 From June to October 1995 , the group lived in a rural part of New Mexico . They purchased 40 acres ( 0 @.@ 16 km2 ) and built a compound — which they referred to as the " Earth ship " — using <unk> and lumber ; Applewhite hoped to establish a monastery . This proved to be a difficult endeavor , particularly for the aging Applewhite : he was in poor health and , at one point , feared that he had cancer . Lifton notes that Applewhite 's active leadership of the group probably led to severe fatigue in his last years . The winter was very cold , and they abandoned the plan . Afterwards , they lived in several houses in the San Diego area . 
