FRM Newsletter
June 2021: A MIRACLE HOME
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The following was written by Bigtha, one of Far Reaching Ministries (FRM) missionaries in Mexico. When I was a little girl, I learned what it was to live without a roof over my head to keep me warm and safe. I remember this always, even from a young age, especially in the winter. I knew that the winter would destroy parts of our unfinished house. Throughout the winter season, my mom would be up all night making sure we were covered with plastic bags to keep us dry, because it rained more on the inside than the outside. I met a woman named Herminia. She is raising her two kids, along with her four grandchildren who were abandoned by their mother. The mother tried to sell three of her children to the drug cartel who would put them on the street to beg for 12 hours a day. And, when girls are old enough, they are sold into prostitution. We found Herminia’s family living in terrible conditions while handing out groceries. They had nothing to eat and were living in a house with holes everywhere, a dirt floor and no furniture. Herminia and the six kids slept together on one old mattress because they could not afford
more. So, I called and shared with Wes, the Director of Far Reaching Ministries, about their conditions. He came, immediately, to rescue the children. He traveled the next day to Ensenada, Mexico, to meet them in the middle of the pandemic. We took the entire family to Walmart to buy food—enough for a couple of months. He bought them shoes, blankets, clothes, and their very first toys. Of course, the most exciting part for the kids was when they were told that they could each get two boxes of cereal. A treat they had never had before. 
After shopping, we took them to McDonalds. Wes served them the entire time while they were shopping, but the sweetest moment was when he served them their first ever Happy Meal. After eating, he bought them ice cream, and to our surprise, they had never eaten ice cream before. Golden moments of many emotions at once. I remember their faces with smiles and unbelief of what they were experiencing. In December 2020, we began building a house for them. An amazing-engineer friend told us that he wanted to lead the build for free. An architect donated all of his work, and some stores gave us discounts on furnishings. During the build of the concrete house, about 12 people were hired in the area for the construction. They often expressed to us how grateful they were for having a job during a pandemic and how happy they were to have been a part of this miracle home for a family that really needed help. The logistics took so much effort, especially because the house is located outside Ensenada. All the material had to be delivered. The concrete truck and pump machine trying to get up the hill where the house is located gave everyone quite a show. We also had a few weeks of rain and many cancellations, but every single time we visited them, the family had smiles on their faces. Luis, while we were painting one day, asked if he could give his little friends a tour and we said, “Yes”, so he made them line up and took them to each of the rooms with pride. When the concrete work was done, we began painting, building closets, adding windows, doors, and a full bathroom. Once again, we got help from local friends, staff, and family to do the work. We also needed to furnish the house because Herminia had nothing, in good condition, to put in the new house. One morning, I decided to share about the project in a big way, locally! I shared about the need for furniture, home items, clothes, shoes, blankets, and everything else you could imagine that a home with six children would need. Because of the overwhelming response from donations from FRM, and the community, the house was able to be built with four bedrooms, a full bathroom, a kitchen, and dining room. To my surprise, at least 200 people wanted to help, some with furniture, others with kitchen stuff, clothes, toys, blankets, food and much more. My heart burst with joy because once again God was using FRM to be a light of Jesus in Ensenada. Local people were brought together with a desire to serve their community and give with love and unity. People all over Ensenada contacted us, businesses offered to gather donations to save us from driving to every single house. So, the next day, we borrowed a truck and rented a trailer, and for five days we picked up all the furniture for Herminia’s new house and we even got extra items for another two families in need. This has been a house made with so much love from all over the world. We are thankful to God and everyone else who gave for this sweet family!
On dedication day, the family not only received a home, but they also received Jesus as their Savior. They are now attending church every Sunday and are having Bible studies in their home! Even the kids love everything about the church. That same day we asked the kids what they want to be when they grow up. Omar and Luis, both 9 years old, told us that they want to join the Marines. Sofia, age 11, wants to be a lawyer and Mitzy, age 8, wants to be a police officer. They now have hope and see a brighter future ahead. They feel worthy and from now on these kids will work to fulfill their dreams. When Luis entered the house he ran to his room, then he hugged and kissed his new bed. After that moment, I could not stop crying tears of happiness and joy for each one of them. After Herminia received her house, she made coffee for us for the first time. That moment was so special, she showed us that her life had dignity and hope. She also donated half of the wood from the old house to a neighbor in need and the sweetest moment was when she invited me to sleep over. I asked Herminia’s older son how his mom felt. He shared with me that she often thought that she was dreaming and would get up from her bed, go outside to see that it was true, not a dream! Thank you for your help to change this family’s future forever! When we first met these kids, I related to when I was growing up, also in fear, unsafe and without hope. My parents also received a house when I was young, we were the children that received so much love from God. From there, we bravely went out to change our generation for the Lord. For me, the best part is seeing these kid’s lives transformed to follow Jesus and knowing that now they will not worry about rain falling through the roof, but instead they can focus on changing their own generation and grow their faith in Jesus. Bigtha and her husband, Axel, are extremely active for Christ and worked for YWAM (Youth with a Mission) before leaving to start a new ministry in Mexico. For the past 13 years, they have done construction to build simple homes for the poor and they are now working in partnership with FRM. Bigtha is well qualified for this as she has been a construction supervisor and helped to construct over 300 homes. These are simple structures that cost about $15,000 each. But, to people living in shacks that are made from no more than plywood and plastic sheets, they are a palace. Anytime someone compliments us, it is difficult for me to share this in a newsletter, but I felt that this one should be shared because it was many of you who made this home possible. Lord willing, we will rescue many more. If you would like to see the video of Herminia receiving her new home, you can visit our website at: www.frmusa.org/media/videos
Wes Bentley
Far Reaching Ministries