Puebla Mission Trip

In June we were blessed with the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Puebla, Mexico for LOI. This was a much different trip than our previous trips to Vietnam. First of all, this was the first international mission trip Priscilla and I were able to go on together; in addition to that we were able to take the kids with us, also a first. Lastly, this trip was unique for us because it was an exploratory trip, which basically means we were treading new water and had no idea what to expect. But it didn't take long to see that God had great things in store.

While there we stayed with a missionary couple, Kevin and Andrea Bult, and their three children, Emma, Ethan, and Lili. Kevin lined up some great places for us to visit and do preliminary research to determine if there was a partnership opportunity for LOI. We visited a wide array of organizations:
Casa Alto Refugio - A wonderful children's home that divides the kids up into apartments with an adult in each one. The amenities were bountiful, they had a library, computers, music, toys, and more. More importantly you could tell the children were happy and well cared for. Those in charge seemed to understand the importance of caring for the mind, body, and spirit of the children.

Casa Hogar Franciscano - A boys home run by Franciscan monks (though not to the kind of monks we generally think of). Smiles weren't as plentiful on the children's faces here as they were at the previous home. They certainly provided room and board for the boys but other than that there didn't seem to be a lot of attention paid to them.


Juconi - A non-profit organization that specializes in finding children who are working on the streets when they should be in school. The armies of volunteers at Juconi go to great lengths to earn the trust of the children as well as their families; this process can take 6 months or more. Ultimately they get to the root of the problem that is resulting in the kids having to work rather than go to school. Once that is determined Juconi does whatever is necessary to address the issue and rehabilitate the family.
Maria Luisa - After visiting with this woman for a little while it became clear to us and the Bults that Maria Luisa was the reason we visited Puebla. Maria Luisa is a single lady in her 50's who has taken in 8 girls to live with her in her home. It is something she felt called to do but did not have the resources to do it. She stepped out in faith and made God a deal, "I'll do this for 6 months, and if it doesn't work I'll know it wasn't Your will but just my own idea." Here she is 4 years later still going strong. She can't explain how they are doing it. She still doesn't have the resources but somehow some way God continues to provide and multiply what she has. Her dream is to have a larger home for children called "Fuente de Amor" (Fountain of Love). This home would feature apartments for family units with 8 kids and at least 1 parent in each (As it turns out, Casa Hogar Refugio got their idea from her). She even has a model of her dream. Listening to her story and passion brought tears to all our eyes.


Pray for us, the Bults, Maria Luisa, and LOI. LOI is keeping the door open for doing work in Puebla. We are also beginning conversations with LOI about sending teams to Puebla. Priscilla and I are the point people for this project and we continually pray for blessings on Puebla, the Bults, Maria Luisa, and others there who are helping; we also pray for God to continue to reveal each next step to take. The Bults have been busy recruiting other families to help, praying with them, and continuing their ministries at the seminary, local orphanages, etc.