In 1957 a severe and extended drought held central Mexico in its unyielding grip. The animals were starving, crops were failing and farmers were forced to abandon their dusty fields and to head into the cities to find scarce work. Such were the conditions there when my father was called on a mission to build eight meetinghouses for his church in that country. A plan was devised whereby young men who were unemployed would be called as building missionaries for two years.