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Making a Difference

Building on the Baja

By Nancy Cotterill

Watching a movie on the long flight to join our mission group for a trip into Mexico didn’t seem odd at all. In a world of IPhones, flat screens and Twitter, a movie on the plane fits into my normal expectations along with other more basic conveniences like plumbing, potable water, toilets, and paved streets.

But twenty miles south of Tijuana, Mexico, is a little colonia with none of those things. And in it was a young family which had been deposited by the Mexican government onto a 30 by 40 foot piece of dirt with six junk garage doors with which to build a house. That’s four for the walls and two for the roof. No doors. No windows. No Floor. 

Our mission: to build a house for the Delgado Machurro family. A house with windows, an actual locking front door, a poured cement foundation, an asphalt roof and walls that were painted inside and out. Oh, and we’d do it in about 10 hours.

Like ants we descended, about 25 of us, organized by Homes of Hope and volunteers from Youth With A Mission (YWAM). We started on the house at about 9:00 am on Saturday.  Husband Jim and I made up ­­the “saw team” and can proudly say we cut virtually every board in that house. We literally swarmed over that small property. Lots of us were from Indianapolis and all of us worked with enthusiasm so that by 3:30 that afternoon there were four standing walls on that slab. The roof was on and tar paper had been stapled in place ready to meet shingles the next day.

On Sunday, after an hour of worship, again we took the stomach-challenging trip over pits and ruts into the colonia to finish our work. While Jim joined others to finish the inside of the house, I took up a paint brush. By noon, we were nearing completion. One of the men fashioned a cross out of wood remnants and nailed it to the house and a hat was passed for groceries.

A few of us then jumped into the van and took Carolina shopping at a big grocery store (led constantly by the YWAM/Homes of Hope leaders.) She had, in her life, never spent more than $5 or $10 for groceries, so being able to spend $100 that day was an unexpected joy. And, she had $200 left to help with other family expenses.

While we were shopping, our compatriots on the “build” had secretly brought in a stove, beds , sheets and comforters, a table and chairs complete with dishes and tableware.  Many had brought bags full of gifts for the young Paula, the family’s 5-year old daughter.

The door to the house was closed when we returned.

We formed a circle outside the house and passed the house keys from one team-member to the next, giving our wishes and offering blessings to the family and finally the keys were passed to Carolina and Richardo, and the family entered their new house—alone.

In a few minutes we sent our youngest team member, 5-year old Caleb Ayers, to knock on the door.

[OK. You’ve got to know that our YWAM leaders told us, ”Mexican men just don’t cry.” It’s not done. Apparently it’s a cultural thing. So while tears had been shed in the key-passing ceremony by just about everyone, Richardo’s eyes had remained dry.]

But, after a few minutes alone with his family, in his new house, after seeing what was given—over and above four walls and a roof, after witnessing the delight in his little daughter’s eyes upon seeing a suitcase full of clothes and toys…something changed. 

When Ricardo opened that door, he could barely stand.

He wrapped his arms around one of our troupe and buried his head in his shoulder, tears flowing, gasping for breath. He hugged us all, unembarrassed by this show of emotion. We stood there—shell shocked. Wiped out.  Joy, love and an overwhelming sense of fulfillment swept over us like the breeze off the Coronados on the Baja coast.

But it wasn’t a breeze. It was Jesus—with us there in that little house, caring for each of us in his perfect way of knowing what every person needs.  All this was because of Him. All this, in His name.  All of this.