Following are a few of the essays from our group with insights from our mission travel to Tijuana, Mexico: |
On Saturday June 10th, 21 people representing our church left Charleston on a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico. By that evening we were at El Buen Pastor, a Presbyterian church in Tijuana, which was our residence for the next week.
During that week we built a home and rehabilitated some rooms in another church. We also established some great relationships with some Mexican friends and really got to know the other members of our delegation. We had seen them weekly but now understand that we really did not know them in a very personal way. This trip changed all of that.
We will be reporting more details of this trip in the near future, but we want you to know what a life changing event this was as a result of your generosity in sending us to show Christ’s love to others.
Driving down the road to the site creates a dust cloud so thick the car behind you disappears. The road is bumpy, and the people hold on and sway as the car bounces on every rut and rock. The air is hot and dusty. Water does little to relieve the dryness in your mouth. The sunlight is brilliant, the shadows crisp and sharp.
Blistered hands and sore shoulders pound nail after nail. The whine of the saw echoes off the nearby hillsides. Slowly, a house appears where bare rock and dust used to be.
You don’t notice your blisters and soreness. You see Elio, four year-old son of Florenzio and Terri, playing with the scraps of wood from your saw. He is building a castle. It is a wonderful castle with a flag.
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How ironic. Elio is living in a small four-sided wooden structure with a dirt floor and a piece of fabric for a door. You are building him a house. He is building you a castle.
Elio’s mother holds your ladder. Elio’s father works with you pounding nails and takes your tire to be repaired. They ask how you slept, if you need anything. One hot dusty afternoon, Florenzio brings cold drinks from the local store. You close your eyes. The drink is Coke, but it is the coolest water you have ever tasted. |
Our congregation pulled together as a community to participate in our Mexico mission trip. We pooled resources, made donations and prayed. The Mexican congregation prayed with us, saying, “There are no borders in Christ.” Thousands of miles apart in so many ways, our congregations connected with each other in a very important, meaningful way.
Thanks be to God, for God is great.
My favorite time of the day was early morning. Even though going for a run didn't work out, I loved sitting on that church porch listening to Lyle, Marilyn, Betsy and others. Something about the cool, still mornings made for the best time to reflect, before the busy day. I appreciate that the coffee maker was 2 feet from my sleeping head. It made me get up and not miss the morning.
My favorite meal was eating the carnitas off the street stand, late night. I don't know why, but the adventure of eating with the local folks always is special. I guess I think if it is good enough for them, then it is good enough for me.
The most moving experience for me was when we dedicated the home to the Mexican family. Andy's meditation hit me pretty hard. It was then I realized that building this house meant so much more. It was a blatant act of love between Christians. Language differences posed no barriers.
I made some new friends on this trip. Andy, Connie, Marilyn, Anna, and Betsy. I hope we can all stay in touch and not soon forget our experience.
I was on the work group to build a house for a member of the El Buen Pastor church where we were staying. Our day started early yet the traffic would bare us more problems our drive was still an hour long. I was in the car with Jack, Michael S, Ana, Connie, and Jack named Brett Mr. Sampson, so we had a good car very energetic. When going to the worksite all I could think is what and where are we going. We finally reach our destination and the exit was a dirt road into a town where houses were stacked on each other, dogs roamed everywhere, and every person had a smile as I rudely watched everyone we passed. I was judging inside my head which was so wrong of me, I regret doing that right now. We found our work spot which was a concrete slab about 12 feet but 6 feet. I was thinking we are going to build a "house" on this land, right beside this house, into the hillside. As my week went on the definition of my "house" turned into a home.
I watched as the week went on, Terry, the mother of Ellian, and the wife of Florencio, her eyes as we built this home for her. She was living in a building the size of a dorm room with Ellian and Florencio, with a bed/kitchen area and a dirt floor. She was so happy with what she had it made me wonder can I be happy with the little things in life that she has and I don't than the great big things that I do have and don't need. I couldn't connect with her because my Spanish is limited and she speaks no English but the emotions she showed is all that counted.
The week went on with all of us learning thing about each other, Terry and family, the church family where we stayed and VBS. The wonderful kids that came to VBS were amazing. They know love. They know how to love. They know something that we forget as we get older, which is you have to forgive each of our failings in life to love. Everything will be okay. I learned that. I stopped comparing last trip to this trip because life is to short to judge and be judged. In a weeks time I believe your life can change. I believe my life changed again.
My Mexico experience once again is ranked high on my list of things I can say I did and be proud of. 21 of us went in hopes to change someone else life who don't have has much as we do, yet in contrast it changed both our lives. I went on this trip judging people on the reasons of coming, the questions they asked, and the things they wore thinking a rude awaking was coming for them. The people I judged seemed to be the people I am very close with now and call them my best friends. 21 different people went with 21 different reasons but in the end the result was happiness fulfilled. God choose each of us a mysterious way to comfort our fears of going and make it work. It worked great. My experience is one I got to share with the many people that went and myself forever. An experience where I helped someone live a better life.
It is said that God works in ways we can't explain. He sends us to Tijuana Mexico every three years with a purpose, a meaning, a reason. We come home with different ones knowing we accomplished something great. The people that went on this trip will forever always remember this trip because I remember both my trips with vivid memories. So to the people, groups, whom ever, that gave money for us to go and experience what we did, I thank you.
