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Sweet Blessings in Mexico
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Dear Build a Miracle Friends,
We know so many things are going on in the world today and we pray that you and your family are doing well.
We have shared these things with some people, but decided to send out a newsletter because we thought more of you might enjoy seeing what your friends in Mexico have been doing lately.
Below is what the team down there has been doing over the past 3 weeks in response to the virus and then to the right, you can see a few of the fun things that have been going on since Christmas.
I was thinking at first of a short newsletter, but there are SO many things happening!
- also, knowing me, it will be months before another newsletter gets out, so might as well take advantage of this quieter time.
- And besides, maybe everyone has just a little more time on their hands these days to hear about what their friends down south have been up to!
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BAM Coronavirus Response
We have an amazing team that will truly do anything to help their neighbors!
Their love extends far beyond building homes and providing education.
Erendira, one of our leaders in the sewing salon, had the idea to make face masks in early March after seeing the need on the news.
She is very much a forward thinker and self motivated as well.
She watched instructional videos on the internet and went out in search of materials. She has made about 125 masks, most of which she has donated. She is now reaching out to the medical community in Tijuana to inquire about making some for them.
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Robotics Helping Their Neighbors
Our robotics team was heartbroken earlier this month when the robotics competition in Mexico City, that they had been preparing for all year, was cancelled.
That didn't stop them from coming up with a way that they could use their skills.
They are currently working on using our 3D printers to make these head pieces that are used by medical professionals to provide protection and are searching for places to donate them.
Similar pieces are being made here in San Diego.
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Robotics Team with the robot they built but weren't able to take to the competition
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A Gift for Each of You - Sharing Toilet Paper with Their Neighbors
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A Sweet Story:
When your friends in Mexico heard that people could not find toilet paper in the stores up here, they bought 160 rolls for me to bring back up.
We still have some in our garage, so please come by and get some if you need it!
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BAM REMOTE LEARNING!
Leaders and teachers preparing materials for all of our young people to study at home during the months ahead
Below you can see them planning school work for the students and also planning ways that our staff would be able to stay involved in the lives of all of the Build A Miracle families while they are at home.
They have made educational packets, journals for writing, and books from our library for all the families.
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Getting educational packages ready for each of our students
They work so hard for the children and families in their communities!
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Delivering Educational Packets to Every Family
The families could not be more thankful for the ways that they are shown so much love.
They never feel alone.
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And Kids Already Hard at Work
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And Bribery at its best - There are points given for work done while sheltering at home - completing work packets, reading, writing, and exercising and the students will be able to buy prizes with their points when returning to the community center
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Stocking up food and supplies at the Community Center - Thinking Ahead
We know that supplies may become low at some point and also that many will not be able to afford to buy food because they will not have work, so we have stocked the shelves at the community center in anticipation of that day.
And if for some reason we don't need it now, we can use all of it when the kids are back at the Community Center!
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Keeping our Families Healthy
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in Mexico and being overweight is common.
Knowing that these 2 things lead to such higher rates of death by the coronavirus gave us the idea to work on setting up a financial incentive based weight loss program that one of our donors is sponsoring.
We are going to pay them by the kilos they lose and keep off for at least a month.
- More Bribery at its finest!
The zumba teacher is setting up exercise videos and the PE teacher is sending out ideas to keep the kids active at home.
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Below are Some Pictures of the Community Center Yesterday
- No classes for the next month or two
With a message from Obed,
"Se mira un poco triste, todo sin niños corriendo jugando estudiando o simplemente con una gran sonrisa por estar en nuestro centro comunitario"
TRANSLATION
It looks a little sad without children running, playing, studying or just with big smiles because they are at our community center.
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Before we know it, the Community Center will be looking like this again
And the sport court will look like this again
And our Build A Miracle bus will be driving down these dusty roads picking up children to fill the halls and classrooms once again
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May God bless you and your family until we can see each other on a build day again!
The Community Center will be closed for the next month or two and we will have to see what the recommendations are after that.
