The Build and Daycare

Today I had the opportunity to join the group at the build site. It was quite the experience. The site was up and down a hilly, rutted path about 30 minutes from Vicente Guerrero. There, perched on the side of the hill, were shacks and huts. Some were cinder block and others were made out of whatever scraps that were found--black plastic, tarps, small pieces of lumber, tin, even big rocks used to hold the pieces of roofing material in place.

On the work site the home that Carmella lives in with her 2 young granddaughters. Carmella is blind in one eye, so she is discriminated against even more (already she is considered a very "low class" because of her ethnicity). This makes finding work incredibly hard. She lives in a pieced together hut covered with a warm blue tarp and garbage bags. It is such a hill it's hard to stand upright, yet there she lives, perched on the side of the hill.

Right next to her current hut is where the men are digging the new bano. It's tough digging, taking 2 days to go through 7 feet of rocky mountainside. This is with a generator powered jack hammer. Her old outhouse was surrounded by plastic about 4 feet high with the toilet perched on wooden pieces balanced over old 2x4's. Next to this, there is an old laundry room sink (where dishes are washed) and a low basin used to bathe the girls. The new home borders the old bano, so there was quite the odour that enveloped the team.

The house is a basic cinderblock building, with 2 windows and a door, but next to her current home, it looks like a palace. It will provide a safe haven for this dear lady and her granddaughters.

My job today included mixing mortar and cement (yes, there is a difference), hauling cinderblocks, snipping wire, and taking pictures. Joel joined me and helped sift sand, played with puppets, played with the 2 little girls and chiseled around the base.

The trusses are now up and the stucco done. The roof should be finished tomorrow and it will be ready for paint. Amazing work for 3 days!

Ethan and Abigail joined the daycare today. The kids come from mostly single parent homes. The majority are picked up, starting at 6 am. The kids are starved for a dad's attention.

The daycare provides breakfast and lunch for the children as well as some hygiene (washing hands and face and doing their hair). The older classes (4 & 5) are escorted to and from school. The younger children (2 & 3) play games, sing songs, learn preschool basics and are taught the Word of God. Our teens were able to play with the kids and perform a puppet show for them. A highlight is riding the bus with them to and from preschool.

It is truly a joy to see these kids at breakfast and lunch as we eat together. We feel very privileged to. be able to work together and serve this incredible community.