Stanwood - Zurita Chavez Family

BUILD DATES: APRIL 17 - 18, 2021

FAMILY INFORMATION:

DAD - Florentino

Age: 31

Profession: Factory Forklift

Monthly Salary: $330USD

MOM - Rosalba

Age: 29

Profession: Factory Packing

Monthly Salary: $210USD

CHILDREN -

Ingrid, 11 / Elias, 6 / Claudia Sofia, 4

PROPERTY INFORMATION

Property cost:  $115,000 MXN/ $5750 USD Amt owed:  $101,000/ $5050 USD

Monthly payments: $1,500/ $75 USD Colonia: El Paraiso

Running water: No Electricity: No

The family previously rented a home.   They have lived on their property for one year.  They learned about Homes of Hope from family members.

FAMILY STORY

Originally from Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico, Florentino and Rosalba met in 2008 when he worked as a delivery man and she worked in a store.  A short time later they began dating and decided to start a family together.  Their first daughter, Ingrid was born and 4 years later, Elias joined their family.  Little Claudia Sofia was born a year and a half later, completing their family of 5.

Work in Oaxaca was very scarce and family members encouraged them to move to Ensenada.  When they arrived here they rented a trailer for $35 a month and lived there for about a year.  It was clear to Florentino and Rosalba that purchasing land and building a home would be best for their family and began looking for land to buy on credit.  Both were so happy to find a property and now make monthly payments of $75 while living on their land.  

The couple currently work together at the same factory where Florentino is a forklift driver and Rosalba works in the packing area.  They dream of a solid home where their children can grow and have a better life.  Unfortunately building a good home is not possible due to financial challenges and Florentino and Rosalba are so thankful Stanwood men are coming to help build them a Home of Hope.

Ojai Valley - Rivera Ramos Family

BUILD DATES: APRIL 23-24, 2021

FAMILY INFORMATION:

MOM - Araceli

Age: 32

Profession: Homemaker

CHILDREN -

William Ivan, 15 yrs old,

Manuel Alejandro, 12 yrs old,

Mia Victoria, 4 months old

PROPERTY INFORMATION

Property cost:  $35,000 pesos/ $1750 USD Amount owed:  Property fully paid

Monthly payments: Property fully paid Colonia: Canon Buenavista

Running water:  No Electricity: Yes

The family previously lived with Araceli’s mom.   They have lived on their property for 6 years.  They learned about Homes of Hope from friends who received a home and from the Casas de Esperanza Ensenada facebook page.

FAMILY STORY

Araceli was born in Ensenada and grew up here.  She is so happy her children will be able to soon live in a safe, dry home.  Araceli has had several challenging relationships and has been very hurt by the fathers of her children- both emotionally and physically.  

She and her sons lived undocumented in California for a while but her son’s father was physically abusive with her and her older sons so she fled him and returned to Mexico.  Upon returning to Ensenada she lived with a new partner and worked at a packing factory.  She was able to save money and purchase her land on credit.  In the past 6 years she has paid off her property in full.  Her parents, who also live in Ensenada, were able to help her as well.  

Araceli was later fired from the factory when her boss found out she was pregnant with baby Mia Victoria. Things were also rough at home as her former partner decided he didn’t want anything to do with her or the baby, left her for another woman and left town.  

Each week Araceli’s mom gives her $30 USD to help cover basic needs.  During the week Araceli takes her sons to a nearby community center where they are given food and cared for.  When Mia was born the staff from the feeding program at the center helped her as well.  Mia was born with intestinal problems and currently receives a special treatment and needs an expensive formula that Araceli sometimes isn’t able to buy.  Araceli and her children need a home and as they wait they work on their property together, preparing for the dream day they will finally have a safe, solid, dry home.

Stanwood - Gonzalez Cruz Family

BUILD DATES: APRIL 17-18, 2021

FAMILY INFORMATION:

DAD - Margarito

Age: 33

Profession: Field worker

Monthly Salary: $6,000 MXN / $300 USD

MOM - Rionalda

Age: 25

Profession: Homemaker

CHILDREN -

Edward , 5yrs old

PROPERTY INFORMATION:

Property cost:  $120,000 pesos/ $6000 USD

Amount owed:  $104,000 pesos/ $5200 USD

Monthly payments: $2000/ $100 USD Colonia: Las Flores, Maneadero

Running water:  No  Electricity:  No They have lived on their property for 8 months

FAMILY STORY:

Margarito and Rionalda are originally from Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico.  When Rionalda was 3 years old she moved to Ensenada with her parents as they looked for work.  Years went by and later she moved to San Quintin, an agricultural hub 2 hours south of Ensenada, where she met Margarito.  Several months later they began a life together and one year after that little Edward was born.  

Margarito works in the fields harvesting seasonal produce.  He often works with blueberries and currently is caring for mint.  Rionalda is dedicated to their home and caring for 5-year-old Edward, who will soon become a big brother.  Margarito and Rionalda are thrilled to meet their new baby soon as she is currently 9 months pregnant!

