Welcome to the Vienna United Methodist Church
Karen Alden, Pastor
PO Box 161
Vienna, MO 65582
Church phone number: (573) 422-3592
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The House That Love Built
From Vienna, MO to Juarez, Mexico
 
Most people in the United States cannot imagine living and raising a family in a cardboard box.  But in Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, many people have no other place to call home.
 
A mission team was formed at Vienna United Methodist Church, with the purpose of funding and building a small but substantial cinderblock house for a Juarez family.  The group works under the auspices of Proyecto Abrigo (Project Shelter) in Juarez.
 
In 1996, Rev. Jose Luis Portillo founded Proyecto Abrigo (Project Shelter.)  Rev. Portillo and his nine siblings were born and raised in Juarez, Mexico.  As a child, he helped to support his family by selling cigarettes and cigars on the streets.  His life changed when he received a scholarship to attend Lydia Patterson Institute, A United Methodist high school in El Paso, TX, where Jose Luis heard God's call to the ministry.
 
After graduating from John Wesley Seminary in Monterrey, Mexico, he was appointed to a church in his hometown of Juarez.  The church had no building, so Rev. Portillo asked for volunteers from the United States to come and help with construction.
 
When the volunteers saw the number of people whose only shelter was cardboard or tarpaper, they asked how they could help.  "Volunteers in Mission," a global ministries program of the United Methodist Church worked with Rev. Portillo to begin Operacion Hogar (Operation Home) in 1992 to build some simple houses of cinderblock.  Since 1992, over 1000 12 x 24-foot cinderblock houses have been built in and around Juarez by volunteer teams.
 
What of the future?
 
We are currently making plans to return to Juarez next year, to build another house, and would welcome contributions to this worthy cause.  Donations may be made care of:
 
Vienna United Methodist Church
161 Highway 63 North
Vienna, MO 65582
 
Please designate your gift "Juarez Project"
 
The following are photos depicting the sequence of events in planning and raising money for our Mexico mission:
 
Planning meeting at Mick & Ellie's (click on photo to enlarge)
                   
       
 
Feb. 14 Pie Supper
               
 
               
 
           
   
Pie Auction/Steak Night
               
 
               
 
Lavon Nelson sale food stand