A Family’s Life Changed Forever!

On Tuesday, September 21st we got the opportunity to tell a family that they will be getting a new house built for them. As we walked up to their home I really had no idea what to expect. We formed a semi-circle around the family and Andrew asked them if they would let us build them a new house, starting tomorrow! At first their faces were blank, but soon filled with emotion. This brought many smiles to our faces of course, and the feeling I had really can’t be explained. As I scanned the families’ faces once again I stopped and watched the grandma. Her face showed the most emotion. Her eyes slowly began to fill with tears and the smile on her face grew. As I stood there watching her I began to tear up and thought that in such a short time, this family’s life has changed forever – and we were there to tell them.

The next day we came back bright and early and began to get the cement platform ready to be poured. The family greeted us, once again with huge smiles. We were all very excited to get building! The mom jumped right in and helped us! Once the cement was poured we let it dry until Monday morning.As we pulled up to the families’ home that Monday morning, we noticed that they had taken the time to set us up a nice `cozy` area for our breaks. They had taken their couches and set them out; they also put a tarp up to create shade and cardboard to block the dust. Just by doing this and how they expressed their emotions, we knew how much we were appreciated. From Monday to Wednesday we painted panels, created walls, put on the roof panels and stood the house up! It was a great week!As we drove home every day after working – I tried to imagine the thoughts that were running through all of their minds and how they must be feeling. I can never even come close to imagining the emotions they probably had after having their lives changed within 72 hours. I looked forward to working along side the family for the rest of the week and getting them into their new house by the weekend!Jessica, a School of Leadership student living in Mexico

Carlos & Me

I loved watching him talk in his native language. He had so much to say and a mind full of endless potential. If only he had the opportunity. For Carlos school is not guaranteed, and even if he graduates high school he will continue to work in the fields with his brother. He tells me he loves the peacefulness of his country, the beautiful mountains surrounding his warm community. It’s amazing how the community works as a family. Eager to help out on the house in any way they can. We close the interview with a hug and a smile. I can see clearly that we have connected and have become amigos.

Later in the afternoon the translator Angelina informs me that he wants me to meet his family. As soon as the words leave her lips a huge smile explodes on my face that just won’t diminish. It fills my heart and I grow anxious. But the working day ends too fast and I’ll just have to wait till the next day.

That night I try to share my excitement but it’s too hard to explain and I can’t captivate my feelings. I am anxious and nervous but I sleep through till the next morning.  

Finally, on the work site the next day I meet up with Carlos. He brings me to his house which is made up of cardboard, a dirt floor, and a sheet to cover the door. I am so honoured to be welcomed into their home. His family gives me warm smiles. I meet his sister, his mother and father and his father says that whenever I visit Mexico again, his home is my home. A tear of happiness forms in my eyes. It warms my heart that he can let me into his family without barley meeting him. He has such trust and love. I hand Carlos a drawing of me and him playing soccer. He smiles and shows his family. I feel that I have made a positive impact on his life but he will never know how much he has changed mine. Thank you Carlos, thank you Mexico, thank you Hero Holiday, you’ve changed my life.

Small summary of Hero Holiday from me:

Hero holiday doesn’t end when you hit the border in Canada; it’s a life changing experience that never runs out. You end up seeing the world in a whole new way. The walls that hide poverty are knocked down, and replaced with walls that house a deserving family. Layers that cover your confidence are peeled away, and replaced by layers of knowledge. Down in Mexico we have created everlasting friendships, but a special, rare friendship called family.

Hailey Withers

Buzz Lightyear and colourful wigs!

