Mexico Mission Trip ~ Feb. 12-15, 2010

Jared & Paul were blessed last month with another opportunity to join AMOR Ministries and some friends from our former church in Tempe in Rocky Point, Mexico to build a house for a family in need. This house consists of a foundation, 4 rooms, walls, doors and windows (no indoor plumbing or electricity) and was built over a 4 day weekend completely by hand. AMOR Ministries exists to provide adequate housing for those in need in order to keep disadvantaged families together. To learn more, go to http://www.amor.org/.

Mexico Trip by Jared

My dad and I went to Mexico to build a house for a poor family who could not even afford a roof that wasn't leaking. The house we helped build was very small but was bigger than what the family lived in before, and the people we were building for were very grateful. The house itself took about three days to build and was a lot of work - one wheelbarrowful of concrete mixing took it all out of me! One of my favorite things about the trip was when I got to work on the roof with dad, nailing boards together. Overall, I had a great time and my favorite part was watching the people's eyes light up when they received the keys to their own new house.

The camp



Two of the children from the family. (This is their outdoor bathtub.)


Their previous home. (Paul tells me that this is one of the more "healthy" dogs around.)

Laying the concrete foundation.

The walls going up.


The front stoop with all of the family's handprints (mom, dad, and 5 children including the baby's footprints.)

Paul and Jared working on the roof.

The mom placing her miniature tile heart in the back stoop. (Every worker gets to leave a piece of their "heart" in the concrete.)

The groups from Tempe and Gateway CofC plus alumni!

Their favorite photo on the trip (thanks to Mark Atencio.) As they were leaving the border, different vendors tried to sell them various drinks and snacks - including "fruit flavored scratch!" They are still trying to figure out what it is!)

More Pics:

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. . .

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

Isaiah 58:6-8,10-11