What the little girl saw

After starting out with demolition, the volunteers to Tijuana from St. John Vianney Parish in Kirkland, WA, changed gears and got into home construction on Wednesday. Their project benefited the residents of a mobile home in Rosarito, a suburb of Tijuana.

This vintage mobile home sits on a parcel of property where Esperanza, a Tijuana nonprofit is constructing a "dream home" for a low-income family.

In the doorway, Dafne, a toddler watches the arrival of the construction team.

Jan Kline, coordinator for the Seattle group, and Alex Cratsenberg, a long-term Esperanza volunteer and graduate of Seattle University, speak with Emma, the ama de casa (lady of the house).

The volunteers set to work continuing the process begun on Tuesday, when they dug foundation trenches.

Even through the ground being excavated lacks roots, it is full of clay and quite thick and stubborn. The digging was exhausting. The first day's work involved piling the dirt excavated for the footings in mounds contained with cinder blocks which will later be used for the footings and the walls of the home.

The dense excavated soil is contained in cinder blocks and surrounded by the foundation trenches.

Wilson found a perch from which he could observe the work. Having no arms or legs, he could only watch.

The trenches needed to be deeper. While Nick Petlow broke up the ground with a pick, Sandy Kubishta shoveled out the loose chunks.

Every now and then there was an archeological discovery -- such as this small toy horse. Someone jammed in a male figure to replace the lost head.

There were other strange sights. As Christine McLeod bowed her head in silent prayer, Sandy Kubishta apparently dredged up a poltergeist, which she flung aside. There was no clear indication of how long the demonic spirit had been lurking in the clay.

Working a project under these conditions calls for bucket brigades, which were organized to move soil, cinder blocks and sand, and which will eventually be used to move the gravel and sand which will be mixed to become cement. Then the cement will be hauled in the same fashion for the home's footings and walls.

A bucket brigade formed to move the earth. Tanya Cairns hefted a bucket of soil to Alisen Barrow.

Monica Dykas recycled an empty bucket back into the bucket brigade line.

Buckets move faster through the line if you reserve the right to toss them. Deana Barrow tosses one to Alex Cratsenberg.

These cinder blocks follow the so-called Hainer design. The blocks have raised areas that help them interlock with one another. Note the rebar that lies down the center. It is hammered into the grooves in the blocks to create a rigid connection. There are ties that hold the rebar sections together snugly. Cement is poured into the hollows of the blocks to create a wall that stands up well to earthquakes. It is a simple and effective technology.

Prior to placing the foundation blocks, the trenches were layered with sand, which Steve Zeller is tapping down.

Karen Maxwell cut wires to tie the rebar, and Paola, a youngster living at the house, helped fold them in preparation for their use.

Afterward, Paola helped Deana Barrow flatted out rebar which had been cut and bent.

The language barrier wasn't enough to keep these two from working together.

 Tomorrow, (Thursday), the volunteers have to three objectives -- build more Hainer blocks at the demolition site where this week's work began; return to this site to continue foundation work; and finally, prepare the "Posada," Esperanza's volunteer headquarters, for its 25th Anniversary fiesta. Wish you could be there!

Love,
Robert, and
Wilson