I pulled into my driveway late last night and never before has two days changed the way I look at my home and family in such a way as this weekend I spent with YWAM ( Youth With a Mission) Tijuana building 3 homes for such deserving families! I came away from this experience with a deep appreciation for the blessings we all have and I was so grateful to have an opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people!
Here are some of the images that will help me to remember this life changing experience. Blogger loves to put my pictures in reverse order but I think that gives a unique perspective to the weekend!
The finished home and the family waving goodbye.
The man who made it all happen, my business partner W Brett Wilson and my amazing sales rep Karen! We will talk about this weekend forever!
A group cheer for team Green!
The kids stole our hearts!
A car that was made from the same wood and paint as the home for Emiliano!
The family was overwhelmed with emotion coming into their home for the first time.
The mom told us that she has her husband and children but that now we were all part of her family.
So many happy tears. Our foreman told us to wear sunscreen and drink lots of water so we wouldn't get dehydrated. I had no idea the dehydration would come from tears rather than sweat!!
Opening the door for the first time.
The keys were passed around the circle and each person shared blessings and good wishes and Thanks! Robin works with Brett and put in so much hard work to organize the trip and make sure everything went smoothly that it was so great to see her having the chance to pass the keys to the family.
A bible for the family.
Casey gives the family a plaque to commemorate this special day. Casey was such a skilled builder it was amazing for me as a rookie to build right along side of him and still feel able to contribute.
We call the family over for the group picture and the dedication ceremony.
Such Joy.
Getting ready for the big reveal while Freddy puts the last few nails on the roof. The YWAM staff was so amazing, organized and kind!
Team Work.
The children made their Welcome sign for their new home.
It's me up on the roof!
The finishing touches inside. Close to 24 hours from the time we arrived just the day before to a concrete slab!
We leave the store after shopping for the 3 families.
Everyone was so happy!
I had to bring home a can of Jalapenos and hot sauce for my family.
All tuckered out!
It was about a 10 minute drive to the store.
Getting ready to go shopping.
In the van.
Everyone had a great time on site.
The connections between people were so easy to see. Whether it was their first build or they had built many homes.
If there were language barriers.
The connection between one parent to another knowing that all they really want is what is best for their children and to give them a safe, happy and fulfilled life that is a universal truth.
There was a lot of work to be done and we all jumped in and worked together.
Painting the car.
The kids playing with some of the gifts we had brought them.
New friends.
This young lady was so amazing and inspirational! She was the inspiration for her father to start Homes of Hope as a 3 year old girl when they built the first home.
A bit of steep terrain makes team work necessary!
Starting the second day with a prayer and a cheer!
Riding to the site.
Brett kept us entertained!
The end of the first day. We were sorting all the donations that the volunteers had brought. YWAM would be able to help so many more families with the clothes and supplies.
Celebrating the end of day 1 with the Macerena.
Paint on their clothes and smiles on their faces.
Authentic Mexican supper such a treat!
The mariachi band. Fabulous entertainers.
Leaving the site on Day 1. Really looking forward to coming back tomorrow.
Glad to share this experince with Karen. We have had a number of ups and downs getting Snappy Socks started but we would always say, "Some day we will look back and laugh about this in Mexico. We had no idea this is how we would get there or that we would be going so soon!"
We spent Day 1 on another site and this is the Mom putting up the wall in her new home.
Time for work and play.
The view from the front of the home
Sean and Andrea of YWAM father and daughter sharing their story and history of Homes of Hope.
Our room.
We arrive at the YWAM campus excited for a weekend of friendship, fun and Hope!
This video is for another organization that Brett suports called CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology) where he and others talk about their motivations for giving back.
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