After breakfast we worked on our daily morning tasks and then did some stretching for the physically tiring work ahead of us. After having our orientation with the volunteer coordinator, Eduardo, we headed out to a community called La Morita. This is the same community where I first worked at with our Trekkers nine years ago.
Today we worked on two different homes but all within a five to six block distance. The first home we helped finish putting up the walls and then poured cement. The other home we're helping dig the foundation. We'll post pictures later and Trekker comments.
After work we visited an all girls "half-way home" and our Trekkers just loved playing with the kids. I constantly had to remind then that they can't take the kids home. This facility that we visited is a place where parents that can't afford to provide for their daughters, for whatever reason, can leave them with the Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus so the kids can have a house, food and the care that they need.
Everyone continues to do very well and I speak for the entire group when I say that we all feel welcome, safe and appreciated. Today is one of those days that I wish we can bring more people from the Parish, not just the students but also parents and anyone who can come to experience this life giving opportunity.
I will let the Trekkers add their comments about this day but know that everyone is happy, tired and maybe even sore from all our work today but happy and with joy filled hearts.
Thanks for reading.
Be Blessed,
JT
Hi everyone!
It's been another beautiful day in Tijuana. Today was our first day at the worksites, which were amazing. We are working with two different families in one community. The first family has constructed most of their house, and today we built up walls and poured cement (FUN!) for their home. The other family is only at the very beginning of the process, and so we dug trenches for their foundation. We got a ton done in just one day and are looking forward to doing much more in the coming days! It was, as we were warned, a complete workout, but we took a break for possibly the best lunch I've ever had in my life. Rice and beans, (and meat and potatoes for the meat eaters) with yummy salsa and homemade tortillas-- who could ask for anything more?
After finishing up at the worksites we went to the Casa Hogar, which is an orphanage / halfway-house run by nuns. We spent an hour playing with them-- tag to pretend, and everything in between. I personally made friends with a little girl named Maria, who likes butterflies, apples, and the color purple. It was hard not to take her back to the posada in the van!
Tijuana continues to feel very safe. As Eduardo says, this city isn't at all like the American media makes it out to be. The people are wonderfully welcoming and the experiences we're having are lifechanging.
Big hugs to everyone at home!
Much love,
Taryn
Hello from Tijuana! It's evening--right before dinner--and everyone is either showering, preparing food, or relaxing after a day's hard work. This morning, my group started our work at Marta's house. Our job there was to pick axe the soil, shovel it out of the trenches, and then pass the dirt in buckets to the dirt pile. Marta and her husband (a taxi driver) have three children, ages 6, 8, and 10, who were an enthusiastic and hardworking part of our dirt bucket line. I had the pleasure to work next to all three of them; Uriel, Roberto, and little Lupita. Roberto was a joker, Lupita was incredibly strong minded, and when it was time to leave for the other work site, Uriel grabbed me in a huge hug and told me not to leave. It was all I could do to not stick him in the trunk of our van, but I promised him that we would come back tomorrow.
At the other site, we mixed concrete and passed it along in a bucket line into the house, where Eduardo spread it on the bricks. It was hard work, but it was very satisfying to get in the car at the end of the day and know we had finished that work site.
After work we visited a halfway house where we all played a rousing game of freeze tag. I made friends with a little girl named Alexandra who was enchanted by both my camera and Thomas. She (along with several other girls) chased him around the whole time and, when it was time to say goodbye, made me promise that I would beat him up for her later.
Despite some sore muscles, everyone is doing well. I am loving the culture of Tijuana and eager at any chance to practice my clumsy Spanish.
Love and hugs,
Maria
Wonderful, a quick and early rise this morning gave way to a morning full of anticipation for the coming day and the work that would get done. Morning chores went quickly, and we were ready to go well before the staff were ready to take us. Hearing about the basics of the worksite and the work that would be done, we prepared for the energy and excitement to be sapped by the sun before mid day.
Such was not to be the case, as we arrived later than normal to the worksite and split ourselves- one group to prepare the wall and pour the cement that would hold the house together, and the other to continue the work on a foundation nearby. Regardless of the work, the families happiness and hard work made it clear that we were appreciated, even if it did lead to some horsing around. The limitations of the short morning were more than made up for by the amount of work that got done; a blessing of a day, the sky was high overcast, preventing the sun from exhausting us as it had yesterday. Three short hours of work after noon, and we departed for the Posada to freshen up before an evening field trip.
The trip to the orphanage of St. Theresa provided a wonderful opportunity to relax and cut loose as we played active games of tag and soccer with the children who had so much more energy than I. Watching faces light up, and seeing others bond (limited spanish makes that kinda tough for me) brought such a sense of meaning and purpose to the trip that the thought of the work these next few days has filled me with anticipation of watching that same joy appear on the faces of the families we are helping. It has become clear just how much of a difference we can and will make.
~J.B.
Ah there's nothing like the first day of work. And the goodnight's sleep that follows. We split the group in two today in order to continue digging a foundation at one site and finish the walls at another. We all worked very hard and will be feeling it in the moring for sure. But getting to work with the families, talking to them, and of course eating the delicious food are worth it. After work today we went to an orphanage and played with the children there. It's always great to see the joy they get from having visitors.
I've always loved coming down here and being back just feels great. I can't wait for the rest of the week.
From Mexico with love, Blake
It's almost time for bed, so this is going to be a petite update. Not knowing Spanish is definitely a handicap, but smiles go along way too. During our visit to the St. Theresa orphanage (halfway house?), we played Sun and Ice tag, got "sent to prison" by a little girl who went by "Sol", and pet the resident bunny "Coffee and Milk." We also worked today, building walls and digging trenches. However, the best part of the day was lunchtime - rice, beans, and BEEF with tortillas. It was just so good I don't even want to write about it. It's just inexplicable. There was alot of driving and sunshine and sunscreen and sleeping and it was just a good day! More to come so stay tuned! ~~~ Mucho Amor, Sophie and Brett
What a fantastic first work day with the Tijuana Trekkers! The team I was with continued digging a foundation that was started by last week's group. It felt good to establish a work rhythm- whether shoveling dirt or passing it along the bucket line. Let's see how sore I am tomorrow! I've made it a point to set aside time to talk more with the families we are working with, as well as reconnecting with people I met the first time I was here last September. I enjoyed the challenge of using my slowly improving Spanglish skills to communicate! Time to get some shuteye to have the energy to do our community-building work again.~~~Hasta Luego Amigos! Ron 8)
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