Family Spotlight Guatemala | September 26, 2016

Family Spotlight San Raymundo, Guatemala Chano's daughters, Blanca & Irma Meet Luciano UyU Pirir, or as most know him, "Chano." Chano has been a part of Casas por Cristo in Guatemala since it began in June 2011. It was a great honor and privilege to build a home for Chano and his family with Preston Road Church of Christ. Chano is a single father of nine. Only three of the children still live with him: Fredy Alexander (16), Blanca Anabella (13), and Irma Leticia (11). Chano's wife passed away nine years ago from a blood infection. Providing a home for this family was a huge blessing that gave them the hope needed to carry on through not only the emotional burden of losing a loved one, but financial burden as well. Chano and his children in front of their new home Chano works full-time as a maintenance man at Colegio Cristiano Mañana Gloriosa (Morning Glory Christian Academy). Morning Glory, a faithful ministry partner of Casas por Cristo from the beginning, provides housing and food for our teams coming to serve in Guatemala. Chano's smiling face always greets us when we visit their campus. Moreover, Chano was an instrumental helper in the building of our first couple of homes in Guatemala. Chano was one of the small crew of Guatemalan pastors and friends that helped construct our prototype home in 2011 for Hermana Concepcion. His expertise in the nuances of construction in Guatemala proved invaluable as he helped us in our planning and decision-making. It was a blessing for our ministry to give back to Chano and his family for the way he helped Casas por Cristo get off the ground in Guatemala five years ago. When Chano was first chosen by Pastor Eugenio Nij to receive a home, he immediately broke down. He even went to Lori Nij, Eugenio's wife and director of Morning Glory, to make sure it was for real. Ever since his wife had passed, Chano and his three children have all been living together in a single room in the house of his eldest daughter. Just as our heavenly Father would do anything for us, Chano has worked tirelessly over the years to provide a better life for his children. In addition to working at Morning Glory, Chano spends his time working as a laborer in the community and investing in ways to better the people around him. Throughout the build, it was such a joy to witness the transformation that took place on Chano's face. From the beginning, he outworked us all as we leveled the dirt and poured the foundation for his new home. His children pitched in, as well, hauling buckets, hammering nails, standing walls, and providing delicious snacks of fruit each morning. As the house became a home, emotions overcame Chano and his three children. They began to realize that they would finally have a place of their own, a place to call home. Four people living in three rooms, rather than four people in one room. Volunteers from Preston Road Church of Christ after completing the foundation Mankind is a unique possession of the Creator God. To witness Chano's story of faithfulness come full circle from helping pioneer the first house in Guatemala to receiving one of his own makes me shift in my seat as I ponder the awe of our wonderful Creator. As Chano was searching for answers to better the life of his children, Jesus came searching for him. These are the days we live in - Jesus has come, He is alive, and He is working amongst us. He takes care of His children when they have more questions than answers. He takes care of His children in spite of the challenges, difficulties, and situations we may face. He takes care of a single dad who dedicates his spare time to investing in the betterment of people's lives all while trying to raise and provide for three of his nine children in the best and most honorable way he can. Volunteers and the Pirir family in front of the completed home

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Team Casas | September 19, 2016

WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE Partner with other individuals to meet the physical need of better housing as a way of also meeting the spiritual need for Jesus Christ. We need volunteers for the following Team Casas dates. The deadline to schedule a trip is 30 days prior to each México trip and 60 days prior for trips to other locations. If the trip is scheduled, new registrations will be accepted until the trip takes place.

