All Participants must complete the following three forms and submit a $25 deposit by January 28th before being officially registered.

Who is Casas por Cristo?

Casas por Cristo is Spanish for “Houses because of Christ.” Casas por Cristo is a non-denominational Christian ministry started in 1993 to address the needs of the poor in Mexico. We have formed a partnership between the churches of the United States, Canada, and Mexico to serve the needs of Mexican families, following the example of Jesus who said, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Working through churches in Mexico, we provide service opportunities for groups who want to help those in need. Our Motto, “Building Homes, Changing Lives” comes to life in this partnership.

In Juarez, one of the most prominent problems is the lack of decent and affordable housing with tens of thousands of families in need of homes. Families who come to Juarez first build their homes by using heavy cardboard, scrap lumber, and other discarded material. Over a period of two to three years, families may be able to scrape together enough money to build a home. It takes about a day’s wages to purchase a dozen cement blocks and almost all of four months wages to build a 12’ x 12’ home.

Casas por Cristo has a committee which seeks out families in need of homes. A typical applicant is a family of four with a weekly income of $53 who lives in a cardboard and shipping pallet house with a dirt floor. Families are required to own a suitable lot, and provide water for the construction process, but there are no other prerequisites. Following the committee’s approval, Casas por Cristo goes to work to recruit a team to do the building. In three to four days, the team turns the empty lot into a new homefor a family.

The homes are a gift from the team to the family on behalf of the local church. This outward sign of Jesus’ love illustrates the care Christians have for the poor. Each home is an outward sign of the partnership between the teams who build and the churches in Juarez who sponsor the families. By sleeping and eating in the churches in Juarez, teams demonstrate that they are there to serve, not to be served. This spirit of support for the local church and an attitude of service make the experience richer.