When we first began planning our Mexico mission trip, the roofing project seemed fairly straightforward.

During a scouting trip the year before, we had received a list of approximately 40 families in Dzununcán, just outside Mérida, whose homes needed roof repairs. Pastor Mauricio Bonfiglio, who serves in the area with his wife, Dani, estimated that many of the roofs could be repaired for around 7,000 pesos—approximately $400 USD.

We began raising funds with that number in mind. Our hope was simple: take a team to Mexico, purchase materials, and use our construction experience to help as many families as possible. But once we arrived, we quickly learned that the project was going to look very different from what we had imagined. And, as it turned out, that was okay. Because God had already gone ahead of us.

Forty Families Waiting for a Roof

The need in Dzununcán was much greater than one or two homes. Pastor Mauricio had compiled a list of approximately 40 families who needed help. When we arrived this year, he gave us a more detailed list of 12 priority projects. The combined materials for those projects would cost roughly 55,000 pesos.

We knew immediately that we couldn't complete all twelve during our short trip. So we spent our first day visiting the homes and evaluating the projects. As we looked at each situation, one house stood out.

Margarita's. We decided to begin there.

Margarita's Story

Margarita is single and lives alone. She has been disabled since she was five years old. Despite her disability, she worked for years at the local market and pushed a cart through the streets selling goods. Then she was struck by a vehicle.

The injury left her even more disabled, and eventually her employer could no longer offer her work. She now lives on a fixed income.

Then came the floods. Recent flooding had destroyed many of her belongings, and the roof over her home was inadequate to protect what little she had left. When we saw her house, we realized that this wasn't simply a matter of replacing a few pieces of roofing. The original plan wasn't going to work.

The house sat on a slope with loose, rocky soil, and the existing structure wasn't stable enough for what we needed to build. We needed a taller, free-standing roof that would provide enough clearance and keep the seasonal rains out. And that meant changing everything.

Pivoting...Hard

We had arrived with preliminary plans and a supplies list that had been prepared before the trip. But construction in Mérida doesn't always work the way construction does in the United States. The materials we expected to find simply weren't available.

We needed posts longer than eight feet.

We couldn't find them.

We needed 4x4 posts.

They weren't available.

We needed 16-foot trusses.

We couldn't simply go buy them.

We needed prefabricated concrete footings.

Those weren't available either.

Even the lumber we did find wasn't always consistent in size. Some boards were significantly thicker than others.

And we were working against the clock.

Our team was scheduled to begin construction the next morning.

So we did what you do when your plans don't work:

We prayed.

Then we started drawing again.

God Provided a Different Solution

We returned to the lumber store we knew could deliver materials the fastest. They didn't have exactly what we had originally planned to buy. But they had what we needed for the new plans. So we adapted. Instead of using 4x4 posts, we sistered 2x4s together.

Instead of using 16-foot pieces of lumber, we constructed longer trusses from multiple eight-foot pieces, using additional lumber to brace the connections. And when we couldn't find the prefabricated concrete footings we needed, God provided something even better. A local concrete worker agreed to form and pour the footings for us on site, encasing the posts in concrete. It wasn't the plan we had brought with us. But it was a solution. And it worked.

Building in the Heat

Our construction crew—especially John and George, who led the construction effort—worked long, hot days to make it happen.

John was an absolute workhorse, putting in tremendous effort every day. George worked alongside him, helping strategize, plan, and solve the challenges that kept appearing. The rest of the team helped wherever they could. The heat was intense.

We kept coolers, Gatorade, cooling towels, and other supplies on hand, and a small Pentecostal church nearby generously allowed our team to use their shaded patio when they needed a place to cool down.

There were moments when the project felt like a giant puzzle. But piece by piece, the roof began to take shape.

By the end of Wednesday, we had completed two of the six rafter sections needed for the 16-by-35-foot roof. We were tired.

But Margarita was smiling. And that made every hot day worth it.

More Than a Roof

As the construction progressed, we kept thinking about what this roof actually meant. It wasn't simply lumber, screws, concrete, and metal. It was protection. Margarita had already lost possessions to flooding. She was living alone on a limited income. A roof that kept the rain out meant that the things she still had would be safer. It meant one less thing to worry about. It meant dignity. And it meant knowing that someone cared enough to show up and help. By the end of the project, we had completed a stable, larger-than-expected roof designed to protect her home from the seasonal rains. The project had cost more and required considerably more labor than we had originally anticipated. But we had done it.

Then We Built Teresa's Roof

Once Margarita's roof was complete, we turned our attention to Teresa. Teresa's situation was different, but the need was just as real.

The condition of her home had become so difficult that her children had stopped living with her because of the leaks and poor living conditions. Imagine that. A roof isn't supposed to determine whether a family can live together. But for Teresa, it had. So we began again. This time, we had already learned some lessons.

We knew the limitations of the local materials.

We knew we would need to adapt.

And we knew we could trust God to provide what we needed.

By the end of our time there, Teresa had a repaired roof as well.

And with it came hope that her children might be able to return home.

It Was About Surrender

One of the biggest lessons from this project wasn't about construction.

And sometimes that is what faith looks like. Not having everything figured out before you begin. Just taking the next step.

There Are Still Families Waiting

Margarita and Teresa were only the beginning. There are still families on Pastor Mauricio's priority list who need help.

Each home is different. Some projects will be relatively simple. Others will require significantly more materials, labor, and planning.

Our hope is to continue funding materials for these families and, when it makes sense, provide skilled local labor for projects our teams cannot complete themselves.

Hiring trusted local workers also provides income to men in the community who can use the work. There are many more roofs to build.

And we would love to return with more workers and more resources so that we can continue the work that has begun.

We are incredibly grateful that God allowed us to be part of their stories.

And we are grateful that you were part of ours.

There are still families waiting for a shelter.

We hope you'll continue to pray with us about what God will allow us to build next.