Margarito desperately wanted his own property so he could build a home for his family.  He searched in many areas in order to find a place where land was sold on credit at a price he could manage.  He was able to gather the funds needed for the down payment and makes monthly payments of $100 USD.  

For the past 8 months Margarito, Rionalda and Edward have lived on the property in a small structure of plywood and plastic.  Margarito’s salary does not allow them to purchase better building materials after making mortgage payments and buying essentials like food and gas. 

For the Gonzalez Cruz family the rainy season is the hardest.  The rain and wind knocked down their home and they did their best to rebuild.  Margarito and Rionalda dream of having a safe home for their children.  With their new baby on the way they are desperate for a safe and healthy home.  While they don’t have the necessary resources to build their own home the Gonzalez Cruz family is so thankful that Stanwood Foursquare men are coming to give them the best present ever… a home for their growing family.

MATTHEW'S TEAM - THE BUSTAMANTE GAYTAN FAMILY

BUILD DATES: APRIL 11, 2021

FAMILY INFORMATION:

MOM: ELVIRA GAYTAN

Age: 26

Profession: Homemaker

DAD: Rigoberto Bustamante

Age: 25

Profession: Harvests Sage

Salary: $240 USD

CHILDREN:

Rigoberto Jr. , 4 yrs old

PROPERTY INFORMATION

Property cost:  $100,000/ $5000 USD Amount owed:  $75,000/ $3800 USD

Monthly payments: $1500/ $75 USD Colonia: Tinajitas

Running water:   Yes Electricity: No

The family previously lived with Elvira’s mom.   They have lived on their property for 1 year.

FAMILY STORY

Originally from Santiago in the southern state of Oaxaca, Elvira moved around a lot as a child while her parents searched for better opportunities.  As field workers they lived in the states of Sinaloa, Sonora and Chihuahua.  For much of her childhood Elvira’s mother was ill but the family wasn’t exactly sure what was wrong.  They moved to Ensenada in search of better medical attention and it was here that her mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis.  The family met caring pastors here who prayed and supported them regularly.  God heard those prayers and thankfully Elvira’s mother was healed and became well again.

Elvira’s family was in desperate need of a home.  The pastors soon gave them the good news that a team was going to build a home for them and shortly afterwards a team from Holland built her family a Home of Hope while she was very young.  

When Elvira finished high school she applied to a local university but didn’t pass the entrance exam.  It was then that she decided to work in the fields and there she met Rigoberto.

Originally from Oaxaca, Rigoberto and his family moved to Ensenada in search of better economic opportunities.  His parents were divorced and he had also lived in the nearby northern states of Sonora and Sinaloa.  His family heard that better opportunities were available in Ensenada and soon came here to work.

After meeting at work Rigoberto and Elvira became friends and soon started dating.  After being together for 11 months they decided to rent an apartment together.  However, after Elvira became pregnant with Rigoberto Jr. they moved in with her mom to save money.  

After living with Elvira’s family for 7 months the new parents needed their own space and decided to rent a small room.  Around this time they began to save towards the down payment for a property where they could build their own home.  Sadly, their rental home was broken into and all their savings were stolen.

Once again they had no other option but to return to live with Elvira’s family and begin saving again for a down payment.  Rigoberto and Elvira soon purchased a property with a down payment and built a small room out of wood pallets wrapped in plastic on the outside and cardboard on the inside.  At first the roof was just plastic tarps but these were not strong enough in the winds.  Later they were able to add plywood to the roof.

Rigoberto works in the fields harvesting sage and also works in the dispatch area.  Harvesting is seasonal contract work and he struggles to find work in the winter.  Elvira has been without work for four months but in the summer will probably harvest green beans.  The majority of her time is spent caring for little Rigoberto Jr.  

The Bustamante Gaytan family dreams of a real home so Rigoberto Jr. can have a better quality of life and they can have a safe place to live.

MATTHEW'S TEAM THE VAZQUEZ MARTINEZ FAMILY

BUILD DATES: APRIL 9-10, 2021

FAMILY INFORMATION:

DAD: OCTAVIANO

Age: 34

Profession: Assembly/Factory

Salary: $310 USD

MOM: ANA ROSA

Age: 31

Profession: Assembly/Factory

Salary: $320 USD

CHILDREN:

Octavio, 13 yrs old

Yoni Octavio, 8 yrs old

Sirel Eileen, 4 yrs old

PROPERTY INFORMATION

Property cost:  $125,000 pesos/ $6500 USD Amount owed:  $90,000/ $4500 USD

Monthly payments: $1800/ $90 USD Colonia: Tinajitas

Running water: Yes Electricity: No

The family previously rented.   They have lived on their property for 1 year.

FAMILY STORY

Both Octaviano and Ana Rosa are originally from Oaxaca and have known each other for the past 15 years.  They met in school and started dating.  After being together for 6 months Ana Rosa became pregnant with their first son, Octavio.  That December they moved to Mexicali, the state capital of Baja California, located 2 hours from Ensenada.  At first they lived with Octaviano’s uncle until moving to Valle de la Trinidad (an hour and a half from Ensenada) where they lived for 3 months until deciding to move to Ensenada.  It was here that Octavio was born.  Ana Rosa cared for their baby while Octaviano worked at a store and also in the fields.