We will continue to pay our teachers, builders and staff, because they depend on us for their survival - and we depend on them for the survival of the program!
They will continue to connect with each of our families, encourage their educational development and they will also be planning ways to improve each of our programs.
This time has been a great test for them because it is THEY who are keeping things going in their communities and they have risen to the task.
We could not be more proud of them or more thankful to you for the ways you have believed in them and cared for them.
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That's enough info for now, but it's amazing to be at the end of this newsletter and still feeling that is SO much left to tell - like about the 60 students who are sponsored for college,
the dental program where over 150 people from our program have been able to get dental care,
the medical clinic that takes place one Sunday each month at the Community Center seeing over 100 patients each time,
the bus we are looking at buying because all of our kids and moms do not fit in the one we have...
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Thanks to you, since January, we have been working on houses #377 - #393
Below are pictures of some homes they have been working on over the past month
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Putting in Insulation House #378
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Painting and Furniture Surprises
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Look at the difference below in the face of the mother of this family from the day we first met her, to the day a year later, after being involved in BAM, when she was painting her finished home.
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Furniture Surprise
House #388 and #382
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Here's a message Angelica sent me on the day they had the first move in without any of us there:
"Hola Sra Juliana el día fue un poco raro y triste sin ninguna persona de ustedes se que tenemos que seguir adelante pero se me hace un poco difícil sin ustedes
Espero que todo esto pase muy rápido primera mente Dios
Saludos los extrañamos mucho mucho"����
Translation:
Hello Mrs. Juliana, the day was a bit strange and sad without any of you
I know we have to keep moving forward on but it seems a little difficult for me without all of you
I hope this all passes very quickly God willing
Greetings we miss you very much
����
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Other Exciting Things Going On
Caring for Families Who Live Near the Dump
One of our families goes 3 times a week to feed children and families who live next to the dump, educate them, and share Christ's love with them
More Loving Acts
After months of hard work, our leaders convinced a mother from one of our homes to enter a drug rehab program and then bought food for her children and an older sister who will care for them during this time
The Dad Group
Dads from the community are given a budget of $1500-$2000 per home in order to fix homes of their neighbors in need who do not own their land.
They get together every Sunday and work on 2 different homes each weekend.
After building homes, they share a meal and build friendships
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Some fun things that happened over the past couple months at the Community Center - before it was closed
Exercise Classes for the Moms
First day of the 12 Week Welcome Program Classes for Families on the Waiting List
The Center so full on the weekends that there's barely room to walk around
Dance Classes
English Classes
Spanish Classes
Beauty School Graduation and Expo
Dancing with Karla
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THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
BUILD A MIRACLE BUILDING BUSINESSES
We have bought some land across the street from the community center where we hope to build businesses that people from the community will run
The top floor will have all of our adult education classes and the bottom story will be 3 different businesses
Many from the community have already started taking baking classes to learn how to make bread that will be sold at one of the businesses
They'll keep practicing :)
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And still more things left to share like:
Tarps given to families to keep them from getting wet in their shacks this winter,
the 30+ people we have helped to start or improve their own small businesses with
The playground that will go in one day soon!
- Thank you to all of the high school students who have raised the funds to make this possible.
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Here's a few of the 40 or so families on the waiting list for a home who look forward to the day they will be building with you again!
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Thank you, thank you for making SO many miracles possible!
Many families have better lives because of the ways you have loved them.
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Note from our leader, Olga:
It is not the same without all of you here on the build days. It's just not the same emotion. We pray that this will all be over soon and that the build days and painting day surprises will be like they were before because we miss you all. Thank you because in spite of these difficult times, you and the sponsors continue to think about us and our communities. |
God bless you all and thanks for your involvement making this world better
- one home, one person and one family at a time.
With Love From,
Chris, Julianne, Adolfo, Eva and All Your Build a Miracle Friends
Chris and Julianne North
11207 Lady Fern Ct
San Diego, CA 92131
Buildamiracle.net
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