The Latest
Spring Trip Report
MAY 2-4, 2008 | What an amazing weekend
Five homes were built in three days. No crime or safety issues. Pristine weather. It was an incredible weekend. The theme for this trip was "Holy Ground." Some may look at communities like Colonia San Bernardo or Colonia Cumbrés, and see a hopeles, desperate, even God-forsaken place. However, there is love and compassion at work here, as God works through groups like ours, and locals who love and care for these communities. This is Holy Ground, folks.
Love in Action
One group from the Fried/Hazltt team visited the orphanage at the church in San Bernardo. They were able to connect with the kids and find out some of their needs for school supplies and more.
Another group from the Salvador/Lin/Dooley team headed off on a Saturday exploration of Colonia de San Bernardo.With Ronda Samuelson's Breakout group at the core, other kids and parents were invited along as kids were handed disposable cameras and asked to take pictures of examples of HOPE, HOPELESSNESS, GOD AT WORK and GODLESSNESS. We walked the community, visited a family-run tortilleria and met with a local family. It was a great experience of connecting with this community that we feel is truly holy ground.
We heard great stories from Sergio Gomez, our host and owner of Rancho Solo, as he shared his story of growing up on the streets of Tijuana, his life of building and running orphanges there, and his vision of opening up a despertaely needed hospice care facility for the elderly in Tijuana. What an amazing man.
We also heard some great stories from Hector Rubio of Baja Christian Ministries, of love in the face of evil. It was truly, truly inspiring, and reminded us of why we're all here.
Five Amazing Homes.
Team: Shannon/Hansen
This team was once again able to build on Manzana 345. They've been building homes on this one street for the last few years now, getting to know the neighbors and making a tangible impact in the lives of people in this sectiomn of San Bernardo.
Team: Covey/Raus (Troop 321)
Once again, the Boy Scouts were the picture of efficiency, as they sped through the construction process in record time. Only a few parents were along on this trip, as the boys (and a handful of girls) did an incredible job building their home.
Team: Lin/Salvador/Dooley
This team, with many parents and their kids, built a beautiful bright orange home with white trim. The family that they built this home for has an inspiring story of hope and persistence, as they worked for 5 years on a $300-a-month salalry to save the $1,800 (US) needed for a down payment on the purchase of the land the home was built on.
Team: Creekside Church
This team, led by Dan Kissel, built a home in the community of Colonia Cumbrés. Located next to Colonia de San Bernardo, Cumbrés is a sprawling community of 10,000 families. Creekside built a beautiful Orange home with purple trim, as the team of veterans and first-timers forged new ground in the neighboring community.
Team: Saddleback
Also building in Colonia Cumbrés, this team of veterans had a great experience, while facing the challenge of building a latrine sitting some 8 feet off the ground.
Safety in Mexico
APRIL 22, 2008 | The media is having a field day
If you've been reading the papers, you may have seen articles in recent months about violence in Mexico. The stories have impacted tourism and travel dramatically in many areas of Mexico, incuding the kitschy tourist areas of Tijuana (virtual ghost towns these days). We've received a handful of concerned emails and a phone call or two, asking if it's safe that we go.
So, a few things you need to know.
First, there appears to be no additional danger for us, particularly in the areas we travel to. I have talked with three of our experts who live and work and serve on a daily basis in Tijuana and surrounding areas. They see and hear and experience first-hand, what's really going on there, working with groups like ours daily. They have experienced no new dangers or safety issues.
Secondly, traveling to Mexico, like traveling to any foreign country, requires an increased sense of awareness of our surroundings and circumstances. It's always been this way, and always needs to be.
Third, in 2005, there were more murders commited in California alone than in the entire country of Mexico. It is argualy more dangerous to travel to areas of Los Angeles or Chicago, as it is to go to Tijuana. We gotta keep in all in perspective, folks.
And fourth, the American media (unfortunately) regularly sensationalizes crime in Mexico. In the most recent article in the Orange County Register, they referenced incidents involving Americans that happened last year. They also referenced a new Travel Alert from the U.S. State Department (which apparently prompted the article). After reading that throughly, we have deermined that it also references the same few incidents that occured last year, and was noticeably vague about others. It is rumored that tensions over border and trade issue may be motivating such Travel Alerts.
There has been a rash of violence between drug cartels and Mexican authorities. Some of the incidents were brazen and frightening to read about. However, these seem largely isolated to problems between the cartels and the police. Americans are not targeted in these incidents.
And lastly, let us make one more important observation. What we do in Mexico—building homes and serving the poor—has inherent danger associated with it, just by virtue of the fact that we're traveling outside of the perceived safety and comfort of the United States.
Driving in Mexico can be... uh... a challenge. There's occasionally electrical wires, open pits and rusty nails scattered around the communities where we build homes. And there are police who prefer a forty dollar cash payment on the spot, rather than writing you a ticket. Those can be unsettling realities, but we're willing to boldy continue on, as we believe God is with us.
If you have any specific concerns about safety and Project Mexico, shoot Jon Hall an email at jon@jhinteractive.com.
Building in El Salvador
God's reach take TerraNova Church to El Salvador
Birth Certificates Needed
Starting Feb 1, 2008, you'll need a birth certificate to get back into the U.S.
Original Birth Certificates will now be required in addition to other ID (except for those who already possess passports, Sentri, Nexus and FAST documentation.) All those who have one of the above will not be required the birth certificate also. For all others though, you'll need to bring a birth certificate, IN ADDITION to your valid I.D.
This is NEW news that just came to our attention. The Department of Homeland Security continues to make the requirements to get back into the U.S. from Mexico a moving target. You can find out the very latest by going to the U.S. State Department website.
As of right now, passports are not yet required.
Building roads in San Bernardo
One-day serving opportunity that will make a HUGE impact
This winter, a group of volunteers will head to San Bernardo to help create a speical type of paver, which will be used to build desperately needed roads in San Bernardo.
A group from the University of California, San Diego, has opened the door to a fantastic opportunity. A professor from UCSD has developed this pervious paver, which allows water runoff to penetrate the pavers and seep into the ground. This reduces runoff during heavy rains (thereby reducing erosion), and also helping the evironment, by reducing toxic runoff.
We'll be sending a team to San Bernardo for a one-day paver-building session. No tools or experience required. Contact Jon Hall at jon@jhinteractive.com for details.
November 5, 2007
5 homes built in Colonia de San Bernardo
We had a fantastic trip and great weather. Read more about it here.
Canyon Hills Church becomes TerraNova Church
Canyon Hills and Rock Hills merge
October 4, 2007
Group heading to Rancho Solo to make improvements