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Waking up to an alarm at 5am on most Saturday mornings is not fun. Saturday March 12th was a bit different because I was excited to join fellow Rotarian, Mark Berdan, his girlfriend, Amanda and my wife, Trisha along with Project Mercy in building a home for wonderful Mexican family in Tijuana.
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Upper left: 1st wall in place
Upper right: recipient family
Lower left: Mark and Paul in front of the home being built
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After linking up at the border with Paula and Chris of Project Mercy, we caravanned down through the streets of Mexico into the distant edges of Tijuana to meet the family who desperately needed a home and a fresh start. Arriving at our build site in an impoverished neighborhood, we were greeted by smiling faces and a community eager to help us and their fellow neighbors in building a home for Juliana, her husband, and their children.
Our work started at about 8:30am. Despite a language barrier between us and the Mexican neighbors who helped build the home, we worked efficiently as a team and had fun doing it. The ladies painted, prepped the materials and did the detailed measurements. The gentlemen hammered, sawed and drilled. By lunchtime the home was nearly built and the women next door graciously prepped some lunch to hand out as we caught a short breather. After a brief lunch break, the roof, windows and door were installed and the families smiles grew bigger.
Mark and I finished the trim around the home as Amanda and Trisha rolled up their sleeves to put the final coats of peach and white paint on the home. Inside the house, the children swept the cement floors clean and began playing in their new spaces. At about 3pm the work was done. We handed the keys over to Juliana and her children with happy hearts, hugged, took pictures with everyone and said Adios.
An incredible Rotary moment happened for me that day and I am grateful to the club, Project Mercy, the community who gave us the opportunity to build the home in their neighborhood.
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