The Hub Mexico 2024 Mission Report

At the end of June, the Hub made our second trip to Ensenada, Mexico, to serve with YUGO Ministries (https://www.yugo.org/). Our team was composed of four Hub students, one former Hub student, three pastors, and six additional adults. About half the team was on the trip last year, while the other half was making their first trip to Ensenada. We had an amazing week serving alongside and loving the family we were paired with.

Meet the Hernandez-Beltran family.

We were matched up with the Hernandez-Beltran family. Cristian and Karen are an amazing young couple working so hard to raise their two boys, Daniel (9) & Matias (4), the right way. Cristian was born in Michoacan (located in central Mexico, on the Pacific coast) and was raised by his parents. His family never had financial stability due to his parents not having stable jobs, but Cristian recalls having a good childhood despite that. He was barely 20 years old when he had two children from a relationship that did not last. After that, he moved to Baja California. After another failed relationship, he met Karen. He is currently working at a medical factory. 

Karen was born in Guadalajara and grew up with five siblings. Her childhood was a good one, and her and her siblings had all their basic needs covered due to her parents’ stable jobs (construction and maid services). She met the father of her two children at 18 years old. However, that relationship did not last, and she ended up meeting Cristian about a year ago.

Prior to our team building them a new house, Cristian and Karen were living in Karen’s mother’s house. With a lot of work and effort, they started paying 3,000 pesos monthly for the land where our team built them a new home. They are excited and determined to start their new life together in a new home.

As part of YUGO’s ministry, they partner with local pastors in the area to identify these families that are in need. This ensures there is a connection to a local pastor/church long after we have left Ensenada. The pastor connected with the Hernandez-Beltran family is Pastor Rigoberto Aviña. He met the family through Karen’s mother; she was a long time member of his church.

The week we spent at YUGO and the worksite was nothing short of incredible. A week at YUGO is ‘where Christian conferences and mission trips collide’ (as YUGO so aptly describes themselves). And it is true. We start and end each day there with a chapel service that consists of an amazing time of worship and solid Biblical teaching from their staff. Those services do exactly what YUGO intends – filling us spiritually, and even physically, as we pour ourselves out each day in service to the Lord.

Just as we did last year, we had the privilege of having Richie as our construction foreman. Our team was paired with him last year, and we really connected with him. It was not just the fact that we had him last year that made us ask for him again. We were so impressed and deeply impacted by Richie’s love and devotion to our Savior and to the work at YUGO that we knew we wanted to spend the week with him again.

The Week

Day 1 (Monday)

We arrived at the work site with just a concrete slab and a huge stack of wood. After covering the site in prayer we spent the day in different teams to work. By the end of the day, we had all four walls up, windows cut out, most of the exterior painted, the roof framed, and most of the electrical wiring completed.

Day 2 (Tuesday)

At the start of our second day we had the privilege of covering the ‘guts’ of the home in Bible verses and prayers. By the end of the day, we had worked on or finished electrical wiring, sheetrock, mudding, exterior trim, and the roof.

Day 3 (Wednesday)

The third work day saw us finish the roof, install all interior trim, work on interior paint, install beds, and install windows. Amazingly, we had nearly completed the house in just three days of work. 

Day 4 (Thursday)

Because we were so far ahead of schedule, a few members of the team had the great idea to add a covered porch at the front of the house. Keep in mind that this was not part of the YUGO house plan (YUGO is very detailed and organized in how these builds run. It has been said it is like building a LEGO house in that YUGO nearly provides step-by-step instructions for what to do each day). We cleared the plan with Richie on Wednesday and went to Home Depot that night to buy everything we needed.

In addition to adding a covered porch, the team wanted to run to Walmart to buy things for the family. We were able to buy clothes for every member of the family, as well as shoes, toys, backpacks, storage bins, cookware, and bikes for the boys.

Day four is called ‘Key Day’ (or Dedication Day). Around midday, when we had wrapped up all of the final touches with the house, we gathered around the front door of the home. The team passed the new house key around the circle, sharing whatever God had laid on their heart that week. It was such an awesome time hearing about each team member’s different experiences and perspectives from the week. We all had different reasons for going. We did different tasks throughout the week and shared different experiences with other team members and with the family. But the common bond we all share is our love for the family and Christ and to see Him glorified.

Our team certainly got the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus this week. We were able to meet some very real needs of the Hernandez-Beltran family practically. We were able to share with them where our hope lies and why we traveled over 2,000 miles to come and serve them. But I think we left their house on Thursday feeling like they impacted us far more than we impacted them. Despite their living conditions to that point and the things they had been through, that family radiated pure joy, and not only did they show a real, genuine love for each other, but that was very evident.

What’s Next

Be in prayer for:

• The Hernandez-Beltran family. Pray that they stay engaged with Pastor Rigoberto and the church. Pray that Cristian becomes the man God wants him to be and that he leads his family well.
• YUGO. Pray that God will continue to bless the ministry and the teams that come in to serve.
• Nathan, Scott, and the leaders of YUGO, please pray that God will protect and bless them as they work to serve and lead YUGO.
• YOU. Pray about how you can get involved the next time we go to YUGO. We will be taking more teams next year. We need prayer warriors, monetary support, and actual bodies on the ground to do the work.