Real Quickly,
I just wanted to apologize if the format of the font on some of the pages is funny-looking, I've been trying to fix it, but can't seem to figure it out!
Hope you all can read it okay!
Just click on the button- Older Posts- to continue!
Love,
Ash

First of all I just want to thank everyone for all their support in helping me go on this Missions Trip over my Christmas Break. It was amazing experience, in which God showed up in BIG ways and I am so grateful from the experience and everything I gained from it.

So I hope this site comes in handy for you to see what it was you helped our team accomplish! Thanks to you guys, a family was able to have shelter...let alone a real house for Christmas! Trust me, if I could fly each of you to meet the family and see how grateful they are, I would-but these pictures and stories will just have to do

Here a few pictures of the finished house we built with Casas por Cristo! If you want to see more pictures of the family and the process of building, just scroll down and click on older post!!
You can also click on each picture to make it bigger

These are pictures of the family we built for, they were so appreciative and generous-in fact one day they insisted on making us a home cooked meal, ,which was so good! Rice, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce and meat...of some kind-haha, but it was still good!

Here are some pictures of the neighbor's "houses", it's amazing how close to the border they are and what a whole different world it is.

Day 1/2

December 16
We flew into the El Paso Airport in the late afternoon and stayed the night at a local church that housed us.

December 17

The next morning we met our Casas Por Cristo leader and then crossed the border to Anapora Mexico! We first picked up supplies and tools and dropped personal luggage at the local church in Mexico that housed us all week.
After we were organized we went straight to our building site, which was nothing but dirt-so the rest of the day consisted of leveling the land and pouring the concrete foundation. (But I have to admit...my roommate Michelle and I spent a lot of the first day playing with the local kids-which is way more fun!)

Day 3

December 18

The second day we got up bright and early and headed to the site (we were usually there around sunrise to sunset). For day 2, we put together the walls and different components that go along with it-such as window frames, etc. Then we put together the frame of the house and started sheathing around the outside of the house.
Again, the day was filled with hard work, but always fun with the team and of course the locals who were always hanging around-especially the kids!

Day 4

December 19

Day four was packed with all kinds of construction. We finished sheathing, and then started to cover it with chicken wire-which the stucco would later stick to. While some of the team (me included) focused on outside of the house, others on the team built the roof, a few worked and finished the electrical wiring and the rest of the team worked on insulating the inside of the house.
The windows and doors were also added at the end of the day!

Day 5

December 20

On the last day, we did the stucco around the house and finished up any other odds and ends, which meant finishing the drywall on the inside, putting locks on the doors and putting in light fixtures and a ceiling fan. Once we cleaned the house up, it was time for the dedication.
This was by far the highlight of the trip because we were able to pray for the family, present them with gifts-such as towels, blankets, space heaters, etc. and finally we presented them with the keys to the house and a bible-which all of us signed with a note.
It was a very moving experience, especially when the family spoke and expressed how appreciative they were that God had sent us just in time, to hear their earnest prayers sent up to God in Spanish, just further emphasized the point that our God is universal! God was really moving in Anapora!

Day 6/7

December 21

After dedication on the 20th, we drove back to El Paso late that night. Then we had the whole day to ourselves, so we were able to sleep in some and then crossed the border back into Mexico, in order to go to a local Mexican market, where you can barter with the locals to buy all kinds of different items. After spending most of the day there, we crossed back into the states and went and saw a movie, so really we spent the day bonding as a team and having fun.

December 22

Again, we had the day free, until our flight left that evening. So a group of us decided to get up early and hike the Franklin Mountains in El Paso. What an amazing view! From the top we could see Mexico, Texas and New Mexico-such a cool and exhausting experience!

From there were flew back to Indianapolis after just a few delays, so we were able to make it home by about 1:00 A.M. on the 23rd.

Again, this trip was amazing and has definitely encouraged me in continuing in missions work, in one way or another! We'll just have to see what all God has in store!