Day 8: Home Sweet Home

Don Alberto and His Sheep

Written by: Olivia Deeken

Today, thanks to the generous donations of Don Alberto's sponsors, we were able to purchase two young sheep to add to Don Alberto's small flock! What made the entire transaction even better was that we purchased the sheep from Don Carlos whose family received a new floor thanks to this year's donors. Don Carlos offered his sheep to us for free as payment for his floor, but we insisted that he paid the market value for his sheep.

We met Don Carlos early this morning, on market day, in the area where large animals like cows, sheep, and pigs are often sold. Our teammates, Aldo and Onecimo, gently tied the sheep's feet together and loaded them in the car. We arrived at the top of Don Alberto's hill and untied the sheep - intending to walk them down the trail to Don Alberto's by their leads. They were having none of it though! Try as we might to encourage them to walk, they countered our efforts by digging in their feet and laying spread-eagle on the ground. So, the young sheep got the VIP treatment and were carried all the way down the hill to their new home. When we arrived at the bottom, we set them down in Don Alberto's field and they immediately began eating the flowers and other available vegetation.

Seeing Don Alberto's happy and excited expression about his new "animalitos" was especially heartwarming. He expressed his immense appreciation to his sponsors, for he stated that he doesn't have enough money to add male sheep to his herd. Don Alberto led the young sheep to their prepared pen. (They had no problems walking for him!!) As we introduced the sheep to their new friends, Don Alberto once again expressed how great of an opportunity this was for him and his wife. It was a rather neat opportunity, not just for Don Alberto, but for Don Carlos and our team. Thanks to the support of generous donors and sponsors, a chain of people, helping other people, was created.

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Don Gregorio's and Doña Catalina's New Home

Written by: Diana Loera

We don’t normally write about a family more than once on our blog but, it has been amazing to see the whole process of a home being built from nothing to something in a matter of a couple of days that I had to write about it. We had a bit of time after a home visit, and we knew that don Gregorio and Doña Catalina’s house had been completed, so we decided to stop by and say hello.

As we arrived, Doña Catalina emerged from the back of her newly built home that shined in the morning sun. Her smile was contagious. Her eyes twinkled as she greeted Franco, Olivia, Aldo, Onécimo and I. We told her how beautiful her house was and she was just so full of gratitude. We asked if we could see the inside and she took us right in. It’s big enough for the two of them with space to spare. All their belongings tucked into their new space. I could tell she was so happy to have this new place to call home.

Before Construction

During Construction 

Finished Construction 

As we walked back outside we asked for don Gregorio. He was out working in the field next door and realized we were there. He came as quickly as he could smiling from ear to ear. “Vinieron a ver mi casita?” You came to see our little house, he said. I said, “Yes, Don Gregorio. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see it completed!” He was so warm and grateful in expressing himself. It was heartfelt. It was genuine. And it was absolutely worth all the efforts to raise the funds needed to help him and other families like his in this year’s projects.

I wish I could bottle up don Gregorio’s sentiments and gratitude to bring back to the states to share with everyone who made this happen. Whether you donated $15 or $1,000...these heartfelt words are for you: “Gracias por todo el apoyo.” Thank you for all the support.

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Don Alejandro and Doña Maria

Written by: Franco

Don Alejandro and his family live in a region called Chocabj near the Mexican border. During our family assessments earlier this year, I did not have the opportunity to personally meet Don Alejandro and his family. However, our sister team Generacion Magnificat carefully assessed the family’s needs and they were selected as one of the families we would assist.

Walking into Don Alejandro’s plot of land we realized the family was having breakfast outside in an open wood burning stove. Over time, open wood burning stoves cause severe eye irritation, respiratory problems, and lower back problems. Doña Maria showed us the slab of stone where she used to do her family’s laundry causing her painful back issues from being hunched over for extended periods of time.

Thanks to the donations and support we have received these last months, Don Alejandro, his wife, and the rest of the family no longer have to breath in fumes from an open fire wood burning stove. Now, they have a traditional stove with a chimney which keeps the fumes out of the house. I addition, they received an all-purpose-wash station where Doña Maria can comfortably wash her laundry, dishes, and prepare her food. 

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