Casa Hogar de la Montana

A B2B group hiking out to the work site at CH de la Montana

Now this is real desert! When most westerners think of Mexico they usually picture some kind of dry, dusty desert... that is not terribly accurate. Mexico is home to all sorts of climates, however about 1 hour away from Monterrey is the closest thing I have been to real desert.

 About a month ago I went to a children's home in the desert near Saltillo called Casa Hogar de la Montana. This is a new children's home for B2B to be working with. Currently there are 7 kids in the home and a wonderful family directing the ministry.

Our most faithful bus driver, Mariano, giving us a hand on a project. 

Railroad tracks that run along side the children's home land

Fifteen years ago the government basically gave land to a retired couple from Tennessee in order for them to start a children's home near Saltillo. They have begun developing the land and currently have 2 homes on the property. The vision is to build 10 different family homes on the land. The idea is sorta that of foster care. Orphaned children do so much better in a family situation than in an institution. CH de la Montana is building homes for families to live and to take in troubled kids. We love this idea and are very excited about a potential partnership with this home.

tracks and old watering station outside the home

A B2B team of Pepperdine students helping to install a fence around the property

B2B brought a team to stay for two days at CH de la Montana to help out. We spent the majority of that time digging fence pole holes... I think our record was 66 holes in 2 days!

Making Guacamole

When not digging holes we helped the children's home in their ministry to the impoverished community right outside their gates. We brought the fixings for an arrachera meal and invited the community to come. Several women from the community came to help prepare the guacamole.

Jalepeno eyes!

Right after telling the cooking team to be careful not to get jalepeno juice in their eyes, I accidentely got some in my own! Talk about humbling and painful! Little did I know that even after you wash your hands with soap, the jalepeno oils don't come off... My mother-in-law helped me clean my hands with lime juice to get the jalepeno residue completely gone!

Don Pedro

The children's home often brings food to this elderly man in the community. He has lived in this abandoned house for years and spends his days collecting a certain part of a cactus in nearby fields with which he sells for a small income. Pedro cooks over a fire in his house and sleeps in his own garbage. I have never been in such impoverished conditions in my life. Pray for Pedro to come to know Christ as his living Savior.

Pedro's house from a distance contrasted by a beautiful sunset. 

Kelly, a fellow staff member, came for the night with her twin boys!

Evelyn's Tuesday morning Bible study

One of the most impressive things about CH de la Montana, is a girl named Evelyn (orange sweatshirt). Evelyn is 19 and lives with her parents, the current directors, to help take care of the kids in the home. Her dream is to have a children's home of her own specifically for infants and babies. Evelyn, on top of caring for the kids, teaches Kindergarten three days a week in the community where there is no school, and has a Tuesday morning woman's Bible study for the community ladies. I continue to be impressed with Evelyn's maturity and her heart to serve and love others... I totally see another Katie Davis not too far away :)

Putting in the posts

The team and the kids after a rousing soccer game. 

Casa Hogar de la Montana is an amazing place so full of potential. Thier biggest prayer request right now is for more workers. They are prepared to receive more kids, have a house ready and everything, just are lacking a family to live there and take care of the children. Pray also for the funding they need to continue with the building projects on the property. They still have 7 and 1/2 houses to go, a community center, and a school that they desire to build.
What a blessing it was for me to go and be apart of this ministry at CH de la Montana. May the Lord continue to bless this place!