‘J Team’ from Lake Travis UMC replaces
shack in Mexican community with
cinder-block home


Anapra sits across the border from El Paso in the dry and sandy region on the outskirts of Juarez, Mexico. In this area of working poor, the Operación Hogar mission program has been building cinder-block houses to replace shacks assembled from pallets and tar paper.
Members of Lake Travis UMC, Lakeway, targeted this location as an opportunity to serve.
Lake Travis congregation “senders” collected funds and recruited “go-ers” to serve this mission in Mexico in the name of Christ during May.
Driving 600 miles allowed much fellowship time for the 15 adults led by the Rev. Andy Smith, pastor.
On Sunday the “J Team,” as the group was called, participated in a Spanish worship service at the Mexican Methodist Church and enjoyed observing how worship transcends language and cultural barriers.
On the work site for the week, the team prepared the foundation, mixed concrete, laid cinder blocks, and tarred and shingled the roof. Team members agreed it was hard work, but the rewards were great. They also enjoyed a neighborhood fiesta with the children, during which they handed out blankets made by children from Lake Travis.
The weather grew menacing during the construction of the home. Suddenly the skies opened with a hailstorm that pelted the team for a frantic 45 minutes. While seeking shelter in the family’s old shack, the team became drenched under its makeshift roof. Members quickly understood the simple need for four sturdy walls and a roof that doesn’t leak.
Emerging from the shelter, everyone saw the streets and arroyos moving with floodwater. What was once dry was now a river in the desert. That was living on the edge, where you learn how to rely on God.
The team agreed it was difficult to leave new friends, finding the bonds had grown quickly and run deeply. It was time to return home to their families. The J Team knew it left a much-needed home for a grateful family.
The team returned to Lake Travis to share the life-changing experience with the “senders.”