From June 23 through July 1, 2007, ten members of the Mechanicsburg Presbyterian Church traveled to the state of Morelos, Mexico, to work in their affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International.  The group stayed in a hotel in Jojutla and traveled by minivan each day to the work site, which was in Valle de Vasquez.  They spent five and a half days performing very physical work to help with the construction of a Habitat home for Leticia Espinal Cervantes and her four sons.  One of her sons, Ivan, worked with us all week, and Leticia, or “Lety” as she was called, worked with women of the community to prepare us lunch each day.  Now that was authentic Mexican food!

Our time in Mexico was spent moving cement blocks, digging dirt from the farm yard and moving it inside the house in order to make a level floor, and mixing cement.  In fact, we learned to mix three different varieties of cement:  one for the foundation, one to hold the iron forms called “castillos” in place at the corners of each room (this mixture has small stones, or gravel, in it), and one for the cement blocks that make up the house (this mixture has even the smallest stones sifted out).

We also had the opportunity to meet Presbyterian missionaries David and Susan Thomas, who are living and working in Cuernavaca.  They took a bus from Cuernavaca to Jojutla (not an easy task!) and found our hotel in order to meet us.

Thanks to the Synod of the Trinity and the Presbytery of Carlisle for helping to make this trip, our third to Mexico with Habitat for Humanity, possible.

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