Posted: 1/06/06
| Texas Baptist River Ministry Director Dexton Shores (left) presents the key to a new home to a Mexican family victimized by Hurricane Emily, while Associate Director Loren Fast gives them a Bible. |
Mexican families enjoy new
homes, thanks to Baptist efforts
By John Hall
Texas Baptist Communications
LA CAPILLA, Mexico–Baptist General Convention of Texas River Ministry leaders presented 11 families with keys to new homes that can help them begin their lives again after Hurricane Emily.
The hurricane blew through Mexico in late July, destroying thousands of homes in the northeast portion of the nation.
Texas Baptists intended to help immediately in the affected areas, but they needed to ready themselves for hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which made landfall shortly after Emily.
River Ministry coordinators turned their efforts toward recruiting local men to construct homes. The volunteers worked with the new homeowners and a few Texas Baptist construction teams to build the new homes.
Each family that moved into a new home attends the Baptist church in La Capilla and will cherish the new furnishings, River Ministry Asssociate Director Loren Fast said.
La Capilla is a fishing village with dirt roads. Many people live in small wooden homes and use outhouses. Many times, a car battery powers the lights for evening church services.
The new homes are larger than the old ones and are made of cinder blocks and cement. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Central Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., helped Texas Baptists support this project.
“It's very simple, but it means a lot to the families,” Fast said.
“They will treasure it. They will take care of it.”
The new homes create opportunities to share the gospel, River Ministry Regional Coordinator Juan Lambarria said.
The families can tell others how God provided for them through the help of other Baptists.
Baptists also gained a better understanding of the international family of believers through this project, Lambarria said. Christians on both sides of the border are working together to further the kingdom of God.
“The project is important because we can see we are God's people all around the world,” he said.
“We may be different people, have a different language, but we can see our Texas brothers working hand-in-hand with Mexican Baptists.”
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