Welcome to ULBC's Blog

You can comment on any post. Just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of each article. When posting a comment, you have the option to create an account by clicking the link provided (near the "Login and Publish" button.) However, you do not actually have to create a blog to post a comment. In that case, simply choose "Other", and fill in your name.
For the full story, you can scroll to the bottom. Most recent stories will be on top.
KEN

Grading Finished and Mi Casa is Underway

On April 1, 2007 Casabuilders is teaming up with 50 high school students from the King's Academy in Sunnyvale California to begin the very first building on the Mi Casa Children's Home property!
Our goal is to construct part of the dormitory building where visiting groups will stay while the orphanage is being built as well as after it is finished.
We've got a great architect help us with the designs for the structures.
Plans include a main children's home building complete with kitchen, dining, dorms for the children, full restrooms with showers, and a laundry facility. Other buildings will include a high ceiling gym, a 1/2 size soccer field and dorms for the staff and visiting families.
Be watching for plans, photos and more!

Grading Work Almost Complete for Children's Home

After 2 weeks, the land grading on the children's home"Mi Casa", earth moving is nearing completetion. Tractors are preparing building areas for a very large main structure to house the kitchen, gym, dining hall, children's dorms, bathrooms, laundry and family room; another area for a guest group dorm, bath and meeting facility; a large flat area for the play field; and yet another terrace for a another future structure.
We've instructed the workers to leave the property with the "natural" look of the land. We don't want the end result to be a large flat square, but rather, we want to maintain the beauty of the rolling hills on the property. The large main building will be higher on the property with a view of the rest of the property. The guest group dorm will be down below and off to the side. It will be separate, yet nearby.(This will be for groups of up to 50 or so. Larger groups will be able to camp at Sr. Nieves group facility 1/4 mile away)
What previously was unusable, rocky has been leveled for a large play field. Our plans include underground storage tanks to hold recycled "gray" water for irrigation so we will have a large grassy play field!
Plans are being made for an outdoor amphitheater as well. On one of the hillsides, we'll create a terraced seating for our outdoor meetings.
The rocky soil has been challenging for the tractors. On our visit last week, one of the tractors had broken down due to the tough rock-filled terrain.
Jorge Nieves, has been helping out with the finish grade to make sure the end result is rockfree and that it has a natural, hillside look.
Our plan now is to draw up the plans for the structures with an architect,plans for the terrain with a landscape designer and also with engineers that can help us plan the drainage, septic, etc. We're looking for help in all these areas so if you know of someone who is willing to volunteer their talents, let us know.
Once the plan is in place, we will begin the building in phases. Phase One is the guest dorms and bathroom building. We want to start by providing a place for the volunteer building groups to stay on site. Phase 2 will be beginning the main structure building (which will be built in stages as well. Please join us in our efforts to create this wonderful children's home.
Send us an email .

Ground has been broken for Mi Casa!

On Tuesday, August 1, 2006, we had the opportunity to fly to San Diego, and drive into Tecate, Mexico to formally thank the Nieves family for their wonderful gift of 5 acres of ranch land to build a children's home! As we walked the property for the very first time, we were surprised by the enormity of this piece of property. What we thought was the far boundary line turned out to be a ridge overlooking a dry creekbed and more property beyond that. The more we walked, the more we could picture where the buildings, soccer field, amphitheater and other structures could be placed.
The Nieves family have been employing the services of a caterpillar tractor company to cut a road to the mountain top. We were able to hire them to cut 3 different level pads on the property and to push the extra dirt to the north side of the property to make better use of that area. Work starts on Thursday!
Jorge made us a chalk line marker and we began to mark areas to cut the building pads. We want to keep the land as beautiful and natural looking as possible.

Jorge and Señor Nieves are just as excited as we are. Not only are they looking forward to children living here, but they are looking forward to the Casabuilders being around alot more often!

Our brother Brian Rhea went with us to help us capture this vision on video. We hope to have copies on DVD so you can share this vision with your church, youth group, office and family. Be sure to check back for updates!

