt or could no longer provide for themselves or their family and were forced to sell themselves into slavery as a way to pay off their debt or simply as a means to survive. It meant food on the table and a roof over your head. It was a kind of employment except you couldn’t quit and go to another job. You were, for lack of a better term, “property” until your debt was paid or your owner released you of your obligation or until the Jubilee Year. The working environment was not generally harsh as is often the case in the type of slavery we envision today. Nevertheless, a slave during any point in history lacks the one thing we all hold very near and dear to our hearts—freedom!

Ricardo’s situation was very similar to an Old Testament example of slavery, which makes this story so beautiful! After giving Cesar the grand tour of the 11 foot by 22 foot house we built, he wanted to know why we would come all the way to Mexico to build a house for a complete stranger. We explained to him (partly in English and partly through a translator) that we do these things to demonstrate our love for God and to show people how much God loves them. At this point Cesar was so moved by God’s grace shown to his friend through complete strangers that he turned to Ricardo and gave him title to the land free and clear of any debt! Imagine, if you can, what must have been going through the minds of the Escobar family. In one fell swoop, they received a brand new home, title to the land that they probably would never have been able to pay off and, don’t miss this, freedom!. What a celebration there must have been at the Escobar household after we left! A “Jubilee” like nothing you’ve ever seen. Thanks to you and your generosity, we had the opportunity to be part of that Jubilee. As usual, God demonstrated how he makes the impossible—possible. It was awesome!

In February, my family and I joined about 200 folks and traveled to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico to build houses for several families. This was my second year to go, and I can tell you that on a trip like this you receive far more than you give. The house is built from the bottom up in three days. It is hard physical work, but I so enjoy the simplicity of just eating, sleeping and building. The family we built for was so appreciative, and through an interpreter, we get to know them as we worked.

The organization who coordinates the house building is called Amor Ministries. They have a large plot of land in the middle of the desert where we make camp. In a matter of a few hours, the bare plot transforms into a tent city that serves as our home away from home for the three nights.

At the end of the second day we were finished with our work before it got dark and were able to wash up in buckets of water and rest before dinner. That afternoon was very windy, and there are no trees and little vegetation, which translates into blowing dust and gritty teeth. We laid inside out trusty Cabelas tent and waited for the wind to die down. Exhausted from the day, we lay quietly on our sleeping bags and listened to the wind howl outside. Staring at the ceiling of our tent, I marveled at the beautiful simple abstract designs the tent structure made and started creating compositions with my iphone. I was reminded of the stain glass windows I have seen in France inside the worlds most beautiful and acclaimed cathedrals. For a few moments, this was our church. I was thankful for the day, the friends we worked side by side with, my clean face and hands, and the food that was on the way.

As I lay there, I thought of the day behind us, and the conditions that the locals were living in. Not much more than tents themselves, and not just for a weekend, but every day. In a few days, we would pack up our tent and head back to our comfortable home in Mesa, our discomfort only temporary. These Mexican folks live this dusty, difficult life in the desert day after day.

These panels were painted as a tribute to the work of 200 hardworking volunteers, the Mexican people we served, and the amazing work that was accomplished on behalf of our amazing God. It really was like church in the desert.

There was not a single thing about my two mission trips to Mexico that I’ve regretted. In every spiritual aspect of firm integrity, the roots to my faith began in Mexico. Simply founding the idea of “Whatever you need, I’m here to serve” was the basis of my relationship with Jesus Christ. It was shortly after my 2nd mission I came to know this immense service to God through the lens of my own suffering. And I was humbled simply to know how far less my suffering was compared to the crucifiction of Jesus’ body and heart.

I came to understand the value of quiet time with God, being a doer of His word, loving unconditionally, serving from the strength God gives, seeking His kingdom above all else, letting go of the love of the world, and many other things. All of these came through the seed God implanted in me, which I found in the deepest aspects of Love. And it was through many people, places, and things that I came to understand how immense His love is for me.

Since the time that seed was planted, I’ve seen Him growing in me. I’ve come to understand and practice righteousness. I’ve come to preach the gospel out of the courage I’ve been given. I’ve come to let go of my deepest idols, and offer them up to the great God of justice. And I’ve come to see how pathetic my own glory is next to He who created the cosmos. And I can truthfully say that God is using Amor Ministries to heal the blind, feed the hungry, serve the needy, and those people He sent from far away.

When I arrived to see children playing soccer without shoes in roads filled with nails, broken glass, I was shocked. I saw poisonous water everywhere, stray dogs, poor families, and destitute homesteads. But what I came to realize that those people – their hearts – were glad to be alive! They had each other, and their love was real. It wasn’t what they had, but what they displayed that shocked me. It flipped poverty over in my face, and showed me that I was the poor one. I was the one that thought having ‘things’ was living. If there was one thing I’ve come to know from it all, it’s that love is much more than giving things, or time. Serving Jesus was, is, and always will be a matter of the heart.

Humbly,
His Servant,
Paul Walker

After deciding not to make the trip to Juarez last year, the group of builders from my church were antsy to head back this year. We left our church early Sunday morning with trailers and vans packed and a very solid plan (this was our 5th Amor trip) and a little concern after hearing of some violence in Juarez over the weekend. About 8 hours into the drive, Amor calls – we can’t go to Juarez. We decided to switch locations and head to Puerto Peñasco… a mixture of excitement (beaches!) and fear. We re-figured our route, ate lunch, and hit the road again. Smooth sailing until Albuquerque, where we were stopped for 3 hours because of a snow storm. We decided to try and make it to Tucson before stopping, and after very long night (especially for the drivers!) of sleeping in the van, we arrived in Tucson early Monday morning. After driving for a few more hours, crossing the border, and driving some more, we finally made it to camp! After more than 30 hours in the vans.

Tuesday morning we headed out to meet the family and start building. I have thanked God every day since last Tuesday for the absolutely wonderful family we built for! This was my 5th Amor trip, and I have never built for such a generous family. The husband, Luis, was a fisherman and brought home fresh shrimp and fish every night for tacos. Luis and his wife, Maricela, graciously invited us into their home and sacrificed for us every night. Maricela’s “stove” was made of two cinder blocks, a fire in between the blocks, and an old metal cook top. I was the only one in our group who spoke Spanish, and I wish I could recreate the excitement they had telling me about all they were going to prepare for us! Not to mention, the food was awesome. Our group had not planned on eating with the family every night, so we had packed dinner food. Once again we adjusted what we had planned to go with the flow, to go along with what God had already planned! It meant so much to the family, and us! The experience I had with the family definitely trumps the beach and market experiences. I had no way of predicting the impact they would have on my life! But God did!

The trip home was no less adventurous than the trip to Puerto Peñasco. We spent almost 3 hours in Tucson fixing a trailer, and another 4 waiting out a snow storm in Albuquerque. This last week was definitely a challenge! Almost none of our plans played out like we had originally intended, and nonetheless, the week was absolutely incredible! We were reminded over and over again that we’re not in control, God is. All the time. He already has it planned out! We just have to let him take us where we need to be. Praise God!

O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago.
Isaiah 25:1

I thank God for Luis, Maricela, all the kids in the neighborhood who came to help us build, TJ, Andrew, Kyle and everybody from Amor, and the wonderful group of servant builders with whom I am blessed to work.