Homes for Ensenada

Building homes, changing lives

On February 6, 2027 we return to Ensenada, Mexico for the seventh time, to share the love of Jesus and build homes for local families in need.

Learn more

  • 6 trips trips since 2020
  • 12 homes homes built
  • 22 new volunteers new volunteers

How this started

Hi, this is John. Thanks for visiting the site. I want to share a little bit about serving in Mexico and how our family got involved.

Homes of Hope started in 1990, when Sean Lambert took a small team to Tijuana to build one house for one family. It has since grown to thousands of homes across dozens of countries. The Bovee Team of Minneapolis has been building in Ensenada since 2011, and has been recognized by YWAM for delivering over 100 new homes.

For my family, it started with my aunt Jane. She had a heart for Mexico, and went with her family many times to build homes in Juárez, just south of El Paso. After she died of cancer, my parents decided to go to Ensenada in her honor. Todd, my parents' financial advisor, invited them to join the Bovee Team. They said yes, and in February 2020, they went for the first time.

I had the privilege to join them in 2022, along with my Aunt Judy, and have gone back every year since. My wife Jessica joined in 2024 and our daughter, Jadelin, joined in 2026. In 2027, Jadelin will be returning along with our oldest son, Justus — and a huge team of 14 volunteers from Valley Creek Church in Malvern, PA.

What began as two people honoring one woman's love for the Mexican people is now a team — family, friends, and fellow believers. Every trip, multiple families in Ensenada get a floor, a roof and a door that locks.

But the biggest impact is what we take away as volunteers and the change this has on our own lives. It is a joy to serve in harmony alongside God's people. I pray that you, too, can one day join in.

Blessings,

John Koehnen

A safe and dry refuge

Our mission is to transform lives through the gift of a home and the power of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. We activate volunteers to practically and financially support missions trips to Ensenada, Mexico.

Your support directly delivers hope to families in need. For many families, this is their first time having a dirt-free floor and a dry roof and walls protecting them from rain, blowing dirt and debris.

The importance of a home

A home completely changes the trajectory for a family in need. It helps the family stay together, keeps the children in school, and gives those children the opportunity to pursue far more skilled and meaningful work.

A home rewrites the future for these families. We have watched it happen: a family that was scattered stays together, children who were pulled out of school go back, and work that was impossible from a dirt floor becomes possible.

Partnerships

We partner with these organizations to serve the families of Ensenada, Mexico.

  • YWAM San Diego/Baja
  • Homes of Hope
  • Casa Esperanza
  • The Bovee Team
  • Valley Creek Church

Give toward a home

Not everyone can spend a week in Ensenada, and the work does not depend on it. A house of this size costs roughly $14,000 in materials, and trip fees do not cover the full cost. Every gift goes toward lumber, sheetrock, siding and the concrete slab a family will stand on.

  • Fund the trip

    Covers registration, building materials and trip fees for our family, including Jadelin and Justus. Goes through YWAM, so it is tax deductible and eligible for employer matching.

    Give through YWAM

  • Cover the extras

    Trip fees do not include the airfare to San Diego, work boots and meals on travel days. Sent directly to our family, not tax deductible.

    Send via Venmo

  • Support the missionaries

    The YWAM staff in Ensenada draw no salary and raise their own support. They cook, translate, run the base and lead chapel all week. Tax deductible.

    Give to YWAM staff

Reach out to us today

Have a question about the trip, or want to know how to help? Send us a note.