"I had a bigger cultural shock coming back than going there," said Yorkin. "It was a revelation on how much we take for granted. That's why I have to go back."
Yorkin was one of seven people from The Presidio Group to use vacation time to travel to the Central American country Jan. 26 to Feb. 2 to help build houses in a town called Masaya, on the outskirts of the capital Managua.
The Presidio Group, a insurance brokerage firm specializing in large commercial enterprises, paid the expenses of about $2,000 apiece for the five employees and two children who accompanied them, as part of the Bridges to Community Program, a nonprofit endeavor that takes volunteers to developing countries to work on projects.
The Utahns got a series of vaccinations before departing and took along pills to ward off malaria. They also filled their bags with things to leave behind.
"I brought baby blankets," said Mary Rowbury of Herriman.
Group members lived in a schoolhouse, whose different rooms were divided by gender. Participants were warned not to drink the water, accept food from residents, or even pet the dogs.
They walked down dirt streets every day to where they and 12 others were building two concrete block houses for a family that had been living in shacks with dirt floors. The home was being built for a mother and her children, with a second for a daughter that was pregnant and who had been living in shack.
The Americans, with some hired labor, mixed their own concrete and did almost everything by hand.
Kim Cooksey of Taylorsville helped cut and bend steel rebar to reinforce the concrete.
"It was very physically intense," she said.
The group found their host villagers intensely friendly.
Chase Curtis, a Jordan Middle School seventh-grader, accompanied the group that included his dad, Tom Curtis, of South Jordan.
Chase Curtis worked with the rest of the group, but then also found the energy to mix with the local kids.
"We played soccer and basketball," said Chase, who also used the experience to work toward his Eagle Scout.
Andrew Schlichte, the 17-year-old son of John Schlichte of Layton, the founder and CEO of The Presidio Group, also participated.
With the volunteer labor, the houses cost about $3,500 to build, which included materials and some labor costs.
But Tom Curtis pointed out that for people who earn $2 a day for 10 hours of work at a factory, that's a lot of money. Still, the recipients are expected to pay $10 a month for up to eight years for homes.
For the relative hardships - a sickness also swept through the group - and hard work, the participants said they found the experience fulfilling.
"It puts you in an environment where you feel you're able to make a difference," Curtis said. "It changes their whole lives."
tharvey@sltrib.com
