Centre teens build houses in Mexico
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Several teenagers from northern Marion County participated in a house-building mission to Mexico during spring break.
Justin Garrard, Jenna Beneke, Andrea Carlson, and Tim Baker, as well as Justin's father, John, and older brother, Grant, joined a group of 31 people who traveled to Juarez and constructed two houses.
Hope Bowen and Megan Biehler of Herington and Amanda Carson of Wilsey also were part of the group. Others joined them at Tulsa, Okla.
The team had planned to stay at a campground near Juarez, Mexico, but when the first day produced extremely windy, rainy, and cold weather which blew down the kitchen tent and two sleep tents, the group moved to a Hispanic church in El Paso, Texas.
Andrea said the church people made them feel welcome and even prepared a Mexican dinner for them one evening. "It was the best I ever had," she said.
Sometimes, they sat around with the young people of the church and sang songs.
Although the Americans were prepared for the cold, they weren't prepared for the fine, blowing sand which peppered them throughout their five-day stay.
"We used lots of zip-lock baggies," Jenna said. They stored their food in Rubbermaid tubs.
The teenagers said they were struck by the trashy houses along the outskirts of Juarez and the many houses in the city that were fabricated of various materials, such as cardboard and tarps. They saw groups of kids playing soccer, usually on dusty fields of sand.
Electric lines ran along the ground, and were strung about 15 feet above the ground at streets, supported by 2x4 boards nailed together.
"You hear stories," Justin said, "but you never grasp it until you see it."
Although the distance from El Paso to Juarez wasn't great, it took the group about one and one-half hours to get back and forth due to the time required for inspections at the border.
The two houses the team built were constructed a short distance apart. They were 11'x22' and were divided into two rooms.
The first day was spent preparing the concrete floors. Cement mixing was done by hand. Jenna said she scooped sand. Andrea also scooped sand and mixed, while Justin concentrated on mixing.
They put the walls and roof up during the next two days. The 2"x4" studs were reinforced with baling wire. Tar paper was tacked to the outside, then covered with chicken wire. The final day was spent finishing the roof and troweling a stucco mixture (similar to cement) onto the walls. Justin said the stuccoing was the most difficult part.
"It was physical labor, but it was rewarding," he hastened to add.
The teenagers said the trip was an "eye-opener" and made them thankful for the good life they have in America.
