Yesterday we finished the house! We worked our butts off and put in a long morning, but we got the job done! We did the finishing touches; putting up some walls inside, cutting and painting the trim and installing it, second coating of paint on the house (which the family helped with), and just some last minute little things.
In the afternoon everyone did random things; some went to help finish the school,others stayed around the house to help with some chores like putting away all of our supplies and tools from the week, and I spent the afternoon sorting through all of the donations that our group brought down, and got them ready for the school and the family.
Last night we had a "Fiesta" and this consisted of pinhata with lots of Mexican candy, a hoola hoop contest and of course LOTS of dancing.
Today was the shopping and dedication day. We spent the morning shopping for things to put in the house like beds, a table and chairs, a stove and propane tank, dishes and kitchen items and a bunch of groceries. Our group pooled our money together and ended up raising $1400 for the shopping trip. We spent the majority of the money on the family, and some on the school...we are putting in a water tank so that the school can have clean running water to drink, and with the purchase comes about a year's worth of water. We are spending the rest on desks and chairs...things that the school really needs.
We went to the school first, and a lot of the community was there. They thanked us a lot, and had prepared a meal of chicken, Mexican rice, and hot, fresh flour tortillas. As well, they had hot tamaili's. Some of the Mother's cried, and the kids and they were very grateful. It was a very emotional dedication, and it was nice to see how much the community really appreciated the school.
Next we went to the house. We started by unloading all of the donations and laying them out in the house all over the counters and beds. Then we locked up the house, and dedicated some special toys to the youngest kids. The little girl, who is 10, I gave a Barbie doll to, because that is what she had asked for. And one of the other girls on our team gave the little boy, who is 8, some toy cars because that is what he asked for. They really loved them. Next, my cousin Marcus had the honours of handing over the keys to the family. They unlocked the door and we gave them a few minutes to themselves to look around the house. Now, as I had mentioned before, the family is very shy, and even before they went into the house they did not say much. However when they came out, some of the siblings and the parents gave us a huge appreciative thank you.
We spent some more time with the family, and they had prepared an afternoon meal for us called cebiehe. This is raw fish cut up and soaked in lime (which I just learned today actually cooks it), mixed with basil, tomato, cucumber, garlic and some other spices. It is served on tostilla chips with mayo.
After we ate, I showed the girls the manicure/pedicure set I had made for them and painted two of the girls nails. I also showed them all of the hair accessories that had been donated and braided the little girls hair in pig tails...her smile after all this was unforegettable. Time flew by, and before I knew it it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes, and headed back to the house.
I have never experienced anything like I did today, and it was an amazing feeling. Having worked on a project from start to finish and then seeing the recipient's reaction was an experience that will stay with me forever. We now have a connection and a bond with these people that is unbreakable and unique.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Doing laundry Mexican style!
There are certain moments that I have on these trips when I go "wow, I can't believe how much I take this for granted"...and it's always something small, something that we as North Americans might consider insignificant. I had one of those moments today. It all started when Charles had the idea for us to learn how to do laundry - by hand. So a few of us brought some dirty clothing items to the house build, and the Mother of the house taught us how to clean it by hand. As I was washing my laundry I was calculating in my head how long it would take to wash an average load. So in Mexico, average four minutes per clothing article; and an average of 20 items in one load at home...so 4x20= 80 minutes per load...in Mexico. At home it takes me all of two minutes to throw a load of laundry in the machine. It was A LOT of work!
When I was done my laundry I went up on the roof of the house to help with the tarring for the roof, and boy was it a messy job! Within the first 10 minutes I ended up with tar all over my hands, my arm, and my leg...and believe me, when you get tar on your skin, it is VERY difficult to get off...we had to use gasoline! However we were VERY productive this morning, and not only did the roof get done, but the inside walls, the outside trim, and windows were installed.