The young couple were renting a small room and in 2011 returned to Oaxaca, where their second son, Yoni Octavio, was born in 2012.  Octaviano worked seasonally at a sawmill.  In 2017 their daughter Sirel Eileen was born.  In 2019 the family returned to Ensenada again due to the lack of work in Oaxaca.

Upon returning to Ensenada they rented a small room for four months for approximately $50 USD/ month.  Shortly after Octaviano and Ana Rosa decided that it would be best to look for a property of their own and began to save towards a down payment.  They were so happy to be able to purchase a property together.  Octaviono soon built a small room on their land and they moved there.

Octaviano and Ana Rosa both work at Icum Medica, a factory that makes medical items.  While they are at work Octaviano’s uncle watches the children.  Octaviano works from 5pm- 2am and Ana Rosa works from 7am-4pm.  Currently Octaviano’s sister is living with them but only for a short time.

The Vazquez Martinez family does not have the funds to build their own home due to a lack of resources.  Their intense work schedules also make it hard to find the time to do home projects or enlarge their current room.  These parents dream of a safe home that protects their family.  The wind, rain and cold easily enter the small room they built but thankfully that will change very soon. 

THE RECIO MORA FAMILY

BUILD DATES: MARCH 13-14, 2021

FAMILY INFORMATION

MOTHER: VERONICA

Age: 29

Profession: Mother at Home

DAD: Manuel

Age: 29

Profession: Car Wash

Monthly Salary: $320 USD

CHILDREN:

Dania, 7 yrs old

Grecia, 5 yrs old

PROPERTY INFORMATION

Is the land paid in full?: Yes   Price of land: 

Colonia: Buena Vista

Time the family has lived on the land: 5 years

Electricity: Yes       Sewer system: No       Running water: No

FAMILY STORY

Originally from Tijuana, Veronica moved to Ensenada with her mother and soon found work at a packing company.  It was there that she met Manuel, an Ensenada native.  Soon after they began a life together, renting a small house where their first daughter, Dania, was born.  

Manuel and Veronica dreamed of having their own home and were able to purchase land on credit.  Grecia, their second daughter, was born 5 years ago and shortly thereafter the Recio Mora family moved to the new property.  Over the past several years they have faithfully made monthly payments and their property is now completely paid.  

Manuel works at a car wash and earns approximately $320 USD each month while Veronica cares for the home and girls.  They have not been able to expand the small room on their property due to a lack of funds.  During the rainy season Manuel cannot work and this is very challenging for the Recio Moras.  Manuel’s income is used to pay bills and cover the costs of their families needs.  

Manuel and Veronica need a better home for their daughters and are so thankful that God is showing his faithfulness in the face of difficulty.  They believe that God will soon bless them with a home and are so excited to receive this great blessing, thanks to the generosity of the Thowless and Murillo families.

Living Word - The Romero Castro Family

BUILD DATES: APRIL 16-17, 2021

FAMILY INFORMATION

DAD - MOISES ROMERO

Age: 29

Profession: Waiter

Monthly Salary: $240 USD

MOM - LIDIA CASTRO

Age: 22

Profession: Homemaker

CHILDREN

Miah Yaeni, 3 yrs old

Ian Moises, 1 month

PROPERTY INFORMATION:

Property cost:  $174,800pesos/ $8740 USD Amount owed:  $70,000/ $3500 USD

Monthly payments: $2,600/ $130 USD Colonia: Escorpion

Electricity: No       Sewer system: No       Running water: Yes

The family previously lived  with Moises’ mother.   They have lived on their property for 1.5 years.  They learned about Homes of Hope from a friend at church.

FAMILY STORY:

Moises and Lidia met online but soon decided to get to know each other in person.  Moises is from Ensenada and Lidia is from Mexicali, the state capital, about 3 hours away.  

The new couple visited each other often and soon decided to begin a life together 4 years ago when Lidia moved to Ensenada.  Little Miah was born about a year later and is now 3 years old.  Brother Ian Moises was born just one month ago.  

Three years ago Moises and Lidia purchased their land and began living there.  In order to live on the land they traded their car for a trailer, which has kept them safe and dry as they dreamed of a home.

For the past 6 years Moises has worked as a waiter at a Chinese restaurant.  Lidia is dedicated to caring for their children and home.  

Moises and Lidia have tried to build a small home but due to economic challenges they haven’t been able to do so.  The desire of their hearts is that God will answer their prayers and provide a home for their growing family.  Both parents dream of a better life for their children and home larger and more comfortable than the trailer.

In March 2020 Moises and Lidia received the wonderful news that they had qualified for a home… and then the pandemic changed everything and the team assigned to build their home was forced to cancel.  But the Romero Castro family didn’t lose faith and believed that God would soon answer their prayers.  Now, more than a year after first learning they would receive a home, they are thrilled to partner with Living Word and build their new home.