Despite Juarez Violence, Local Church Continues To Help Needy

The violence in Juarez has caused a local church to postpone its charitable work there, but the church members aren’t stopping to catch their breath.

Elsa Smith’s Socorro home was a victim of recent rains. After hearing of her plight, church members from Sugar Land, Texas joined forces with the Ysleta Lutheran Mission to lend a helping hand.

“Evidently, someone had got on the roof and this is a metal roof and they walked on it and it broke the seams loose and so when it rained, the water got inside the house and then got into the carpet and started mold and mildew,” said Lynn Pilcher, a retired construction manager who came to help out.

The church members from Sugar Land were supposed to join the Ysleta Lutheran Mission in going to Juarez to help build the homes for the needy, but the recent car bombing there put their plans on hold.

“Normally we hadn’t had any difficulties but when this bombing occurred, the grenade and so many injured and so on and so forth, we thought it would be a better thing to do to tell ’em to hold off,” said Pastor Karl Heimer of the Ysleta mission.

But while the group postponed their trip across the border, they found an opportunity to help Elsa’s family in Socorro, who was just as equally in need of help.

While her home is being worked on, the great part of this story is even while times are tough for Elsa, she in turn is helping her friends who are also in need.

“We help each other out, you know, the donations that we get at church…that’s how we get along by buying the material and helping other people like in Sparks, in Juarez,” Elsa said.

And the church members are glad to help someone in need. “I think it’s great, you know, that’s God calls us to do, to help one another,” said Lynn.

Meanwhile, they hope to return to Juarez to continue their good deeds. “We’re not gonna quit. We have churches over there. We’re not going to say we’re not going because we’re afraid,” said the pastor.

The Ysleta Lutheran Mission helps needy families on both sides of the border, but is strapped for cash and is looking for donations from the public.

The group needs donations for building supplies, as they have been building homes for the needy, both in Juarez and in the El Paso area.

If you’d like to donate, you can call Pastor Karl Heimer at (915) 740-3496 or log onto www.ylm.org.