In the afternoon we decided to head to the beach with our family. We went back for lunch and then swung back to the house to pick them up. Not everyone came, since some of them were working, but the Mom, the youngest boy, and three of the daughters did. Mario, the youngest boy really warmed up and jumped right in the ocean. Two of the daghters, aged 14 and 19 were a little more shy, but I convinced them to come into the ocean with me, and they did some boogie boarding...which they LOVED with the huge waves!
The youngest daughter, who is eight, really warmed up to me today. We had some face paints, so I painted a heart on one cheek and a flower on the other. Then I braided her hair, and she loved it. She could not go swimming since her Mom said that she was ill, so instead I took her over to the park. At first she would not go down the big slide alone, and she eventually gained enough confidence to slide down all on her own. She would laugh and giggle every time, and she must have gone down 25 times!
Today was an awesome day, and in the evening we went to a cafe where they sold smoothies, specialty coffee's, and desserts. We had our debriefing there, and then watched the movie "Pay it Forward".
I learned a lot today, and I am really happy that the family warmed more. This experience in Mexico is definetly one that I am enjoying, and I am really loving getting to know the family.
P.S. Once again, I have no pictures, but they will be posted on here, and on facebook very soon!
When I was done my laundry I went up on the roof of the house to help with the tarring for the roof, and boy was it a messy job! Within the first 10 minutes I ended up with tar all over my hands, my arm, and my leg...and believe me, when you get tar on your skin, it is VERY difficult to get off...we had to use gasoline! However we were VERY productive this morning, and not only did the roof get done, but the inside walls, the outside trim, and windows were installed.
In the afternoon we decided to head to the beach with our family. We went back for lunch and then swung back to the house to pick them up. Not everyone came, since some of them were working, but the Mom, the youngest boy, and three of the daughters did. Mario, the youngest boy really warmed up and jumped right in the ocean. Two of the daghters, aged 14 and 19 were a little more shy, but I convinced them to come into the ocean with me, and they did some boogie boarding...which they LOVED with the huge waves!
The youngest daughter, who is eight, really warmed up to me today. We had some face paints, so I painted a heart on one cheek and a flower on the other. Then I braided her hair, and she loved it. She could not go swimming since her Mom said that she was ill, so instead I took her over to the park. At first she would not go down the big slide alone, and she eventually gained enough confidence to slide down all on her own. She would laugh and giggle every time, and she must have gone down 25 times!
Today was an awesome day, and in the evening we went to a cafe where they sold smoothies, specialty coffee's, and desserts. We had our debriefing there, and then watched the movie "Pay it Forward".
I learned a lot today, and I am really happy that the family warmed more. This experience in Mexico is definetly one that I am enjoying, and I am really loving getting to know the family.
P.S. Once again, I have no pictures, but they will be posted on here, and on facebook very soon!
Hero Holiday Mexico
So here I am in Mexico, on a Hero Holiday, and so far, I am LOVING it! Our drive down from San Diego was great because we drove along the coast, and I couldn't keep my eyes away from the window; that is one thing I love about being in a new country: having brand new scenery to look at.
When we arrived at our new home for the week, we were all really excited. We are staying in actual houses, dorm style. There is the main Hero Holiday house where we eat, and hold debriefings. The boys are in one house, and girls in the other. There is a big yard where we can play football or soccer and right outside of the boys house is where we have bonfires.
Our team is working on two projects this week: an extension to a school, and building a home for a family of 12 currently living in a very small home. The first day on the site I worked on the school. The concrete pad was already laid, and so we started working on putting together the roof panels, the walls, and painting the existing school. There were a few kids around, and they were VERY eager to help. They would take the hammer right out of our hand and start swinging it...and they were actually really good at it. There was also one local man who set up a stand for us to "shop" at. Some of us bought things from him, since buying from a local vendor is much better than buying at a commercial store. Our team worked really hard on the school, and by the end of the day we were exhausted. However, we were all looking forward to tacos for dinner!!! We went to a taco stand down the road, and I ate the best tacos of my life! Later on, after a very thorough debriefing we ended up at the circus! It was a very funny show and a great way to end off our very first working day in Mexico.
