One of the exciting projects we have started this year is a carpentry shop at The Lord’s Food Bank in Juarez, Mexico. Here we can teach carpentry to young people who are interested in learning this trade so that they will have valuable skills to get jobs and make a living.
It took us a while to set up a workshop and equip it with the necessary woodworking tools and machinery needed, but we’re up and running now. With the help of some skilled and dedicated volunteers, we are currently training three young men – Luis, Kiké, and Mike. None of them finished high school but they all have families and are very excited about learning a trade.
They are starting with the basics, but our hope is that they will eventually be able to learn how to make furniture and other useful items.
One of their first projects is to help make the material we need for our catechism programs. We use a Montessori-style approach to teaching the children called the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and there are many items we need for this hands-on approach to learning about our Catholic faith.
We place this new carpentry shop under the patronage of St. Joseph, the carpenter. And as we enter this wonderful season of Christmas, we ask the Holy Family to bless you and all your loved ones abundantly. Thank you for being such an important part of all that we do in service of the Lord and His people.
Merry Christmas!