Thursday, March 14, 2019

Thursday morning update

This is Phil Starr from Trinity.  Today is the start of the fourth workday.  The week is moving along very fast.  Our group is doing very well.  We are working well together at the work site and having fun in the evening at our various events.

Last night, Wednesday night, we went to casa del migrante - a migrant shelter sponsored by the Catholic church.  We had a tour of the facility which was built as the shelter.  It kind of reminds me of a 4 floor hotel.  We learned that all the shelters in Tijuana are full.  There have been many "caravans" come to Tijuana and many small groups of people from other countries seeking refuge. 


Our group getting a tour at casa del migrante

We ate dinner across the table of recent deportees or migrants.  Jamie, Joel and I sat across the table from an English speaking man who had just been deported from San Diego a few days ago.  He was born in Mexico and at an early age his parents moved the family to San Diego.  We guess that he is 35 years old.  So he had probably been the states for 30 years.  He never kept his papers up to date.  He had gotten picked up for a DUI and when he got out of jail didn't follow the orders of his parole and ended up being deported. 

The men we talk to here remind me of the homeless people in Wooster some of which sleep on our church steps.  These are people in what seems are hopeless situations. 

My suggestion to the man we talked to was to take advantage of all of the services that casa del migrante has to offer - help with getting a job, social workers, Doctor/nurse, etc. 

At the worksite - so far this week we have been digging for the foundation of the house.  Some parts we are digging down 60 inches - some 35 inches.  Today we are supposed to level off the floor, lay sand, lay the foundation block which includes rebar. 

We won't get to see the finished house this year for Saul and his family but we will be able to see finished pictures in a month or so.  Once the house is finished - here is one of the views that they will have:




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