# 10
The tenth house we built belongs to the Velez family.
As the owner of house # 9 (who worked alongside her husband to complete all the electrical work) said, “we’ve given one more family hope, stability and a security that cannot be measured.”
We met Julio on our first trip. He served as translator for many in our group and continues this work for other groups who travel to Baja. The Ensenada church was excited that his family would receive a house this year.
A group of gringos stopped by the job site and I overheard Julio tell them that what we had given his family was a great start.
Julio and the church in that colonia will pick up from here and install sheetrock, windows, doors and outside stucco.
When asked why the house was not “fully” completed Julio replied “this is how we do it (referring to our house building philosophy) and this is how it should be.”
Our strategy is to help without “0ver-helping”. We strive to teach people how to build and encourage them to take pride in ownership. We place them on a path of personal stability and growth.
We’ve done more harm than good if they rely upon us for everything.
So we give them a house 85% built and they finish it with those around them in their church community and the discipline of giving and serving others carries on.
Well done, good and faithful house builders. It think you have the right philosophy for helping and giving the church there an opportunity to come alongside those families.
Great job, Randy.