A group from Second Baptist Church in Lubbock drove six hours south to Piedras Negras in early August. They had been there before. Three years ago they built and delivered 75 bunk beds to this shelter, run by Pastor Israel Rodríguez and his church, Primera Iglesia Bautista. This time they were coming with their trucks loaded with picnic tables.

The shelter, which shares a campus with the church, is outside the urban area of Piedras Negras. On their site, they have a two-story building which serves as little apartments for families who are in transition during their asylum process. The top floor is filled with bunk beds, built lovingly by members of Second Baptist Lubbock a few years ago. On the bottom floor, the building had the space for a kitchen, but it was never finished. The families staying here needed a place to cook their meals and fellowship with each other.

Jake Maxwell, pastor of Second B, as they call it, was eager to fill this need. He said that for an international mission trip from Lubbock, Piedras Negras is a great location for them. It’s easier than driving to Dallas and flying somewhere else. And now that they have established relationships with this community, it is all the more meaningful to continue returning there when they can be of service.

Before their trip, church members, including children and youth, prepared the pieces for picnic-style tables for the new eating space. They painted them and put their own creative touches and messages on them. Once arriving, the team picked up cabinetry in Eagle Pass and appliances in Piedras Negras. They put a ceiling into the kitchen, installed the cabinetry and appliances, and assembled the tables.

The group was there from Wednesday through Sunday to complete their project. They concluded the trip by worshipping with Primera on Sunday morning. Pastor Israel invited Jake to preach that morning. Jake preached in English, but a young man in the congregation, an engineer named Fernando, translated for him.

During the trip, the families staying at the shelter would hang out with the Lubbock group, visiting with them and helping out with the project. A few of the people from Lubbock spoke Spanish. Women from the Piedras Negras congregation made lunch for the group every day. Jake said that he has never met a tamale he didn’t like, but the ones they prepared for them were the best he’s ever had.

Pastor Israel praised the work the group completed in the kitchen. “They did an excellent job. It is a deluxe kitchen. I really did not expect it like that. It turned out better than I thought. This kitchen will allow us to better cook the 220 meals that we already serve each day.”

Pastor Israel also took them to visit the downtown shelter he runs as well. Currently they are filled to capacity with over 200 asylum seekers staying there. Most of them are from Central America — Hondurans, Guatemalans and a few Salvadorans. Jake reported that they learned a lot about the asylum process there, and they were discouraged to find out that many of the people seeking asylum in the U.S. will not succeed in the end.

Trips like these are so important for educational awareness and often lead to further advocacy engagement. They are also a meaningful way to establish ongoing relationships based on trust and respect. Fellowship Southwest is so grateful to our friends at Second B, and we look forward to more of these trips in the future.

If you are interested in learning more about trips like this one, please contact our director of programs and outreach, Anyra Cano, at anyra@fellowshipsouthwest.org.