In November, 2007, Dave and I were invited by our son Alexander and his wife Linda to join them on a week’s mission in Ensenada in Mexico’s Baja California state. We traveled there with a thirty-seven people of all ages, male and female and some families with teens from Wellington Square United, Burlington (where our son lives) and Calvary United, St. Jacob’s, Ontario. We were divided into three groups, each with a house to build for a poor Mexican family. Our home for the week was the Ensenada Outreach Center (YUGO) where the director, Scott Wester (a former Disney executive) organized the work parties, our accomodation and food. The rooms were dormitory-style with comfortable bunk beds and they also had four rooms for married couples, one of which we gratefully accepted. Some ladies opted to stay in the dorm with the rest of the girls to have a respite from their husband’s snoring! The meals served in the cafeteria were good and ample after a hard day’s work.
The facility is not far from the Pacific Ocean, where we held our chapel service each morning on a beautiful beach. Some of the braver souls actually went in for a swim. An evening service was held in a chapel at the center, where we also saw video footage of the day’s work at the three building sites.
The concrete slabs were poured and ready with all the building materials on site when we arrived ready for work. Our family of eight, who had been burned out of their former hovel, pitched right in and worked along with us. The husband took time off from his job as a labourer in the nearby vegetable fields. The houses were basically all the same with a living room and two bedrooms. Cooking is done in an outdoor kitchen and the toilet facilities are pit privies. On the last day of the build our family provided us with a delicious home prepared meal. There may have been fewer chickens strutting around the site that day!
Our family was so happy and grateful to have such a beautiful home of their own. We provided them with basic furnishings: bunk beds, a queen bed and a couch and coffee table as well as some bedding and linen. The house is wired for eventual eletricity, but the poles on the street have no wire on them yet.
It was not all work and no play. We enjoyed a few meals in restaurants and at the local taco stands.We also had a day’s outing at a tourist attraction called La Boufadora, which is frequented by passengers from the many cruise lines that stop in Ensenada. The village is full of street vendors with bargain basement prices for everything.
It was a wonderful experience that I encourage you to try. Anyone interested in this unusual type of vacation can find more about the Center at this website:
http://yugo.org/ministries/ensenada.htm
The facility is not far from the Pacific Ocean, where we held our chapel service each morning on a beautiful beach. Some of the braver souls actually went in for a swim. An evening service was held in a chapel at the center, where we also saw video footage of the day’s work at the three building sites.
The concrete slabs were poured and ready with all the building materials on site when we arrived ready for work. Our family of eight, who had been burned out of their former hovel, pitched right in and worked along with us. The husband took time off from his job as a labourer in the nearby vegetable fields. The houses were basically all the same with a living room and two bedrooms. Cooking is done in an outdoor kitchen and the toilet facilities are pit privies. On the last day of the build our family provided us with a delicious home prepared meal. There may have been fewer chickens strutting around the site that day!
Our family was so happy and grateful to have such a beautiful home of their own. We provided them with basic furnishings: bunk beds, a queen bed and a couch and coffee table as well as some bedding and linen. The house is wired for eventual eletricity, but the poles on the street have no wire on them yet.
It was not all work and no play. We enjoyed a few meals in restaurants and at the local taco stands.We also had a day’s outing at a tourist attraction called La Boufadora, which is frequented by passengers from the many cruise lines that stop in Ensenada. The village is full of street vendors with bargain basement prices for everything.
It was a wonderful experience that I encourage you to try. Anyone interested in this unusual type of vacation can find more about the Center at this website:
http://yugo.org/ministries/ensenada.htm
Camille Chapman
Contact Editor
Scott Wester, the director of YUGO in front of the compound.Contact Editor
One of the ladies dorms that had 3 levels of bunks!
Fountain in the YUGO courtyard
Relaxing in the YUGO courtyard after a hard day's work.
The YUGO cafeteria served good food.Church service on a Pacific Ocean beach.
Alexander Chapman & Rev. Drew Maxwell played for the hymns.
The Taco Stand was very popular with great food!The Beginning of Our House Project
The concrete slab was all ready for us to start building.
Erecting the first wall
Three walls are up and some interior partitions
Painting the exterior wall panels.
The walls are being closed in.
Taking a break
Alexander & Dave measure up for the trim.
The Mudwork
Elgin (roofer) with Dee (plaster sander)
Shingling the roof
Brian enjoyed playing with the chilldren
Is this really mine?
The family with Pastor Rosa (2nd from right)
The Key Ceremony
A real home of their own.