By Blake Zopfi
Spring break is a time for taking a break from your busy schedule to relax and enjoy the time off. However for one family, it is a time to help and serve others. For nine years, The Kerbs family has been traveling down to Mexico on a mission trip to help build a house for a family in need and to reach out to the children in the surrounding neighborhood. To help accomplish these goals, a team of approximately 30 people from the Kerbs’ local church (Lifepointe Christian Church) in Elk Grove, California partnered with Amor Ministries.
All of these generous individuals were able to achieve their two goals and much more. The build team including Ryan and Lucas Kerb were able to work hard and build two houses for two different families that had been on a waiting list since 2009. The group had no power tools, no cement mixers, no table saws, and no nail guns. Even without all of those supplies, each person joyfully continued to work hard knowing that it was for a great cause. They knew that these families would be forever grateful for helping them stay together and safe. As Laura Kerb stated, "The most rewarding part is knowing that the home we built keeps the family together in a safe place. Also, the smiles on the kids’ faces and the hugs."
In addition to the build team, there was a team participating in the community kid’s program. The team including Kennedy, Hailey, and Laura Kerbs helped serve well over 100 children in the local community through a Vacation Bible Study program. The children’s program was held in an open lot with minimal grass on it, but that did not stop any of the kids from coming out to play. As soon as one soccer ball hit the "field," the kids came running and games were being played. At first it was only 40 kids, but then brothers, sisters, cousins, neighbors and friends started to join in.
On top of the joy the children gained from playing soccer games, they were completely grateful when they received gifts from the group. Each family was given a soccer ball as well as CYSA shirts being passed out. Laura said, "The CYSA shirts were a big hit!" One little boy wanted the biggest black shirt they had that resembled a dress when he wore it, but it brought to his face a smile from ear to ear. In addition to CYSA shirts and soccer balls, the children were fed snacks, made crafts, sang songs, and were educated from bible messages. Even with the language barrier, the two different cultures were able to connect on a positive level.
The overall experience of the trip was amazing and left an everlasting impression on every person involved. The Kerbs highly suggest anyone to get involved with their local church or community organization. Also, they encourage you to check out the Amor Ministries website (www.amor.org) to find out how to help. Laura summed up the trip with:
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"It changed all of our perspectives on life here in the US, given us a renewed sense of gratitude for everything in our lives (big and small) and a deeper level of thankfulness for those that God has placed in our lives, especially all of you."