Labor and Delivery

The last few beds were finished this morning-a total of 16!  Our plan was 12, so it was great to complete even more.  The church plans to build and distribute at least 100 beds this year through the different Mission Trips that come.  I must brag that Cody (my son) has done a great job with building, learning and developing relationships.  He has done so well developing relationships with the Youth Group from Cedar Creek that is down here also working on a different project, that he was sent with them today to build a house and possibly go out evangelizing.  He is the youngest on our team of 6, so he has enjoyed hanging out with them at the hotel each night-playing cards, swimming, etc.  He is still out working, so more on his day later.

This am while the others were working, I managed to sneak out and help look for homes for the beds again.  There are only so many tools and so much work at this point, so not everyone was needed.  I really enjoy walking around the community and meeting the people.  The children are always wanting to follow you, hug you.  They also beg for candy, which we have been warned not to pass out or you will be mobbed within seconds.  The Daycare and and Nutrition Center staff definitely prefer us not to give the children candy as it turns them into beggars ( for lack of a better word).  We gave candy to the teachers to pass out for treats and rewards.

After scouting out homes for the beds, we loaded 7 beds on the bus and began to deliver them.  One was given to a family whose home was built for them by a mission team back in January.  The mother's name is Angelica.  I believe there is at least one more woman in the home, and 4 children.  The children have a bedroom ( basically a sheet hanging on a close line in the middle of a room).  When we visited the day before, Angelica pulled the sheet back to reveal an empty room with a bare concrete floor where the children slept.  We were able to deliver 2 beds to them today.  One of the women that works at the tortilla factory,  Julia,whose children go to the Daycare, had no beds for her children.  She has worked there for 5 years.  There are 12 people living in the home (children and grandchildren).  There were 2, maybe 3 beds total.
 Another bed went to Ana Maritza, who is one of the cooks at the Daycare/Nutrition Center.  The church is trying to take care of the families closest to them first, which is only fitting.  It was a reality check to see the woman I talked to yesterday in the Nutrition Center, in her own home, just as destitute as everyone else.

Yet another bed went to the place where Cody was working with the Creekers.  This was the worst living condition that I have seen yet.  The "house" was literally about 6 feet wide by 10-11 feet long.  A man, his wife and 3 children live there.  They have a malnourished baby, Wendy, who is about 10-12 months old.  She is developmentally maybe 3 months.  They handed her to me....I will never forget.   This father is a hardworking man who earns only 2-3 dollars/day.  He cannot feed his family.  The church at first looked at putting a new roof on his house.  Then, I believe since Cedar Creek finished their project so early, they started to build them a new home.  The long term goal is to get them a home at Casa Hogar Vita-one that he can own, that is not on a flood plain, that will have electricity and a toilet.  He will be able to pay nominal rent for 10 years and then take ownership.  He was trying to build another home.  The Creekers had to disassemble part of it.  He had cut trees down from over a mile away, carried/drug them there and put them in as posts.  It took several men to move them even though he did this on his own.  Many people who are willing to work hard simply cannot find an opportunity to work.  The church is helping with this.  Definitely a hand up, not a hand out.