I’m sitting in the Hero Holiday coach right now about to leave the place I called home for a month. I’m excited to go home and see my family and friends but at the same time I can’t believe I’m having to say goodbye to all these wonderful people I’ve met, the adventures we’ve been on and the last remnants of those memories made together. The past few days have been a blast, starting out with the always extremely moving dedication day and ending with time to relax, stretch out those sore muscles and lay on the beach for a while. Yesterday we got to sleep in a bit and enjoy a relaxing start to the day before heading to our mountain climb and then to this awesome oasis in the middle of nowhere. It was so nice to enjoy the refreshing water (even when I got thrown in a couple times) and just chill out for a couple of hours, eating hot dogs and lying under the sun. We had our final debrief when we got home, then prepared for a night of high-energy fiesta-ing! A group of people- including Andrew, Dawn and Anthonie – had birthdays throughout the trip so we wanted to celebrate them all with a true Mexican party. The night was filled with yummy burritos and ice-cream sundaes, taking turns bashing the pinata (Anthonie had picked a very life-like Buzz Lightyear) and dancing to Santi’s awesome remixes. We even got Julia and Momma D boogieing in these great colourful wigs! The fiesta was the perfect way to end the trip and I can’t wait to see the pictures from the past few days and the rest of the trip.I’ve had the privilege of being a part of four house dedication days so far, and there is truth in every word when I say that their power to impact me never fades – each one is as emotionally moving as the last. This trip my group dedicated a house to a young couple with a three-year-old girl named Paola. The moment I saw her she immediately reached out to give me a hug, I could tell I’d never meet anyone like her. I was amazed that she could have so much unbound energy in her, that her smile could be so wide and full of laughter, and that her eyes could be so bright and not seem to betray any sign of the harsh life she lives.Maybe there is some advantage in being naive, maybe being so young means she doesn’t have to bare the whole weight of such a life on her shoulders as her parents do. But it is still a wonder to me that she, and all the other children I’ve had the chance to meet here, can be so full of life and so eager to share that energy with even us, strangers who’ve just planted themselves in her world and who don’t even speak her language. And it’s not only the children. It’s every family I’ve met down here who has opened the door to their life to us, let us in with open arms and shared their stories and even what little food that had. They treated us as if we had been their lifelong friends. Where you live, which family do you know who would invite in a complete stranger and do all this for them? I certainly don’t know any. The hearts of these people are bigger and stronger than I could have ever imagined, and they have inspired me to make mine a little bigger and stronger as well. They have also inspired me to use the growth I’ve experienced and not just let it sit there as if it never happened. Before I came on this trip I knew who I wanted to be in life, but I honestly had little idea of who I was. And though I know this is something almost everyone experiences, the seemingly impossible ‘search’ for self-actualization, I still was so angry with myself for not finding what I was looking for, and so confused about what I was even trying to find. But going on a trip like this, and experiencing everything I have in a world many people don’t believe, or don’t want to believe, exists, has changed that. Maybe I still don’t have all the answers, but I have enough to feel confident about the person I am. Maybe I’ve helped put up walls for these families, but they’ve helped to take down mine. They’ve taught me that happiness can be as simple as loving another, as easy to find as those little things we take for granted every day.Maybe I’ve brought hope and change into their lives, but they’ve brought even more into mine.

Buenos Dias!

Buenos Dias!Today was a scorcher on the work site but we couldn’t let the heat slow us down.  A few of us went to a Mexican “Costco” to buy some inventory for one of the families’ small store that they own and run off their property. The rest of the crew finished the painting and the trim in the houses. We had to add the windows and doors for obvious reasons, as well.After a hard days work and a good scrub in the shower, we attended a local church service that was close to the houses we are building. The pastor spoke English and Spanish and was able to preach to both audiences which was welcoming, to say the least. A brave few shared their testimonies with the group and were able to put into words what God was teaching and showing them on this trip.Tomorrow we finish the houses and dedicate them to the families. It promises to be an emotional and wonderful day. Please pray for safety and the ability to finish so the families can begin their lives in their new homes.Thanks for the love and support, your prayers are being put to very good use.Hasta manana,Miranda and Lauren (on behalf of your Mexico 2010 group!!)

Hola from Mexico!!!

Hola from Mexico!!!Today we started off early to avoid staying in the heat of the day as much as possible. We were greeted by a crowd of eager children who gave us hugs, pound-its, and high fives. Our focus was mainly to get the house physically standing with hopefully a roof! We succeeded! We also were able to get both houses mostly painted and Banos (bathrooms) installed.For the most part our group has been feeling a strong connection to the people of the community especially the children. We played soccer, and even brought out a parachute that was a big hit. We have made many amigas and amigos that have really touched our hearts and brought out the child in all of us (even Darren and Kevin).We had a special opportunity to bless one of the families in a huge way. Early this morning when we greeted the families, the one Mom informed us that she was not feeling good. We made the decision to send her to the doctor because the pain had been increasing over a few days. Her diagnosis came to be a liver infection which is currently being treated with antibiotics and pain killers. She will make a full recovery and we covered all of her medical costs.The day flew by and we finished with a delicious dinner of floutas (cheese and potato wraps deep fried), and also a trip to the candy shop!We would love to have prayer for all of our safety and also that of the families and community.Thank you for all of your support.Love,Exit 4:12 Missions TeamTamara + Alexandra

Capuchi Capuchi!!!!!

