Bless you, everyone! 32 donors have chipped in 62,510 pesos plus donated ten sacks of cement, a cart of gravel, and two doors for our house for Juan Manuel! We also have a couple who have volunteered to help with finishing up the house once it’s built. Our sincere hope is to have it ready for Juan Manuel and his father by Christmas.

As I told you in my previous update, I noticed that the plans they originally submitted to us were for a very basic room and nothing more: no windows, doors or roof, no bathroom or kitchen sink or plumbing. Obviously they will not have sewage, but they can run basic electrical and also get water from a hose. The builder then drew the above basic plan.

That initial builder has gone AWOL, but it has actually been a blessing as we have an architect who has volunteered his time to design a cinder block room, updating the basic outlines above, rather than a room using the more expensive brick. Going forward we will be able to use this architectural design for other basic rooms/homes for other families as we see extreme need.

In the meantime, the pair have had to move to a new rental home, because the owner of the house I photographed them in has returned to Mazatlán. They are most anxious to move into a new room of their home and save on rent, so they can purchase diapers for Juan Manuel as well as much-needed medicines.

Bless you for your help! Please send good energy that the architect produces good plans quickly, and the new builder does his job well and speedily. We will of course pay the builder only as work is completed, and we will buy supplies directly to protect the money you have generously shared. Fingers crossed I will be able to show you photos of groundbreaking soon!

Additional money received will go towards making this very simple home the best it can be. Once building gets close to finished we may ask you for donations of basic appliances, mattress, lighting, roofing, etc. that you might have extra and are willing to part with. So, please let your friends and neighbors know about this project and hopefully we will have a wonderful Christmas present for Juan Manuel and Don Rodrigo soon!

Blessed holiday season, Dianne