Team Casas Schedule MÉXICO October 7 - 10, 2016 | Juárez (scheduled; still accepting volunteers)  December 27 - 30, 2016 | Acuña (at least 14 volunteers still needed by November 27) December 27 - 30, 2016 | Juárez (at least 2 volunteers still needed by November 27) February 17 - 20, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by January 17) June 12 - 15, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by May 12) October 6 - 9, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by September 6) December 27 - 30, 2017 | Acuña (at least 13 volunteers still needed by November 27) December 27 - 30, 2017 | Juárez (at least 13 volunteers still needed by November 27) GUATEMALA December 27, 2016 - January 1, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 11 volunteers still needed by October 27) March 12 - 17, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 13 volunteers still needed by January 12) July 2 - 7, 2017 | San Raymundo (at least 14 volunteers still needed by May 2) December 27, 2017 - January 1, 2018 | San Raymundo (at least 14 volunteers still needed by October 27) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC December 27, 2016 - January 2, 2017 | Santiago (at least 7 volunteers still needed by October 27) March 12 - 18, 2017 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by January 12) June 11 - 17, 2017 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by April 11) December 27, 2017 - January 2, 2018 | Santiago (at least 15 volunteers still needed by October 27)

REGISTER NOW MORE TEAM CASAS INFO 915.778.0046  |   questions@casasporcristo.org   |   casasporcristo.org

Thanks for a Great Summer | September 12, 2016

WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE Thanks For A Great Summer "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." - Romans 12:4-5 The crazy days of summer are officially over at Casas por Cristo. Thank you for doing your part to help make this season a success! This summer, with the help of 19 interns, 87 teams, and 1,977 volunteers, we built 114 homes! That means 465 people now have a secure home to live in, a connection to their local church, and have heard the gospel. We praise God for the incredible work he has done and look forward to serving even more families this fall and in the years to come. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for doing your part.

GROUP TRIP INFO REGISTER 915.778.0046 | questions@casasporcristo.org | casasporcristo.org

Missionary Spotlight | Wayland Dietrich | September 5, 2016

Missionary Spotlight Wayland Dietrich Meet Wayland Dietrich, missionary with Casas por Cristo. Wayland came on staff March 1, 2016 as a Guatemala Field Coordinator after serving with us for two summer internships. On top of leading teams through the home building process, Wayland also has several different responsibilities in Guatemala. First, he coordinates with different teams to ensure they have a great mission trip experience. In the spring, he works alongside the other Guatemala missionaries to scout every site that will be built during the summer. Also, from time to time he represents Casas por Cristo at conferences where he can share about the ministry. Lastly, this summer he has had the opportunity to manage the interns in Guatemala. INTERVIEW WITH WAYLAND 1. Tell a little bit about yourself and where you're from. I grew up in a very small town in southern Indiana called Lexington. We were a farming family raising mostly beef cows. After high school I went to a small college in New Albany, Indiana. I left in 2013 to pursue my dream of overseas missions. 2. What made you choose to serve at Casas por Cristo? I discovered Casas por Cristo through Northside Christian Church. I had been to Northside a few times during college and knew that they had a very active missions program. When I decided to follow my call to mission work, Northside was the first place I started to look. Coincidentally, they were preparing for a mission trip to Guatemala at that time. The words "construction" and "Guatemala" stood out to me, and I knew this was something I wanted to pursue, especially since I had grown up doing construction work and wanted to put my knowledge and skills to use. 3. How have you seen God through your ministry at Casas por Cristo? First, I have seen God through the people that come down to serve. I can see how God changes the perspective of their lives. It's hard to complain about not having the newest iPhone when you just built a house for a family living on a dirt floor. Second, I have seen God through the families we serve. It is difficult for them just to maintain what they have. Yet, their faith is so strong. They work very hard while they wait patiently for God to provide. Whenever we build a home for a family I can see how their faith grows exponentially. 4. What has been your biggest challenge so far? This summer, managing the interns has been a challenge. Being responsible for myself and my teams is hard enough. Add four more interns and up to four more teams on top of that, and it gets overwhelming sometimes. Being somewhat fresh out of the intern program myself and knowing what they are experiencing has helped me to be there for them. 5. What are some things people should be praying for on your behalf? Pray that God would continue to unfold His plan for my life. Ever since I began listening, I can see significant progress. Pray that I keep the ability to recognize where He is leading me. SUPPORT WAYLAND SUBSCRIBE TO WAYLAND'S NEWSLETTER 915.778.0046 | questions@casasporcristo.org | casasporcristo.org