Capuchi Capuchi!!!!!Day tres down in Mexico. Today was hot and amazing. This morning we got a chance for the church to see and hear us and what we’ve been doing lately, it was great to have that opportunity. After this we left to start our build, all the kids and families were so excited to see us “gringos” and help out. By the end of the day it was probably more playing around then work but we got the roof panels finished and ready to start the walls tomorrow. For supper we went and had tacos in the town, they were amazingly delicious! The ice cream we had after that wasn’t too shabby either. after a long day we got back to the compound and had some of the most refreshing showers of life! Great day today and ready to keep on doing the good tomorrow and the rest of the week.Justin and DanielleMexico 2010

Off to the Work Site!!

We woke up and we had a special breakfast served by our leaders. Which consisted of French Toast with peanut butter in the middle. YUM!! We all got our sunscreen on 😉 and got packed. Off to the work site!! As we got off the bus all these wonderful kids gave us high fives and huge smiles :D!! We got to work and many of the first time users of power tools were fascinated by how much fun it was! It was very hot and hard to keep a good work ethic, but in the end we all got a lot done!! We frequently took breaks to play with the children and water breaks to stay hydrated in the intense heat. We stopped for some lunch at the Pemex which is about the only Gas Station in Mexico. At the point there was quite a few people that were starting to feel a little out of sorts. When we got back to the work site some people had to sit out because of heat (it’s way hotter than last year). After finishing up our day of work we went to the beach except for those who weren’t feeling well. We had a wonderful time!!! At night we had an excellent debriefing session and watched a few slide shows of pictures. Please pray that the team will be able to tolerate the heat and to keep working hard throughout the week. Christine Vis (our team nurse) is nagging us to keep drinking water so don’t worry. Pray that we will also have God’s plan shown to the team. It will be very hard saying goodbye to the kids so also thank God for the impact that they have had on our lives and us on theirs.Kayla and Colton

Greetings from Mexico!

Greetings from Mexico! 

So we are all safe and sound here at our base Vicente Gurrero. Although we have had a long journey our team is feeling renewed and ready to go for our first day at the building sites. On Friday we arrived in Los Angeles and kicked it off with a trip to ‘In-N-Out Burger’ which was a pleasant experience for all involved. From there we made our way through the Friday L.A. traffic to San Diego where we took a stroll along the Board Walk snapping pictures all the way. After our refreshing trundle our team headed to our hotel and then split up to explore our options for dinner. On Saturday morning while some of the team members were woken up by the sound of their alarm clocks, others were woken up by the sound of screaming coming from room 158. Four ladies by the names of Christine, Alisha, Meghan, and Lisa discovered that they had acquired a new friend during the night. They called him Mister. Massive Cockroach. Enough said. Luckily Starbucks was nearby to save the day. After a brief refueling in the caffeine department we made our way to the Mexican boarder where we fortunately got the okay to enter without any problems or major searches. The rest of the trip consisted of pit stops at a local beach, as well as a lunch break at a taco stand MUY BEUNO! Finally we made it to our destination but before the final stop we made a special trip to meet the families we are building for. It was a wonderful refresher of why we are doing what we are doing. We were greeted by many local children with bright eyes and big smile’s. And of course we were ready to play! All of us enjoyed kicking around a soccer ball or tossing a frizbee with a child, and I think we would all agree that the language barrier was no match for the smiles and giggle’s we all shared! After a sad but promising goodbye we came back and enjoyed pizza for dinner before we had a fiesta with a group visiting from Newfoundland, there was mucho fun had by all!

Tomorrow is our first building day, so please pray for our safety and positive attitudes as we’re finally fulfilling what God has planned out for us and these families.

That’s all for now, as we are fiesta’d out from our night of partying with the Newfie’s (Sorry, we just had to throw that in there).

Hasta Manana!

-Lisa & Meghan

We Finally Made It!

