Ensenada, my thoughts

YWAM Ensenada.
Wish you were here, rather I wish I'd be here longer, my vacation is hours away from being over. Last night after a walk on the beach during the day, hanging out with the leadership of this location - asking them a fist full of questions, and returning from doing laundry with the DTS I snapped a few pictures of this base at night. The gentle roar of the waves on the beach, tempted temperature, a quite evening, and most staff secure in their homes (not that this area is dangerous, it's not) I sought refuge behind the lens. The lens provides me an opportunity to touch without getting touched. The lens provides me an opportunity to connect you (& myself) with a moment in time of touch. I find a simple redirection of focus changes the perspective and meaning of a photograph. I find also the lens provides me the touch I want, the opportunity to get close, to grab life, to give life. Isn't it ironic how I use the lens?

Thoughts of returning quickly to this location tops my heart. I want to distinguish between the heart thump of coffee in my veins from the heart pull of GOD in my life. What would I do here? Easy come on staff as a photographer and mix it up with being on staff as builder. What does this mean? It means that my main purpose would be to take photographs for YWAM San Diego/Baja at this location with the different programs offered with Homes of Hope. The other purpose would be to assist in building homes when my skills as a photographer is not required. The little bit of construction I have played well last weekend. The experience in photography proved invaluable the weekend before.

Poverty is the lack of options, it no longer phases me to the extent in did 15 years ago when two men wrestled a bag of garbage from me when I brought it down the gang way of the Anastasis in Senigal west Africa. The poverty I see here is people without options wanting to provide for their children. They live in squalor but not the squalor of India. I see that with providing them a clean shelter as what Homes of Hope does their out look on life immediately changes to that of hope for their future and that of their children.

Christ commands us to shelter the poor, to help those in need. I feel that too on my life. I do have things I need to over come before returning here. I am earnestly praying about returning here.

Alonso Family Build

Some where a long the road from a hotel to a build site in a YWAM vehicle my nervous edge wore off as I introduced myself to those I piled in with. My meeting of the Alonso family and friends over the weekend is the result of my interest in finding out more about YWAM San Diego/Baja and their Homes of Hope program. I am considering my return to mission by joining this organization. I mentioned 'nervous edge' simply I don't like meeting new people without something solid to connect with.

Our arrival at the build site which lay half way up a hill - looking more like a surmounting mountain - greeted us with a chill of morning and encouragement. The crew of 22 people quickly pulled each other up the trail and back down again. This team's spirit is long lived and quick to make a chain gang. Everything seemed to be moved by chain gang. Everything in the tool van needed to be passed up the trail. Later we found out the family moved all of the building materials up to the concrete pad the night before. Before long the wood for different units too had moved via chain gang either up to be painted or down to become roof trusses.

The crew divided into three groups one for painting, one for framing, one for trusses. I found myself beating nails on the framing team. Admittedly there were set backs but these were over come in due process. I saw how the 'A' Builder, Austin, worked with each difficulty in turn. The walls came up shortly after lunch. Followed by dry wall nailed to and the trusses passing on to the walls. By dark the pad looked closer to a home then a bunch of materials. A lot of work yet needing to be done would be completed by the same time tomorrow.

The crack of dawn hit me early, my legs, let's not go there sore, did not wnt to move. My friend/photographer and I stayed in San Diego, we had to roll early to greet the Alonso family which stayed at a hotel in TJ. Starbucks is my friend and poison, it wakes me up when I want to sleep. The troops rallied at the hotel for breakfast at 7:30am. After a short devotion we folded into the cascade caravan of vans bound for the build site after a brief interlude to divide up the house warming gifts for our families.

I really loved seeing the site this morning. Something struck me as hope. Every duty I saw the mother participating in she wore a smile broader and wider then the canyon her home over looks.

The team jumped to. The set backs of yesterday a memory. The task of today would be completed soon enough - ok the last shingle nailed to minutes before giving the keys to the family. Not a sore muscle of mine regretted not coming at this moment. A tear formed in her eye as the keys were handed over. Her house, which she built. Her house which she labored for. Her house, her hope for her children. This is the hope of homes of hope.

I've posted my pictures at Flickr.