House building project takes SDSU students to Mexico

Tara Halbritter

Tara Halbritter

Building houses is how some SDSU students will spend Christmas break this year.

Minister of Christian Campus Ministry, Rick Cole said SDSU has been involved with “Casas por Cristos,” also known as Houses for Christ, for about six years.

Houses for Christ is an organization that builds homes for less fortunate families in poor parts of Mexico, said Cole. He and a group of SDSU students will travel to Juarez, Mexico to build a house for one of these families.

Students must raise money for the trip on their own. The cost of the trip is $100, which pays for food and travel expenses. Some students choose to give extra money to help pay for other project expenses.

Last year 13 students took part in the project. Cole said that students sometimes become involved through campus Bible study, but participation in Bible study is not required.

“It’s kind of a life-changing experience,” said Kelly Ness, a fifth-year animal science major. “It just makes you feel good.”

Ness has been involved with Houses for Christ for four years. She said she would definitely recommend the project to other students.

“Laughter is a universal language,” said Ness. Although she speaks a different language than the families, Ness said she can communicate with them through other means.

Chris Hill, a fifth-year advertising major, plans to go for the first time this year.

“I heard good things from people that went last year, so I wanted to experience it for myself,” said Hill.

Cole said, “The neatest thing is just seeing how well the students work and interact with the families.”

The Christian Campus Ministry has scheduled the trip from Dec. 31 through Jan. 7. Students should contact Cole at 692-9203 by the second week in November if they want to attend.