"More than a third of Mexicans live below the poverty line of about [one US dollar] a day." Saturday Nation- January 5, 2008

I read that quote on Scott Congdon's blog today.  My reaction was something like..."what?!!?!"  One third of the people of Mexico live with less than one US dollar a day??  A soda in Mexico (like in the US) costs a buck.  Couple of candy bars...one dollar.  A gallon of fresh water in bottles...dollar.  So how do they do it?  Live on less than a dollar a day?  Impossible!  And yet...they do it...somehow...until they realize there is the potential to earn more on the other side of the border.

And so they come.  According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, 10% of Mexico's 107 million citizens and 15% of Mexico's labor force currently are in the US.  The article (couple of years old, but  still accurate) on those stats is : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/21/MNGFQIVNAF1.DTL

Bottom line...this migration splits families.  While there's no easy fix, having a decent house goes a long way in keeping families together.  That and a job and a community with a church and pastor that care... and the Lord Jesus at the center of it all.  In the end, this is not about money!  So we go to Mexico this summer with our eyes open.  We go as learn-ers...pray-ers...servants...co-workers with the Lord as He answers prayers for decent homes to keep families together.  What a privilege to be a part of that!