juarez for the weekend

this past thursday evening my parents arrived in el paso from atlanta...thanks to a trusty delta airplane.  then on friday my in-laws and some great people from their church pulled into the parking lot of our ministry.  they had driven the LONG road from loganville, GA to el paso, TX.  24 hours one way.  it seems like forever. trust me.
after lots of hugs and kisses from grandparents to granddaughters...we all headed across the border to juarez, mexico.  we only had two days to build a home for martin, leticia, jesus, and viviana.  if you've never been to juarez...here is what a lot of the homes look like.  here is why we go there to build homes...and give love and hope.

the team worked really hard half of thursday and all of friday.  a few of them were experienced builders...so that is why the home was able to be completed so quickly.
our little girls gave out candy and toys to the kids that lived around the job site.  eden made bird houses out of scraps of wood and had fun painting and playing in the dirt.  charlotte also enjoyed getting dirty and sandy and playing with nails and wood pieces.  yes, I let her play with nails.

it is one of my greatest joys to see our children watching their parents and grandparents serving others in the name of Jesus.  I love watching them play with children that don't look like them and don't even speak the same language.  it's absolutely beautiful.

we dedicated the home to the family on friday evening and told them about Jesus and how much He loves them.  it is our prayer that they see their new home as a physical reminder of His love for them... and that they come to know him better and trust him with their lives.

oh and here are the world's best grandparents...