House Blessings

Another work week has come and gone here at Project Mexico, and this morning we woke up with four houses to be finished and blessed. Stucco day went smoothly on all accounts, and come 2 o´clock Father Michael began to make his way from house to house to lead the services. Each time that Father set up his sawhorse and plywood altar table, the houses began to look complete as every last detail was finished.

At the end of four days of hard work everyone is a bit tired, but we all managed to squeeze into our handiwork for the blessing. It is around this time that we usually begin to realize the magnitude of what we´ve done. During the blessing, tears of joy are not uncommon both from the workers and the family, but it is afterward, when one of the parents begins to thank us as we present them with their keys, that reality hits home. The mother of one of our larger families this week (7 children, ages 3 to 12), tearfully thanked us for giving her a place to safely raise her children, and thanked us for playing with them. She urged all of us to come back and visit their family at any time. We then left our families with this strange and wonderful gift, a house that represents hope for a better life. As we pulled away, however, we felt as though we received a gift as well...a strangely similar hope in a better life. May we cling to this hope and carry it with us as we continue our lives at home.