Real Life Ministries https://reallifeministries.org/ Serving the Least Of These Fri, 10 Jul 2015 04:53:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 My First Missions Trip with Real Life Ministries https://reallifeministries.org/2015/07/my-first-mission-trip-with-real-life-ministries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-first-mission-trip-with-real-life-ministries https://reallifeministries.org/2015/07/my-first-mission-trip-with-real-life-ministries/#view_comments Tue, 07 Jul 2015 18:00:30 +0000 http://rlm.mostlywebsites.net/?p=1150 The post My First Missions Trip with Real Life Ministries appeared first on Real Life Ministries.

]]>

In June 2015, I went down to help build a house for a needy family in Ensenada, Mexico with Canyon Lake Community Church. The week prior, I was full of nervous anticipation of what would happen. Would we be safe? Would we sleep well? Would I be able to be of much help? Would we be able to do such a big job with only nine of us? Would the family even appreciate the work Real Life Ministries did for them?

My fears regarding safety and comfort were relieved immediately when I saw the securely gated compound and the rooms with bunk beds (I slept well). Dennis and Debbie and their eight staff/interns, all are such wonderful, welcoming, godly people. This is such a fantastically rewarding ministry. It was great to meet Jessica and hear her appreciation for everyone coming.

Our team of nine seemed so small, but Dennis and Debbie of Real Life Ministries had four people who are skilled in construction and four other hard­working helpers. We set to work, one group laying the concrete slab, the other framing windows and walls and assembling roof trusses. Tired, but happy at day’s end. Then three more days of amazing friendly unity, getting up the roof, the windows, the walls, the electrical, the lathing and two coats of stucco! I would truly not have believed this feat if I hadn’t been there. I was so tired each evening, but so filled with a sense of accomplishment.

One afternoon, I got to go with the girls to shop at the segundas (secondhand stores) and we found a beautiful table with eight chairs for Jessica and her six children.

The presentation of keys to Jessica at job’s end and her family’s awe over everything, along with inspiring messages from Dennis, Paul, and Teresa, resulted in a tearful, heartwarming speech of appreciation from Jessica.

I am so jazzed about this amazing Real Life Ministries! God is truly doing a wonderful work here.

The post My First Missions Trip with Real Life Ministries appeared first on Real Life Ministries.

]]> https://reallifeministries.org/2015/07/my-first-mission-trip-with-real-life-ministries/feed/ 0 Say Cheese: The Smile Mobile on the Move https://reallifeministries.org/2015/02/say-cheese-the-smile-mobile-on-the-move/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=say-cheese-the-smile-mobile-on-the-move https://reallifeministries.org/2015/02/say-cheese-the-smile-mobile-on-the-move/#view_comments Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:40:58 +0000 http://reallifemin.wpengine.com/?p=429 We’ve all had that nagging toothache. It keeps you up at night and spoils mealtimes. Before long, you’ve visited your dentist and life is back to normal. Now imagine you have that toothache but you live in a remote mountainous region with no vehicle access…

The post Say Cheese: The Smile Mobile on the Move appeared first on Real Life Ministries.

]]>

We’ve all had that nagging toothache. It keeps you up at night and spoils mealtimes. Before long, you’ve visited your dentist and life is back to normal. Now imagine you have that toothache but you live in a remote mountainous region with no vehicle access. On top of that, you don’t have a phone to call a dentist, a vehicle to drive to a dentist, or even, for that matter, a dentist. Many people don’t imagine this scenario—they live it.

For many years, Real Life Ministries has been working to solve this problem. We took our first dental trip in 1974, working out of the trunk of a car. More recently, we treated the homeless along the banks of the River Tijuana—actually a drainage culvert—using 20-year-old portable dental equipment. Despite our efforts, the most needy in the remote mountainous regions were simply out of reach. Until now.

