Made it

Well after four days of waiting in San Diego to get to Mexico,
We made it! The border and the travel went smooth as they can go. I received a stamp for my passport with a date of 2010. We met the two families and began building the houses. The two families are related their properties back on to each other.
The next two days will be full build days with house dedications included. We are grateful to be here working along these families. Hopefully I can get some pictures up on the site tomorrow.

Time to GO!

It has been a long week of waiting and praying as we sit in San Diego. The strike that has gone on this this week in Mexico will hopefully help families in the long run with better wages. There has been some agreements made this week verbally with the hope of signed documents this coming Wednesday. All seems to be back to normal so we hope that this continues as we head south. The youth are excited and ready to get at it and meet the families. With only a couple days to build it we be some long days but well worth it.

Thank you for your prayers and support.
Clark

Meet The Families 2015 Trip

 

Tomorrow before the sun rises an amazing group of young people will be on a long bus ride to Mexico. For the past few months they have worked hard to raise money for their trip and the houses they will build. It is a privilege to be on this trip again. The Live Different group has been an amazing group to work with. In all the trips we have done with them they always care deeply about the students we bring and the work they do.

Here are the families we will be building for this year.

 

Penina and Vidal have worked very hard to create a home for their family. They are currently living in a house they constructed out of cardboard, wrapped with plastic on a dirt floor. Their one bed is off to one corner and there's a table and chairs in the other corner. Vidal works in the fields on a farm that grows flowers, earning an average of $70 per week. They have two beautiful daughters; Citlali who attends school and is in the 5th grade, and Thaily who is only 3 years old and stays home with Mom. Penina told us of how their home has been blown over when the winds are strong and they have had to rebuild it with the limited materials they can afford. It is also very hot inside in the summer months because there is no ventilation. When we told this wonderful family that there will be a group of volunteers coming to build a new house for them, they were so happy there were tears of joy!

For the past year Juana and Esteban have been living in a small house made of cardboard and plastic, with a dirt floor. Their home is very hot in the summer and is often damaged by strong winds. They do their best to provide for two grandchildren who are currently living with them, Kevin who is 7 years old, and Mira who is 11. Esteban works at a commercial flower farm earning the equivalent of $60 a week and Juana stays home to to take care of the house. When we went to tell them the good news about receiving a new house, Esteban was away in Oaxaca visiting his sister who is sick, which is why he is not in the "before" photograph. We are told he will be home in time for the construction and looks forward to meeting the team who will help build a new home and secure future for himself and his wife.






For the past two and a half years, Hermelinda and Javier have been living on the land they bought in a quiet area near the strawberry fields where they sometimes work. They are currently living in a single room constructed of plywood on a cement pad. There is one door, one window and one bed for the couple and their two children to share. Javier works in the fields earning on average $80 per week, while Hemelinda stays home with their beautiful children; Xavier and Allison.

They are very happy and excited to meet the team who will help make their dream of a bigger more secure home come true!

Day one, two and three trip debriefing:

Due to the amount of people trying to use the same Wi-Fi at once, the blog posts have been prolonged but better late than never right! Here is a bit of overview for the last few days of our, to Mexico with love, Penticton group! 32 hours to San Diego, knocking off one hour of the previous years time! Long ride, but many laughs were shared among the group of us. Games at the back of the bus with everyone, everyone sprawling out to get some sleep, just your typical bus ride! Once in San Diego, showers were most definitely in order. Then off to the San Diego boardwalk we went, enjoying some food and free time off the bus. Before bed, majority of the kids had a nice swim in the pool then it was off to bed for the following day, back on the bus we went, next stop Mexico! Arriving around 4pm, a brief introduction and it was off to meet the families we go! Firstly, we met the family with the two young girls, shared introductions, asked questions and shared with them how excited we all were to begin building. Next off we met the family with the two 15 year old twins, one boy and a girl, unfortunately the third families parents were not home at the time we stopped by but we briefly got to meet the two young boys we would be building for! After meeting the families we headed back for dinner and showers, after all it was a pretty long two days and a bit of relaxing was most definitely needed! After everyone showered up, we ate Mexican pizza and had a relaxing night. Some of the kids played some soccer in the yard, played board games, and sat around the fire singing! After two long days, we set off for bed eagerly awaiting the following day to begin building! – Shayla Hearne

Day Four of the trip, Day one of building:

After a nights rest, we woke up bright and early, breakfast was at 8 am, and we were off to the building sites at 9 am sharp! Splitting up into three building groups, group one, group two and group three. I personally am in group two, building for the family with two  young boys, Eric and Carlos (excuse my spelling it may be wrong) Kind of disappointing not getting to meet the entire family the previous day, but excited to get the chance to meet them the first day and begin to build their new home with them. Our group’s house color is green exterior and blue interior. Group ones family chose red exterior and blue interior. Group threes family chose blue exterior and salmon colored interior. First day of building group two got all the trim painted up white, the roof panels made, and three walls nailed together with the green paint, painted on. Eric and Carlos were supposed to be at school but their mom Maria said they were way too excited for their new home to go to school that day, so the two of them got the day off and were alongside us all day working away! Alejandro and Maria are the parents names, quite young for parents but so adorable and incredibly nice. They were alongside us working as well. The yard is a fenced off lot with a banyo (washroom), a cute little garden with a variety of plants, two roosters and of course what is soon to be their old home. The first day of building seemed to go by so fast, but group two had a fun time bonding with each other and enjoying getting to know the family a little better, which they were not shy what so ever! The little boys were showing half of us how hammering should be done, and even if they accidentally nailed in a nail wrong, they would refuse help from anyone, and insisted on doing it on their own. For all those reading, I personally am very involved in the soccer community in Penticton, and I mean I thought I was pretty good at soccer, but the kids here are unreal considering the conditions they have to play in. As I drove up, I observed a young boy using a coca cola plastic 2 litre bottle as a soccer ball to do his footwork, not in grass or anything, but in some dirt and honestly his footwork was astonishing. He could show me up any day! After day one whipping by, we headed back in the vans for showers, dinner and some down time. For dinner we had some delicious fish tacos made by our Mexican family who works for live different. May I add, I didn’t quite like the idea of fish tacos before coming here, I mean I liked normal tacos, but after coming here I most definitely am a fan of fish tacos, sooo good! After dinner, we played some board games, sat by the fire, and eventually set off for bed, for the following day of building. J - Shayla Hearne

Day Five of the trip, day two of building:

Well I am currently sitting here writing, hoping to finally steal enough Wi-Fi to keep the blog up to date! Today breakfast was 8 am again, and it was off to the build sites at 9am. Group twos boys went to school, so we didn’t have them with us till after lunch but we had the parents helping us out again, which we really appreciate all their hard work and help! We finished building all the walls. It took a group effort but we got the walls up, and nailed together. Securing the house to the cement, following that it was another entire group effort but we got the roof frame lifted and secured onto the house. We headed out for a lunch break and then back at it we went! We got the roof all covered up and the walls inside up as well. We had some boys doing the framing, a roofing crew on top of the roof nailing everything down, a group of girls painting the banyo and nearing the end of the work day we had a variety of us painting the inside with the blue the family chose! We also got the windows in and secured as well.  We said our goodbyes to the family for the day and headed home for some dinner and showers.  After dinner, which may I add was absolutely delicious! We loaded the bus up and all headed to a local café for a group debriefing and some blended drinks and coffees. May I add, a group of us mainly Ben Phillips and I, scrounging for Wi-Fi at the café so we could keep up to date and cheer on the vees back home, which is now 3-3 in the series! Yay vees! After our beverages and a group photo at the café we loaded the bus back for some down time and bonding with everyone! Off to bed we go for another fun filled day of building tomorrow, time to tar a roof and finish painting the interior! House is coming along nicely J -Shayla Hearne

Almost, On the Road Again

The days are counting down. as I write only ten more days until we board the 52 passenger bus and head down the road. While the road is familiar to many of us, may our hearts and minds be open to the unfamiliar and unknown. My heart skips a beat when I think of the possibility of helping build homes for three families. Having a family of my own I can't fathom the thought of living on a dirt floor behind some makeshift cardboard. The transformation from cardboard to a wooden structure will change the physical and health conditions for these families. However, my hope is that the transformation begins at this point for us. To build a house is wonderful and needed! The ability to see justice issues all around us and speak, act and be in them is much more difficult and equally needed. Our journey does not stop when we get home but shifts from one country to another, from one family to another, from one city to another. How will week seek justice in Penticton and surrounding area when we come home on March 29th? What will we be willing to sacrifice for others; our time, energy, and even our own health?

YS Idea Lab: Brooklyn Lindsey - Leading Students To Justice | Youth Specialties | All about youth ministry.

Some helpful thoughts for us as we prepare to leave for Mexico.

YS Idea Lab: Brooklyn Lindsey - Leading Students To Justice | Youth Specialties | All about youth ministry.

The mist of an early San Diego morning greets us as we climb aboard the bus to begin our northern journey. A journey of mixed emotions as we leave Mexico and will soon greet our family and friends.

It has been another incredible journey. Proud of this Team 2013 and all that they have attributed to making this trip profoundly meaningful to the families in Mexico and to one another.

Will throw up a few pictures from our trip up the Baja yesterday and this morning’s farewell to Tanner (we decided to leave him in San Diego) and loading up to begin the journey. Well, actually, Tanner’s parents are here and he’s going home with them:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a panorama of the "big house" in Zapata

 

a "crazy bunch" out for dinner

 

Chula Vista "staging area