Vision of Mi Casa Has LAND to call HOME!

On Sunday morning, July 23, 200, while on our July Casa building trip, Jorge Nieves, grandson of our hosting ranch owner and good friend for many years wanted me to drive to the top of the mountain and check out the new road cut in the hillside to access the mountaintop. He had told me to bring my camera. We went to the crest, and surveyed the ranch and the beauty of the area. As we got back in his truck, he said, "Now I want to show you the land my grandfather wants to give you for your vision to build a children's home in Mexico".

I didn't think my Spanish was allowing me to hear it all correctly. So I asked him, "How much does it cost?". He smiled over at me and he said in English, "IT'S FREE!". God put it on the heart of Señor Nieves to GIVE to ULBC CasaBuilders 2 Hectares, or 5 Acres of his ranch land. This is gorgeous, prime ranch land. God has smiled and blessed us and we were completely speechless. I didn't have any words. As I stood there with Jorge, Larry Ells, Steve Mix and Kevin Bailey, we put our arms on each others shoulders and prayed. Prayed with tears of joy! Prayed and gave thanks to God and gave it all right back to him. God has allowed us to cross the first and biggest hurdle of purchasing land to build this children's home! Without spending a peso!
Our ride home was a very long one-14 or 15 hours due to traffic, mechanical truck problems, fires on I-5, and more...but it didn't matter. We were overjoyed with God's blessed provision!
Praise the Lord, he has confirmed his vision for all of us through this powerful experience. Thank you, Lord for this affirmation and encouragement!

86 Casabuilders Build 3 New Casas,

THE BUILDING

Stockton First Baptist Church's CrossRoads High School, Tracy Community Church and Victory Christian Church from Tracy teamed up with ULBC to form our largest building team to this date. The Crossroads gang was back for their 3rd year and ready to build 2 houses. The Tracy churches teamed up together to build their first casa. Braving record-breaking temperatures of over 110 degrees, our teams went to serve 3 very needy families.
One Mexican woman, Margarita was living in front of a friends house with her 3 children. I met her while building there in April. She was so desperate to get her family a home. As she ran to meet me in the street, she was crying and we celebrated that we were giving her a home.
Another of our recipients, Irse, a 20 year-old mom with a 4 and a 6 year old, has been living in a very rough structure for 4 years. She told me how she has seen groups come and build and prayed that she could get a house soon. She even asked Israel in April, but she was too late to get one then. With tears in her eyes and a broken voice, she thanked us over and over again.

Our teams were touched deeply by their experiences there. A father and son from Tracy have made a pact with each other to do one ULBC trip together-as father and son- even when his son is grown and has his own family. Another said this was better than any vacation he could have taken.

Closer to the goal

I took my son Daniel to visit his friends who had the day off from camp staff jobs. Since Dan had a surgery this week and was unable to drive, I offered to drive. The get-together was a an old friends house and so I could hang around or just drop him off. When i got there, another married couple drove up. Fellow parents from past school years and people with a big heart for ministry in Mexico.
"You never sent me your email, Ken", said the wife. "We've been wanting to donate some money to the ministry in Mexico!" After carrying in trays of food to the kitchen, she handed me a check. I wanted to look, but being polite I put it in my pocket and told them both thank you.
When I got home I opened my wallet and pulled out their check for several thousand dollars! God's vision of a children's home is still alive and we're closer to our goal. We've received donations of $20,250.00 so far!
Last Saturday, I received a call from Jorge Nieves in Tecate and he informed me that his uncle (who owns the ranch property) is looking to buy another parcel of land and is really wanting to sell this 5 acre parcel. He is offering to let us buy it for $50,000 US Dollars downpayment and pay the balance of 220,000 in a year's time.
God knows where the land for this children's home is. It's His land already. I have full confidence in my Lord to bring all the pieces of this puzzle together in his timing.
We haven't made a committment yet, but we're checking with architects, a lawyer about land ownership in Mexico and many of the details..
Keep us in your prayers!