LOPEZ RAFAEL
Date Build: Friday 8th - Saturday 9th, May 2026
FAMILY INFORMATION
MOTHER: Maricela
Age: 38 years old
Job: Substitute Teacher
Salary weekly: $211 US
FATHER: Abad
Age: 35 years old
Job: Factory worker
Salary weekly: $114 US
CHILDREN:
Nicole - 10 years old
Dana - 4 years old
LETTER FROM THE FAMILY:
Dear Homes of Hope team, blessings to everyone who collaborates with Casas de Esperanza. We are an extended family—my husband and our two daughters, along with my mother and two of her grandchildren, Kevin and Aitana. We currently rent here in Tijuana, where we came due to the violence in our home state of Guerrero. My husband and I arrived 10 years ago when violence increased in Acapulco and many businesses had to close. We gathered what we could for bus fare, and a family gave us shelter in a small room. We arrived with nothing, only two changes of clothes and a diaper bag, but with a strong desire to move forward. Thank God, Abad quickly found work, and little by little we began to get ahead. The following year, my mother and siblings also came, and we rented a small house together. One of my brothers encouraged me to apply for a job at a school, and despite my fears and insecurities, I did—it did not pay much, but I gained experience. Later, I found another job at a school much closer to home, always supported by my mother who helps care for my children. Seven years ago, my brother’s wife left, so my mother took on the responsibility of raising my nephews. Family life is not always easy, as many of us live together, but we understand that to move forward we must strive to live in peace. Abad supports us unconditionally, although he carries a heavy emotional burden from the many family losses he has experienced in recent years—his grandfather, father, brother, and cousin. We have never owned a home, but we were able to purchase a piece of land. We live day to day without luxuries, but we dream of building something for our daughters. We have great hope in this process and in God’s will. Thank you for everything.