Amor Mexico 2009

This is the house of the Diaz Calderon Family, the family of ten was living in the small house in the bottom picture. The top picture is the new house that our group built for them.

It has been a week since we arrived in Rocky Point to build a house for this needy family, and I am still processing all the details of this trip. I have decided I do not want it to be just a mountain-top experience, but a life changing point in time. I was taken aback from the sheer need of this family. They have so little but are so rich. The joy they extended to us as a team as well as to their own family members was great.

A few of my thoughts...It was cold--but they live here all the time. There was no bathroom--but they live like this. I never felt clean--they are never away from the sand and dirt. The animals around are starving to death--they see hunger every day. I worked hard physically until my muscles were sore, my hands raw and blistered--they work like this all the time, when they have jobs.

The four days went very fast. We laid a foundation, built the walls, poured A TON of concrete, put the roof on, spread a lot of chicken wire and stucco. The house was complete with two doors and four windows. They would sleep outside at night to prevent anyone from stealing the supplies. During the day all of the family members would help us mix, hammer, saw or put together nail kits. They were there to serve us with homemade tortillas while we worked side by side. Although they spoke no English, there was hardly a language barrier from the looks in their eyes. I am moved to tears as I think back on their gratefulness to what we would consider a garage.

I could go on for ever with my thoughts about this experience, but I would not want to bore anyone. The dramatic waste that I see in my own life is real and it must be changed to serve those around me. I wish I could pack up my truck with clothes, furniture, and food today and make a beeline to their house. I am not sure in the big picture that is what God is asking me to do. but it was great to be able to pray with them, give them Spanish bibles, and work along side of them hopefully showing that the body of Christ has many hands and feet and not just lips to speak.

I was honored to be a part of this team of 150 people from our home church and can not wait to return next year if not sooner.