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Schools

Los Gatos Patch Whiz Kids of the Week—John and Kate Parsons

Brother and sister dedicate their spring break to building a home for a family in Mexico.

  • John Parsons, 14
  • Kate Parsons, 12
  • School:
  • Accomplishment: Traveled to Tijuana, Mexico with 111 members of Saratoga Federated Church to help build homes for seven families.
  • Key to Awesomeness: Most kids look forward to sleeping in over spring break. Not John and Kate Parsons. These sibs woke up every morning for six days at the crack of dawn to start the arduous task of building a house from bottom to top, foundation to roof for a widow who works full-time while caring for her four children. 

Packed together in a tent pitched on a barren clay field, John, Kate and their mom Anne Parsons slept on cots. The threesome were lulled to sleep (or not) each night by the sound of cows mooing, dogs barking and roosters crowing. The Parsons were awoken at 6 a.m. each morning. (“6:30 a.m. was sleeping in,” laughed Anne.)

They packed their lunches, ate breakfast and began work by 9 a.m. at an off-site location. “The hardest task took place on day one when we mixed the concrete for the foundation,” said John. “We poured sand, cement and water into a wheelbarrow and mixed it around with a hose.”

After working until 6 p.m., the volunteers were bused back to camp. Feeling sweaty, dusty and grimy, John and Kate jumped into their swimsuits and took a cold or lukewarm “sun shower.” The evenings were filled with family group time, worship, and dinner. By bedtime, their hands were so tired that it felt difficult to hold even a tooth brush. “Still, we had a really cool experience,” said John. “I learned a lot about God, and it was eye-opening to see what kind of living conditions some people have in Mexico. There was lots of poverty. Some people live in houses made out of cardboard and trash bags.”

When asked if he will return next spring break, John says “definitely. I thought it wasn’t going to be that fun and it was going to be a lot of work and kind of boring. But from the first day I was there, I knew I wanted to come back again.”

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