Juan and his wife, Ninfa and their children: Carlos, Poncho, Alandra, and Venessa were burned out of their home a few weeks ago. Wooden structures are rare in Reynosa, Mexico, but our Mexico Mission program was quick to respond. Building just beyond the burned out remains of their home, our 12 workers, that included two high school students teamed up with an equal number of Mexican co-workers to finish the frame of a new home in 5 days. But building a home isn’t the only goal. After working together for the week we found that we had made a whole group of new friends, that we look forward to seeing each years. Of the twelve of us who build the home for Juan and Ninfa and their children 8 had been then before and looked forward to rekindling friendships.

For 13 years IPC has worked in partnership with Faith Ministry to provide housing to those in need in Reynosa, Mexico. While Reynosa is a city of some size, the outer areas called “Colonias” are made up mostly of rather poor families who have migrated north from the more rural areas of central and southern Mexico to seek work in the factories that make up the Trade Free Zone along the Texas border. If a family can find a piece of property that is not owned, and live on it as squatters for 5 years, then the Mexican government will give them that land. Once they own the land, they can apply to Faith Ministry for a house. Normally a family must help build a number of other people’s houses to work their way up the list before their home can be built.