#3 Humanitarian Aide in Puerto Peñasco

The boys and I, along with their cousin, Connor,  just got home from Rocky Point. In 2.5 days we built a house through 1Mission, for Minerva. She's 26, has three young kids, a boyfriend/husband that comes and goes, and lives on $35 a month selling tortillas and doing what babysitting she can.True poverty.

There were 35 of us swinging hammers, and over half of them were teenagers. How touching it was to see kids working hard, no attitudes, and actually enjoying manual labor. And it was 100% manual...no power anything. We mixed cement in wheelbarrows, and cut with handsaws.

The house we built is very close to a landfill and very far from the city. It's on a dirt/sand road in the middle of the sand dunes, on a lot she is purchasing from the government. We were told she is paying somewhere between $1,000-1,500 for the land. There are no utilities whatsoever--no running water, no electricity, and no sewer. Candles for light, 5 gallon bucket for a toilet, and water can be purchased in huge bins that sit on the ground at the edge of the "street."

We left Minerva with a house that stands at 11' x 22.' It is bare wood inside with no finish work. We learned how to pour cement, erect a wooden frame, wrap for stucco, and then stucco. Some of the families pitched in to purchase a few items that we felt were essentials, but seriously, we were so taken back by the living conditions we were leaving her with...AND SHE WAS THANKFUL.

My perspective about poverty before this trip is shattered. It's not about things so much as about opportunity. Rocky Point is barren and hot. The people who live there cannot survive on the land. They depend upon OTHERS, for tourism and fishing.

So in my world, the need to be independent is so important, and all the moreso now that I have seen how living conditions are different for someone who has to depend on others for mere survival.

Poverty is lessened by those who see and take advantage of OPPORTUNITY.

 The whole work crew. Families from Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Canada. How great it was to have so many teens who were active and willingly involved. I didn't see even one discipline issue. So awesome.

 A good visual of the size of this house--smaller my bedroom, very far from the city, and few neighbors for support

 All work was done by hand, including mixing and hauling cement. The needed water was delivered in 55 gallon tanks in a pickup.

Framing, 100% no electricity for cutting and nailing.

 Minerva's house is on a lot she is purchasing from the government for approximately $1,500. The lot is very small, no utilities at all, and on a dirt/sand road. The town's landfill is visible. These are flies due to the proximity to the dump--on the newly installed screen window.

 Ian the roofer, mom nailing chicken wire in preparation for stucco.

 The house is 11' x 22' and has a room divider (to support roof). Two windows, and a door. There is no other interior finishing.

 Nate, second coat of stucco. Pretty artistic mud fun!

 The property has no utilities (no electricity or running water/sewer). The volunteer families donated money for a few extras: curtains, a camping stove, folding table, candles and a few cleaning supplies. Families brought blankets and towels.

 Minerva's children, personalizing the front landing with seashells found in the yard of the house next door.