Back with avengence!
 

¡Hola! ¿Como estas? I'm finally back from Mexico. We had a great week even though it was constantly raining. From reports, it was the worst rain Tijuana had recieved in about 15 years. Of course, on the day we left, it was sunny and beautiful.

Anyway, we got the house put up in 4 days. The houses are provided by Homes Without Boundries, which is the organization that was set up as a way to help some of the residents get out of poverty. We were on the outskirts of town, where poverty rates are high, and incomes are about $600-$900 American. My site was located just down a steep muddy hill, and in about 6 inches of mud. Even with all the forces of nature against us, we still pulled strong and finished in the allotted time. We were staying at the orphanage that is the main sponsor of the program. The way the program works is that people volunteer at the orphanage to do 100 hours of service. Once their name is up on that list, and they do the service, they are put onto another list, and when their name comes up on there, they get a house built by groups like mine that go down there.

We did everything from leveling the groud, to mixing the cement pad, build the frames, put up siding, paint, build the roof, lay the shingles, and all that. The size of the house is 12x24 feet. They're really small, about the size of an American tool shed, but have two rooms, three windows, a locking door, and are wired for electricity.

The locals in my area were awesome. Helping to gather about a quarter mile of hose so we could have water on our site the day we mixed the cement. In other areas, though, they weren't so lucky. One group had a bunch of stuff stolen. One of the guys was able to go around and talk to the locals for a few hours and track down their ID's, which he had to buy and trade for to get back. For one of the girls, this is the third camera she's had stolen in a Spanish speaking country. We weren't able to get the rest of their stuff back. It really sucks.

There were no showers where we were, so we were probably pretty ripe smelling. I got to shower today, though. It felt so good. It's so great to be back in America! Maybe I'll post more about the trip later.


H-D :pimp:

Wo I felt the need for that shower bro i did,nt miss ya :p :p

My sweetheart, i am so happy you are back ;)
I missed ya a lot. :kiss:
I think you had a good experience except for the weather.
Tell us more when you feel like to :D

sounds like a great time man! glad you had a good one

Good for you Higher!!! You're such a good guy.. hey I've been wanting to speak to you about what you said in the other thread about us having a special understanding could you get back to me on that...thanks.

Well thanks a lot. I didn't miss you either. :chair:

Honestly, I don't remember what I meant. I'll have to go back and look at it when I have more time.


H-D :pimp:

Welcome back, Colin. Great job, man. That's awesome.

Cool! Great job!!!! You're a special guy! ;)

thats awsome dude, welcome back :)

Hey Colin,welcome back :D

Colin, I know I haven't been here on the board much, but I pop in now and then to check out the threads.

I had to reply to your post, as you have touched this family, in a way that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

I am so very proud of you!!! I tire of hearing all of the terrible things that are happening in our world, and thank you for this special reminder that there is hope and love for others, in the hearts of people.

Thru out your life, you will make a difference, that will, like a pebble dropped into the water, spread out in a ripple effect. Far beyond the original deed, your kindness will continue to grow, touching many others.

H-D, welcome back and good on you for doing such a cool thing! That is a lot of work and I'm sure the family who got the house is very grateful! Keep up the good work.

i didnt have time to say this earlier but we are all soo proud of you, youve done a great job and should be really proud of yourself for helping out.