The second day of work I spent at the house build. We finished building the walls and put together the house. This took us until about 11am, and then Charles had a great idea. I had been told by the team there the previous day that the family was very, very shy. So he decided that we would all take them out for ice-cream to break the ice and get to know them better. It did work, and they started talking to us more.
After lunch, we put the roof on the house, and paneled it. We also painted the trim that will go up on the outside of the house and I had some of the girls and the kids helping us out with this...they really enjoyed it. This took us all afternoon, and the roof required us to really work like a team. It took all of us, and all of the strength we had to lift the roof panels on top of the house. When we got home, we had some time to relax before dinner. After dinner, we had a late debriefing and then had a huge bonfire, with Parker, one of the guys on the trip playing guitar and singing. It was a really fun night.
Having been on three Hero Holiday's in the Dominican and spending some time there on my own, my natural thoughts are to compare it with this trip and the Mexican needs and culture. Since I have never been to Mexico I was not really sure what to expect and I have found that it is not much different. The people seem to have the same attitude; happy with what they have and very grateful for us being here. There is a lot of need here as well, however I have found that the homes are much more spread out than in the Dominican. I feel right at home here, just like I do in the DR and I cannot wait to finish the house and hopefully make our family's lives a little bit easier.
P.S. I DO have pictures however the internet is on and off here and right now it will not let me upload pictures...coming soon!
When we arrived at our new home for the week, we were all really excited. We are staying in actual houses, dorm style. There is the main Hero Holiday house where we eat, and hold debriefings. The boys are in one house, and girls in the other. There is a big yard where we can play football or soccer and right outside of the boys house is where we have bonfires.
Our team is working on two projects this week: an extension to a school, and building a home for a family of 12 currently living in a very small home. The first day on the site I worked on the school. The concrete pad was already laid, and so we started working on putting together the roof panels, the walls, and painting the existing school. There were a few kids around, and they were VERY eager to help. They would take the hammer right out of our hand and start swinging it...and they were actually really good at it. There was also one local man who set up a stand for us to "shop" at. Some of us bought things from him, since buying from a local vendor is much better than buying at a commercial store. Our team worked really hard on the school, and by the end of the day we were exhausted. However, we were all looking forward to tacos for dinner!!! We went to a taco stand down the road, and I ate the best tacos of my life! Later on, after a very thorough debriefing we ended up at the circus! It was a very funny show and a great way to end off our very first working day in Mexico.
The second day of work I spent at the house build. We finished building the walls and put together the house. This took us until about 11am, and then Charles had a great idea. I had been told by the team there the previous day that the family was very, very shy. So he decided that we would all take them out for ice-cream to break the ice and get to know them better. It did work, and they started talking to us more.
After lunch, we put the roof on the house, and paneled it. We also painted the trim that will go up on the outside of the house and I had some of the girls and the kids helping us out with this...they really enjoyed it. This took us all afternoon, and the roof required us to really work like a team. It took all of us, and all of the strength we had to lift the roof panels on top of the house. When we got home, we had some time to relax before dinner. After dinner, we had a late debriefing and then had a huge bonfire, with Parker, one of the guys on the trip playing guitar and singing. It was a really fun night.
Having been on three Hero Holiday's in the Dominican and spending some time there on my own, my natural thoughts are to compare it with this trip and the Mexican needs and culture. Since I have never been to Mexico I was not really sure what to expect and I have found that it is not much different. The people seem to have the same attitude; happy with what they have and very grateful for us being here. There is a lot of need here as well, however I have found that the homes are much more spread out than in the Dominican. I feel right at home here, just like I do in the DR and I cannot wait to finish the house and hopefully make our family's lives a little bit easier.
P.S. I DO have pictures however the internet is on and off here and right now it will not let me upload pictures...coming soon!
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