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Mexico Family Camp

We had a wonderful trip to Rosarita, Mexico! Ninety-nine family campers built four homes for families in need. Our team of twenty built a home for the Lopez Dominguez family, which included Ines and Jose, parents of Sandra (25), Mar (15), Ivan (10) and Lupe (10), and grandparents of Anya (7) and Luis (7 months). While the home we built was about the size of a tool shed in the states, this family was so grateful to have it! Jose works full-time, yet only makes about $80 dollars a month. It would have taken this family years to have saved enough money for the materials. As a token of her appreciation, Ines cooked for us every day! It was the most delicious and authentic Mexican food I have ever eaten. Samantha even ate it. Que sabrosa!

 

This year we were joined by my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and our great friends from Ohio. We won the best recruiter award! Who knows, next year we might send you a tent for Christmas...


Recent pictures

Mexico 2008

Ready for Concrete Day
Ready for Concrete Day

How do you say "I need to sharpen my pencil" in Spanish?


Waiting for dinner
Waiting for dinner
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Family Time at Communion Service
Family Time at Communion Service
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Samantha and Jillian at worship
Samantha and Jillian at worship
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Team Building
Team Building
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Sandra and Luis
Sandra and Luis
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Don preparing to build
Don preparing to build
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Kim and her shaka
Kim and her shaka
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Kristi preparing to build
Kristi preparing to build
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Ines and another delicious meal
Ines and another delicious meal
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Samantha, Anya and Jillian
Samantha, Anya and Jillian
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Kim and Chris
Kim and Chris
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Leveling the land
Leveling the land
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Don and Lee
Don and Lee
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Trent and Kristi
Trent and Kristi
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Tessa and Anya
Tessa and Anya
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Samantha helping at VBS
Samantha helping at VBS
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Jillian literally holding up a wall
Jillian literally holding up a wall
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Samantha
Samantha
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Chris, Sam, Kim and Lee at campfire
Chris, Sam, Kim and Lee at campfire
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Chris and Kim
Chris and Kim

The Hawaiian residents ready for a Mexican work day.


Who messed up this wall?
Who messed up this wall?
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Chris in the rafters
Chris in the rafters
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Nana wrapping the house
Nana wrapping the house

I'll just hold up this wall for a minute.


For God so loved the world
For God so loved the world

Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School

Girls at VBS
Girls at VBS

Stucco pies!
Stucco pies!

Jesus is number one!
Jesus is number one!

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Brushing Teeth
Brushing Teeth

Dental hygiene in Mexico


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Mexico Family Camp

Journal

Journal of Our Trip

Friday, June 13-

Our airline changed our flight, so we flew out Friday evening instead of Saturday morning. We were worried about the short connection in Denver, but we made it with time to spare! Thanks for all the prayers. The flight even had DirectTV, so Trent was able to watch the U.S. Open. We landed at 11 pm (PT), shuttled to our hotel with all FIVE bags of luggage, and realized that this was the last real bed we'd sleep in for awhile.

 
Saturday, June 14-
We woke early (time change issues) and called the family and friends we'd recruited for this year's adventure.  At eleven we met at the San Diego airport for a quick lunch and to meet the rest of the team. What fun to see all our friends from previous family camps! Once the Mexi-Coaches arrived, we loaded the buses with an amazing amount of luggage and crossed the border into Mexico, where we quickly (for some!) set up our tents, got acquainted with the banos, and made ourselves at home.
 
Sunday, June 15-
I took an Ambien Saturday night, thinking it would help me sleep. Big mistake! I felt nauseous and groggy until 2 pm. I do remember we broke into work teams, discussed the home building process, and prepped VBS supplies. Samantha played soccer and softball in the Mexican dirt most of the day. After a nap I felt much better - ready for the talent show! We performed an amazing rendition of "Who's on First". We should have won (I think!), but the prize went to the seventh-grade boy who dragged queened Hannah Montana's "Nobody's Perfect". Go figure!

Journal

Journal, part two

Monday, June 16-

Concrete Day! We woke early (no more ambien for me!), got ready and boarded school buses to head to the work site. It must have felt strange for the Mexican family to have twenty foreigners armed with hammers invade, but we introduced ourselves and began to form relationships. The kids were the best at this! At one point during the day we asked Samantha to help mix concrete, but she said, "I prefer dealing with the children." (I don't blame her! Mixing concrete is hard!)

At 11 am Ivan said his mother made breakfast. I told him to enjoy his meal. Then he said that the meal was for us! Ines had made us all burritos with eggs, sausage, beans, mole and salsa. After a hurried conversation about whether it was safe for us to eat, we decided to try it. Delicious! Later that day, Ines asked me what we could eat with our delicate stomachs. I told her that we had appreciated her meal, but she didn't have to cook for us. She continued to ask what we could eat and said that she washed and cooked everything in purified water. I didn't know how to answer this question in English let alone in Spanish, so I turned to Brad, the mission's minister. He grinned and said, "Tamales!"

After a hard day of sifting, sorting, hammering, shoveling, mixing, pouring and tamping we had an 11x22 foot concrete slab and a friendship with a Mexican family. Beautiful!

Tuesday, June 17-

Miraculously, most of the soreness and stiffness from concrete day vanished with the night's rest. Today we built walls, lots and lots of walls. It was also the first day of Vacation Bible School. I met lots of delightful Mexican children, but one boy, Jose, stuck by me through the entire program, chattering constantly. I missed half of what he said, but it gave my Spanish a workout. (Bean tacos and soup today, courtesy of Ines. Yum!)

Wednesday, June 18-

Today the roof went on! Trent spent most of the day nailing plywood and shingles onto the roof. What a beautiful sight when the house was up and then wrapped with bailing wire, tarpaper and chicken wire. We didn't get stucco on today as hoped, but we did enjoy a fabulous meal of tamales! I once again hung out with Jose at VBS, and I learned everything there was to learn about him and his family and his school.

Thursday, June 19-

Today we put on stucco. And more stucco. And more stucco. We stucco'ed until I thought my shoulders would fall off. But we got two coats on. Beautiful! This was a bittersweet day because it was the day we finished the house and said goodbye to our Mexican family. Today we brought lunch for Ines (although she did make us tacos that morning, because according to her we couldn't work from 8 am until 1 pm without a snack!). Anya, the seven year old, cried when we told her it was time to eat. After a little coaxing, she told us she didn't want to eat because she knew that we'd have to leave after the meal. I felt the same way. It was heartwrenching to say goodbye. Incredible that after only four days this family meant so much to all of us.

After our goodbyes we went to the beach for a baptism service. What an amazing way to end the day!

Friday, June 20-

Today we packed up our tents, shoved everything back into suitcases, and boarded the buses back to San Diego. Beth cried after flushing the toilet in the San Diego airport because so many of the Mexican families are without this luxury. (I rather enjoyed the thrill of running water again, to tell you the truth.)

While it was great to be back in the comfort of electricity, indoor plumbing, walls, and beds, I pray that we will always maintain our Mexico Hearts!



11/24/2009 9:52:52 PM