Heading to Mexico with AMOR Ministries

A few months ago my family made the decision to forgo our regular resort Spring holiday like we have in years past.  We're not headed for Squaw Valley or Maui this year.  Instead, we're headed for Mexico.   We're headed to a small town east of Tijuana with AMOR Minstries to build homes for impoverished families.  

Our bags are packed and headed for Mexico

AMOR Ministries was establisehd over 30 years ago to help some of the poorest families in their daily struggle to survive.  When AMOR Ministries began in 1980, some of the poorest families had to send their children away to orphanages because they could not adequately feed and care for them.   The main purpose with AMOR is to avoid splitting families apart and to keep children together with their loving parents.  Our steps are small but our hearts are wide open.  We are going to build homes for these families.

Bags, cots and tents heading for Mexico

Our group will be part of a big milestone, we are building the 100th home this year.  We are actually slated to build a total of 10 homes.  Our group consists of 175 people so we have  lots of man power and spirit.  Children as young as 6 years old are coming along with their families to experience raising the roof and giving the keys to the front door to these one-room homes.  


The homes are simple.  They are one-room homes that are set upon a slab of concrete with a wooden frame.  We will add windows, stucco - and most of all, keys to their front door.  These families have never had a front door with a lock before.  To hand them the keys to their first home will be monumental.  

A previous mission and their finished house.

For the past several months our group has been busy raising money, holding benefits and gearing up for this trip.  Yesterday was incredible as the months of preparation culminated as we hoisted our cots, tents and baggage onto the 4 trucks headed for Mexico.  We have various departure times including the trucks which head down today.  Tomorrow the high school kids will board their buses early in the morning after we send them off with a prayer.  Many families and adults are traveling by plane tomorrow afternoon and we'll all rendezvous in San Diego.  We'll have dinner as a team.  The high school kids will be together and room together in the same combination as their tent mates.  I'm sure everyone will be enjoying their last hot shower until our return back to San Diego on April 21.  


Our group of 175 people have already been assigned into 1 of 10 teams.  Each team is designated to build a house from the bottom up.   Day 1 is spent mixing and pouring cement for the foundation.  The remaining days are spent framing and raising the roof before the chicken wire and stucco go on.  We have windows and doors and paint to brighten the house.


I'll keep a journal and post here upon my return.  Meanwhile - Esté seguro y puede Dios estar con usted.

Until next time.   And check out this video produced by a member of our group from previous years.