Hola! We have arrived safe and sound, with a few minor speed bumps.Friday started out with an all too familiar ferry ride to Vancouver followed by an unfamiliar ride down to the border crossing and then on to Seattle. From SeaTac we endured a three hour long flight, no movies mind you, to San Diego. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our Hero Holiday leader, Charles,  who gave us a brief introduction of what we were getting ourselves into. After our 12 hour travels, we mobbed the local supermarket for late night snacks, ranging from veggies to cold canned soup. Finally, we arrived at the hotel and crawled into our beds by 12 am. However, our deep sleeps were rudely interrupted by a 5 am wake up call (prank courtesy of an unknown mischievous caller.) Little did we know, that was not going to be our only problem.Morning came all to soon for some of us, but thankfully after a kick start of caffeine we were out the door…Maybe a little too quickly. Upon boarding the bus Charles asked for everyone to have their passports on hand for our arrival into Mexico. So here I was, settled into the bus and ready to go when I realized my passport was not on hand. Not only was my passport not on hand, it wasn’t anywhere in my hotel room, nor was it in my bag, Sam’s or Emily’s. After a mild panic attack and belongings sprawled across the Best Western parking lot, Brett (our driver and other facilitator) called the airport to track down my missing identification. A quick phone call later we were informed the Alaska Airways staff wouldn’t be able to look around for about an hour. Not taking no for an answer off we went to the airport, and thankfully along the way we got a phone call and YES my passport had been found on the plane. Turns out I did return my tray table to the upright and locked position but however I did not check the seat pocket in front of me. Lesson learned. (Sorry mom and dad, lots of love…Greer)After the morning mishap, the bus full of tired travelers started the journey to the Mexican border crossing.  San Diego had clean streets and structured houses, giving no foresight into what we would encounter on the other side of the border.  At the crossing we were unloaded from our bus for a random bag search, initiated from a button that picked the lucky travelers to be investigated by armed military forces.  After the border we finally saw the poverty that we were expecting.  Dirt roads, broken down houses and rusty cars were the beginnings to this huge eye-opening experience.  In one case, the fences in Tijuana were bordered with makeshift glass in place of wire. The bus ride was both fascinating and saddening. Our home here is in divvied into a girls and boys dorm which we should probably be heading to sleep soon in. It is 10:20 p.m. which means lights out! We will report more tomorrow, about the families and constructing of the houses.Hasta Manana!Layla, Britny, Greer and Angela

Delivery of aid to Haiti

Your kindness made a difference! Our Haitian friends needed to know that they are not forgotten, and thanks to the kindness and sacrifice of so many of you, we were not only able to help them out right now, but we are able to help them begin to rebuild for a stronger future. Thank you for responding to those who need it most. We are honored to be able to deliver aid and compassion that was made possible by the friends of LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute).

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Timeline:

• January 15 – We arrived in Port-au-Prince to assist the orphanages which we support. We spent five days helping and assessing the best ways we could be a support to both them and the families which they are now helping to survive.
• January 21 – We reached out to our LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) network to assist in helping those we are connected with in Port-au-Prince and you responded with compassion and love.
• February 3 – We left for Port-au-prince with the first $10,000 raised for Haiti through LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute). In The Dominican Republic we filled a commercial truck with approx. $8,000 worth of aid.
• February 5th – We were delivering the aid to the orphanages and tent cities.

 Aid supplies (approximately)

• 200 cases of water
• 400 packs of rice
• 400 bottles of oil
• 400 bags of ban
• 600 bars of soap
• 1000 pack of soup mix
• 900 roles of toilet paper
• 1000 packs of cookies and crackers
• 6 cases of milk
• 600 packs of pasta
• 400 small bags of detergent
• 300 cans of sardines
• 900 bags if corn mix
• 5 Large tarps
• 2 tents
• 6 Large boxes of medical supplies. (donated by servant heart min.)
• 4 boxes of clothes (donated by Servant’s Heart Ministries)
• 500 candles
• 2200 Honda generator

Other Giving and Expenses

• $1600 went to support the orphanage (orphanage staff, orphanage vehicle maintenance, baby supplies and orphanage bills)
• $400 went to pay translators, travel expenses, border fees, and other misc. items needed for this project

The Aid was divided into 4 different places: two different tent towns, the orphanage and a displacement camp.
Most of the tent towns we delivered aid to hadn’t seen any aid yet. LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) is now preparing for our Hero Holiday in Haiti for May. We will also be working with participants on the boys orphanage, installing doors, building a kitchen and replacing a roof on the children’s school.