Crop For Mexico Results!

So it was a most splendiferous day!!! In March we did our second "Crop For Mexico" at Grace Baptist and the support for this fundraiser was AMAZING!!  Take a look at this BEAUTIFUL group of women who came out to give their generous support to help build a home for a needy family in Mexico this summer!!!  

This year's Crop For Mexico has a neat "God Story"...  last year we raised exactly $7001 and we absolutely loved that extra $1 that put us there as it represented how important each and every $1 is!!!  So this year when all was said and done and we were counting the $, the total came to $8997!!!!  We were ecstatic at the amount but kept thinking, if only we had a few more dollars to put us over $9000!!!  We even debated throwing in an extra $5 of our own money, but decided that we wanted to be true to the actual amount as we had last year and so we left it but for some reason didn't feel like we should announce it yet so we didn't.  No reason why, just felt that way.

So the next week we went to get the mail and lo and behold there was a card from Jennifer Reynard who had volunteered her time to help with the garage sale part of the event and inside was a $5 bill!!!  She had helped take a few extra supplies to the thrift store after the event and inside a binder her son had found the money!!!  She felt strongly that it needed to go towards the event as someone had donated the binder and so here is now our final total...

$9002

So that means not only did we raise enough to build one complete home ($6000), but half of the second one too!!!!!  We are so overwhelmed with gratitude and so anxious to introduce you to BOTH the families that will receive a new life because of the generosity of these women!!!  And it will be sheer joy for us to introduce the families to you as we will for sure take the top photo of all of you with us to show them!!!

So from the bottom of our hearts... thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! 

Crop For Mexico Returns!!!!

It's back and even better than before!!!  

YES, we will have delicious homemade food again (this year we will also serve a light breakfast of delectables in addition to lunch, supper and snacks!!)

YES, we will have strong abled guys to help carry all your crop supplies in and back out to your cars (and shovel the snow and start and scrape your cars!!)

YES, we will again run an on-site garage sale for attendees and the public (so please start gathering your donations now to bring along to the event!!)

YES, we will offer optional add-on classes taught by our hosts and instructors (will post these as they become available... meanwhile let us know what you'd like to learn!)

YES, 100% of your registration fee and ALL spending at the event will go towards building a home for a very needy family in Mexico!! Have fun and change lives!!

Click HERE to register!!!!

(Registration opens Friday, Jan. 20 @ 5am)

Extreme Home Makeover: Mexico 2011

Make the House a Home!!!

Yesterday we had the fun task of shopping for items to help "Make the House a Home"!! Our first stop was the local furniture store... Sami's!!  There are not too many options for stores (no Walmarts or Ikea!!) so you make do with what is available.

We chose 3 sets of tables and chairs, 3 dressers and this pile of mattresses!

Next we found a bike store as one of the dads had a bike as one of his top priorities as an "extra treat" and method of transportation.  We picked a pretty blue one for him :)

Then it was off to the grocery store... 3 carts running up and down the aisles grabbing basics like rice, flour, beans, oil, salt, spices, then a few perishables like eggs, fruits and veggies.  We filled each cart and spent less than $100 per cart!!!

Meanwhile, back at the build site, half of the team members were finishing off some painting and building shelves, etc...

While others were cuddling a cute little kitten that was wandering around...

While others were making sure their hair was perfect...

And still others were loving on the neighborhood children who hang around everywhere!!!

We ended off the day with a super fun trip back to the community school yard where we showed the movie "Tangled" in Spanish with English subtitles and handed out popcorn and glowsticks for the kids.  We had to bring out a generator to run the projector, but boy did the children (and adults) giggle and enjoy the whole evening!

Raising the Roof

Hi from Lydon.... I don’t blog often so just bear with me and my assistant blogger, Danielle Crane.

Today we accomplished a lot at the work site. We finished the entire roof (and this task was not as easy as it sounds). We had to build it, lift it, sheet it, tar it, shingle it, nail it and most importantly admire it....that pretty much sums up the entire work day.

Manuel came to lunch with us at the local Pemex. Now I haven ’t read the other blogs yet so I don’t know if he has been mentioned yet. He’s a Mexican boy with amazing building habits and was helping out with the building, so we thought he deserved some lunch.  A couple years back, he got his own house built.....we’re brothers me and him.

Today Christine got covered in dirt, playing with Anna one of the children we built for last year (this year we’re building for her grandparents) and I Danielle, spent time with the sixteen year old daughter, Laura, painting together and watching a Mexican soap opera.

By the time we finished the roof, it was about 5:30, and then we went to visit the family that we built for a couple years back.

By the time we got home (or what feels like home now) it was about 7:00ish and we were given the choice between a shower or delicious meal consisting of... Well I’m not sure exactly. Some sort of taco I think...they called it Tostata. Personally I (Lyndon)  picked to food option... and so did Danielle. It was good and all but now that I’m blogging this I’m stating to think i chose poorly...but don’t worry Danielle had a shower!

Sincerely, your good friend, and mentor:  Lyndon  J skeet... and mostly Danielle Crane J

Dave Meyers here...

Man I haven't even had time to think today.  It was the busiest day yet for sure.  And I even ended up playing soccer with two neighborhood girls.  They finally started to warm up to me.

Today was "raise the roof day" where we basically did the facia, drip cap and shingles.  Things are just done so differently here and think we would have been done much quicker at home.  We had to use so many more nails here than we would have needed to in Canada.

The other thing today... I cannot stress how much I can't wait for the dedication day.  I can't wait to see the look on the mom, Rayna's face.  I spend a lot of time watching her as we build and you can see the excitement in her face building as well.   I was working on the bano yesterday and designed a simple lock for the door that can be used from the inside and she gave me the thumbs up, but then later went and used the old bano.  It's almost as though she's scared to use or claim the new one just yet.

And I should probably also mention that I received 3 paintings with my name on them from 3 cute little girls today.  Two of them gave them to me themselves, but the 3rd one gave it to Bethany to give to me.  I naturally will bring them home with me as they were pretty special.

Dave Meyers