Last month, D and I had the privilege of going to Baja California, Mexico, for a home-building missions trip with our church. This was my second time (last time was in 2013), and D’s seventh or so time (I have lost count).
The drive down takes about seven hours. It is about the same as going to Northern California for us, but in the opposite direction of course. At the border crossing, our van was subjected to a search. The van was put through a giant x-ray machine of sorts and scanned, but nothing objectionable was found. Phew.
Only D brought his phone on the trip, so I put him in charge of pictures.
We rode in separate vans. D was the navigator for his van.
The group always stops for lunch at Costco in Ensenada. Interesting that they have lasagna. We stick to the pizza and hot dogs, and everything tastes exactly the same as in the U.S.
Our first dinner was at “Red Bowl” taco stand.
That is not its official name, but you can see how the nickname came about.
We ate very well during the week, and I am happy to report there were no gastrointestinal issues!
The firepit at the base camp was our gather place. We had a devotional there every morning to remind us why we were there.
When we first arrived at the worksite, there was a concrete slab and lumber. D and I were on different worksites, but they were fairly close together. D was the roof supervisor for his house.
It is truly amazing to see how fast the house can go up with teamwork.
Mango paleta break!
When you see the living conditions of the families we build for, it is heartbreaking.
This family welcomed a new baby just a few days before we arrived!
My favorite day is dedication, where we make the house a home and present the keys to the families.
Notice the Mazda jacket on the bed? D thought it would be a nice donation since it had the Mexico flag on one sleeve and the Japan flag on the other–haha.
During our free time, we went to the nearby beach. It is amazing how access to the coast is free–no $15 parking fees!
We ate one of our dinners at Papa Ruben’s.
I was able to split a torta with D. Bread tasted good after having so many tortillas!
We also visited IDT ministries and learned about all of the trade schools that are providing training and hope to the people in the area. This is “The Dome”.
Going to Baja is always an eye-opening experience. It is exciting to see God at work. I cannot wait until k and n are old enough to go and we will be able to serve together as a family!