As For Me and My House

Brian Villarruel has been on staff with YWAM San Diego/ Baja for almost three years, serving in different capacities as well as staffing Homes of Hope builds. Throughout this time the situation of his family loomed in the back of his mind. While he was spending his days building homes for other families, his mom, Rocia, sister, Michelle and her children lived in another part of Tijuana in dire circumstances. Crammed in a small shelter, built over 35 years ago, their kitchen would flood every time it rained. They prayed and waited for a miracle but had issues making ends meet each month and didn’t have enough to pay to be able to get the proper paperwork to own their land.

Brian’s grandpa had first moved to Tijuana from the south of Mexico, 40 years ago, looking for a better future, all 7 of his kids ended up in drug use. One day, someone handed them a card for a Christian rehabilitation center- Brian’s mom and one of her sisters decided to enter and it turned their life around. They encountered God and were able to get clean! 

In all the ups and downs and even in the midst of a global pandemic, the Villarruel family held on to hope and God showed up for them in a miraculous way! After getting the rights to their land, they received one of the first Homes of Hope that we were able to build after almost 7 months of not being able to build any homes. 

At the dedication of the home, Brian led the family in declaring scripture, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).  What a beautiful declaration. As they dedicated their lives to the Lord, they were claiming a new future, rather than a future plagued by drugs and poverty- they were claiming a future brimming with hope.  

New Year, in Remembrance

As we look forward to the new year, new possibilities and of course many more families receiving homes this year, my family and I started out with a time of remembrance. We built a Home of Hope in honor of my late and beloved father James Michael Lambert who passed away in 2015.

Three generations came together as my siblings came to join us in Mexico with their children and grandchildren to make a difference for a beautiful family.  Elda is a single mother taking care of her three daughters. Her dad Mario lives with her and helps take care of the girls. Watching him interact and play with his granddaughters was special as I remembered my dad and the times he shared with my three daughters. 

As I look back through the years, I am amazed at the beautiful impact these homes have had not only on the families receiving but on each participant, staff and donor. This time was no different and it was especially meaningful to serve alongside my family as we honored my father.  It was a tearful moment as I watched my mom hand the keys at the dedication ceremony. My dad, James, a carpet layer all his life, would have enjoyed seeing the new carport squares we put into the two bedrooms. He spent his life cheering on his eight children and investing in their success and now his legacy lives on as it grants that to these three beautiful girls. `