“I am just writing to be an encouragement to those debating whether or not to join a trip to Tijuana. My wife and I (33 and 35 years old respectively) were part of a team that went to Tijuana over Valentines day weekend this past February 2009. Being the father of a 4 year old son and two daughters (3 and 1) and someone who was frequently going to web sites to see what level of violence was being reported in Tijuana, my wife and I had some serious conversations about our responsibility to be safe for our children compared to our feeling of still being called to travel with our team.
Through encouragement of others who had been before and who we trusted, we decided it was right for us to go. Our experience was truly wonderful, and I actually think the most beneficial part of the trip for me was experiencing the weight of genuine fear leading up to the trip but then experiencing a trip in which we felt completely safe all the time. Now having been, I would confidently say to others that they can go with confidence that they will be protected and free from fear.
A group of our friends prayed that the Holy Spirit would cut a path for us as we were on our trip and we feel that is precisely what took place. I would be willing to talk to anyone about our experience. Thank you for your work. God Bless you.”
“My husband and I just completed our 5th Homes of Hope weekend in Tijuana, Mexico. We are always humbled by the personal reward of participating in building homes for very poor families in Mexico. Each year the blessings come from experiencing working closely together with your team, the younger kids that attend and how hard they work, the appreciation and love that comes from the family we are providing a home for that would likely never have without our help. It is humbling and makes you realize how great the need is for this work.
Last year we brought our grandson, Jonah, who was 8 at the time. We hope to bring our granddaughter Emma next year. She will be 7 years old. Jonah will never forget his trip and so wants to do it again.
There has never been a feeling of fear or worry about our well-being and safety on the trip. There has never been an incident that we have been involved in crossing the border, coming or going. I recommend it highly; you will never be sorry. Your biggest fear will probably be not knowing when you will get to build again.”
“I just wanted to thank you for giving not only me, but other people a great opportunity of our lifetime. Building the house was a great experience and something I will never forget. We worked very hard within the three days building, but yet had a great time and got to know the families and children around the neighborhood.
Seeing the people that lived in serious poverty, was a deep eye opener for me. In the United States, you would never see anything that you witnessed in Ensenada. One thing that I loved about being in Mexico was the relationships people had with each other. …Sometimes it is harder to establish good relationships with other people because we are so independent and usually we don’t have to go out of our way to talk to others to get what we need. In Mexico, it felt like people depend on relationships more. The children in the neighborhoods were so friendly. Every time we would hand out candy or toys, all the children would run up and surround us.
And for myself, I feel closer to God and have tried to make an effort to go to church more. Thanks again for everything and I hope one day maybe this summer I can come back and build another home.”
“Drew I can touch a heart but I can’t swing a hammer, would you help?” – God asking Drew Smith about being involved in missions. This happened after building his first Homes of Hope in 1998. Since then he has come several times each year with family, coworkers, church teams and business teams.
“Andy and Ruthie,
I want to thank you both for another wonderful homebuilding trip! Your staff are so amazing and I know that is a result of the leadership you provide them as well as the love of Christ in their hearts.
More folks are discussing the possibility of someday serving with YWAM than ever before. The fact is that they are thinking about it . It is a testament to the way you all touch our hearts.
thank you so much for the work you do to make these home-building trips possible, for touching the lives of those families, and for impacting all of us here in Denver. You guys are wonderful!”
“Our family has come to a consensus that two days on the beach falls far short of being with YWAM building a home for a poor family….”
“Brett, thank you ever so much for allowing us to come to Tijuana, and allowing us to build several homes for the homeless. This is the ninth year that we have been able to come to Tijuana, and it was perhaps the best trip we have ever made. There was great harmony on the base among staff members; the speakers and the staff were excellent. We so appreciated Andy Ortega. He is pivotal in making our week in Tijuana go so smooth. He has a love and passion for our kids that attracts our kids to Jesus Christ.”
“I just wanted to thank you and your HOH organization for yet another successful home building project. Our group had a wonderful experience. The crew that we worked with were knowledgeable, helpful and fun to get to know and work with. The family who we built for was also a pleasure to get to know – and it was so great that they helped out in the building of their new home. What a sense of pride they must feel to have joined us in the project. They were so thankful, and they and we were all touched by the experience.
You were great in guiding the administrative aspects of the preparation. So thank you and please pass on this thank you to all who were involved in providing us with a smooth, safe and meaningful experience.
We’ll be in touch later this year to plan our next HOH project!”
