Sort of Legal

I’ve been back from a three day Baja Bound charitable house build in Mexico for about 24-hours now. Trying to put any of it into words is overwhelming.  Transformative, moving, and intense are a few words that immediately come to mind.   Yet, none seem to do it justice so for now, I’ll defer to photos and a rough chronology.

DAY ONE: FRIDAY

Morning

Wake-up at 5:30AM.  Yawn. Caffeinate. Meet-up with North County San Diego crew at organizer Mali’s house.  Caffeinate more.  Travel to South County to meet up with the rest of the crew (with a few exceptions that came later Friday).  Get the driving overview from Baja Bound director John Rose.  Group introductions with a lot of taco jokes.  Start the caravan to Mexico!!

Convene at Calimax parking lot in Maneadero, Mexico.  People that came down in cars (like me) hop into the trucks, vans, and SUVs to head to the work site.  Nervous laughter at the chaotic driving and traveling past two very, very close tractor trailers as we begin the short traverse to the job site.  More nervous laughter at the free roller coaster ride as we traverse up the bumpy dirt road to the job site.

Arrive at the site.  Pow-wow on the concrete slab that will become the home to meet the family and get a safety overview.  Start unloading supplies from the truck.  A mix of waiting, having small tasks, and starting to get to know some of the seven kids – who all adapted to being around 40 strangers with far less awkwardness and inhibition than most of the adults (self-included).

Afternoon

Sandwiches on the job site.  Start painting with the help of the kids.  Start building. Start getting to know the rest of the crew of about 40 a little better.

 Group splits between staying on site to continue building and going to Kid’s Kingdom, an orphanage.  I went to the orphanage which they refer to as a “house for children.”  Learn about the orphanage and then play with the kids.  I may have bee-lined for the trampoline and I don’t regret that decision at all. 

Evening

Enjoy tacos and my first torta at Tacos Poblanos, a local taco shop.  Talk about how we’re going to shower, sleep, and relax back at the house.  Get to the house and go for a short beach walk to catch sunset, enjoy a few cervezas.  Delay shower.

 Gather to listen to Karla speak about her experiences.  Karla is a physician whose family was once had a house built by Baja Bound and was the first educational scholarship recipient of the organization, speak.  Get blown-away and teary eyed at her strength, intelligence, perseverance, and optimism.  Continue to get to know the rest of the crew as everyone shares how they decided to embark on the adventure.

[No photo and I think that’s appropriate.  We were all focused on listening and learning.  You could hear a pin drop as Karla shared her story.  The stories of how everyone ended up on the trip were also very moving.]

DAY TWO: SATURDAY

Morning

Wake up around 7, later than most my peers but earlier than a handful.  Enjoy breakfast and coffee at the house where we are staying courtesy of those in our work crew who volunteered to wake-up early to make it.  (Thank you!)  Get back to work on the home site…and there was lots to do!

 

Afternoon

Sandwiches and snacks on the site.  No complaints about Cheetos!  Continue construction.  Roof goes up.

Head to local market and Calimax to get food and some general hygiene supplies for 20 families. Take purchased supplies and donations the work crew gathered (Jen in particular overachieved on this component) to migrant farm camp to hand out.  This was one of the most emotionally challenging parts of the trip and it warrants a lot more discussion.  We helped a little but every single one of the individuals and families at that camp need a lot more help.  No one should have to live like that.  Period.

Evening

Enjoy food at the house where the group is staying.  Head to Sharkey’s, the local bar we’ve been hearing about for two days to let loose a little.  Interact with some of the local characters that you could not have dreamed up if you wanted to.  Laugh, dance, enjoy a few more cervezas.

DAY THREE: SUNDAY

Morning

Another 7:00AM wake-up call for me and another breakfast and coffee once again courtesy of volunteer cooks from our crew who threw in some sweet French toast along with the savory.

Finish work on the house.  I spent the majority of the morning inside of the house working on drywall and “mudding” (covering nails and gaps in the drywall with plaster).  Others focused on the outside.  Played with neighborhood kids who turned metal planks used for construction into bowling alleys and ball obstacle courses. 

Afternoon

House dedication ceremony where the house was officially turned over to the family.  The father fought back tears while hugging his youngest daughter and sharing his appreciation for providing his family a home that he could never have afforded on his own.  He offered to help on future builds.  The sniffles across the work crew were audible as we bowed our heads downward for a pray led by a local pastor. THIS is what this trip was about:

Travel back to the US with a few food stops and a view stop along the way.

Evening

Walk across the border for the first time (I’ve crossed in a car before) with Jen as my guide.  Enjoy churros from the churro stand whose operators got a good laugh at Jen and I running behind the car and pulling our bags out as it moved forward.

Sit and think about the trip for a while.  Crash…hard.

For those interested in learning more or donating:

Baja Bound: https://bajabound.org
Kid’s Kingdom Orphanage: http://www.thekidskingdom.org/about/