When Assumptionist volunteer Peter McLan speaks about his time at the migrant shelter in Juárez, Mexico, you can hear both compassion and conviction in his voice. Based in El Paso, Peter has spent the last several months crossing the border with fellow Assumptionists to help where the need is greatest. What they found in Juárez was not just a shelter—it was a community waiting to be rebuilt.
“The first thing we had to do,” Peter recalls, “was get everything organized—to figure out what was really needed. That took weeks.” Once the immediate needs became clear, the team got to work: building shelving, sorting through supplies, and repairing the chapel so that Mass could once again be celebrated. Volunteers also installed new windows, rebuilt the office for the shelter’s social worker, and created a space for the doctor who offers free medical care to families.
Like most mission efforts, it hasn’t been easy. Supplies and repairs require funding, much of which comes directly from the volunteers and generous donors. “It’s a financial commitment,” Peter admits, “but it’s something none of us mind doing.” Every contribution—whether time, money, or labor—goes straight toward improving lives and restoring dignity to the people of Juárez.
Despite the challenges, Peter describes the experience as both joyful and deeply fulfilling. “It’s fun,” he says with a smile. “I find it spiritually rewarding, and I know the others feel the same.” For Peter and the Assumptionist volunteers, service has become a way of life—a reflection of faith through simple, daily acts of kindness.
The work in Juárez continues to grow, fueled by faith and sustained by love. Each repaired wall, each shelf built, and each shared meal tells a story of hope—proof that compassion truly knows no borders. As Peter says, “You just can’t say enough about the volunteers and what they do.” Their efforts remind us all that when faith takes action, it transforms not only communities, but hearts.