In 2014, God provided Real Life Ministries a SportsMobile vehicle capable of traversing any terrain. We equipped this vehicle with the latest dental equipment, including a state-of-the-art portable digital x-ray device. We call it the “Smile Mobile.” In August 2014, after five months of designing, building, and equipping, we took the “Smile Mobile” into the mountains of Baja California for its initial voyage. Dr. Ezequeil Andrade, director of our dental clinic, along with two visiting dentists and various other assistants, served the dental needs of over 100 people. Since then, the Smile Mobile has been used nearly every weekend, with thousands of people receiving dental treatment.

The Smile Mobile staff is also prepared to meet spiritual needs. We produced an “Action Bible” to distribute to patients waiting in line. The animated Bible was designed especially for children and clearly presents the gospel message. Hundreds of these Bibles have already been distributed.

We are excited for the plans God has in store for the Smile Mobile. Our next goal is to have the Smile Mobile running daily. To do this, we need your help. The costs of operating the Smile Mobile—at no cost to patients—are high. Would you consider helping us spread the love of Christ by donating to the Smile Mobile? Your generous gifts are guaranteed to make a smile!

We want to give a heart-felt thank you to a special Christian family for donating the Smile Mobile to Real Life Ministries.  Your gift has brought many smiles and changed many lives.

The post Say Cheese: The Smile Mobile on the Move appeared first on Real Life Ministries.

]]> https://reallifeministries.org/2015/02/say-cheese-the-smile-mobile-on-the-move/feed/ 0 Building for Eternity: Las Tres Palmas 2014 Wrapup https://reallifeministries.org/2014/10/building-eternity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=building-eternity https://reallifeministries.org/2014/10/building-eternity/#view_comments Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:36:03 +0000 http://reallifemin.wpengine.com/?p=427 A Letter from Dennis and Debbie Hollenbeck, site directors of Las Tres Palmas. Our busy summer at Las Tres Palmas has come to an end, and it’s quiet . . . too quiet! Summertime stretches us to the max physically and mentally.  It’s go, go, go from the end of May until the end of…

The post Building for Eternity: Las Tres Palmas 2014 Wrapup appeared first on Real Life Ministries.

]]> A Letter from Dennis and Debbie Hollenbeck, site directors of Las Tres Palmas.

Our busy summer at Las Tres Palmas has come to an end, and it’s quiet . . . too quiet! Summertime stretches us to the max physically and mentally.  It’s go, go, go from the end of May until the end of August. This year, we hosted 8 teams, built 9 houses, and conducted 6 Vacation Bible Schools.  We had groups visit us from California, Nebraska, and Canada!  Our fun-loving staff worked tirelessly to work out all the details before the groups arrived.  We were blessed to have two excellent interns this summer, Donovan Nunnley from Bear Valley, CA, and Megan Ash from Pleasanton, CA.  In addition to our regular local staff, Cinthia Tobar assisted the ministry with VBS and translating.

Each of our summer projects tells a story.  One that stands out to me is the story of Carlos, his wife Carla, and little Carlos.  They lived in a very small one-room home made of garage doors, odd pieces of wood, and a plastic tarp roof.  I was touched by the amount of work Carlos had accomplished to prepare the site for the group coming.  A couple times he worked into the early hours of the morning, moving dirt and preparing for the concrete slab.  The church group from Horizon Community worked on Carlos’ and Carla’s house for a week.  Through the unconditional love and service of Horizon Community, it is our hope and prayer that Carlos and Carla will make stronger commitments to the Lord as they work to turn this new house into a home.

Consider bringing your church group to participate in a summer, fall, or spring home building project for a needy family.  You just don’t build a house—you help build a home.

Las Tres Palmas, a ministry of Real Life Ministries, welcomes the help of churches in the United States and Canada to build homes for the homeless in Mexico. Since 1996, RLM has given new house keys to approximately 400 families. We build for eternity—will you join us?  Please visit www.reallifeministries.org for more information.

The post Building for Eternity: Las Tres Palmas 2014 Wrapup appeared first on Real Life Ministries.

]]> https://reallifeministries.org/2014/10/building-eternity/feed/ 0