We arrived in Mexico after what seemed like a fairly short (it was about 5 ½ hours) drive from San Diego. That evening was spent meeting the Hero Holiday staff in Mexico (they also work in the Dominican and Thailand), checking out where we would be staying, and receiving a short debrief about what we would be doing while in Mexico and the situations of the families we would be building for. Both families live in tarp and cardboard homes, where the mother works at home and the father works out of the home. One family has 2 children and the other 6. The only member of the family of 8 who speaks Spanish is the oldest child, a 12-year old girl (the rest speak a native dialect). There is no electricity, no running water (a truck drives around selling water), and a lot of stray dogs. Yet, God is working in Mexico.
The first full day was spent meeting the families, hearing a lot about past work Hero Holiday has done in the area, and doing a bit of sightseeing (went to a beach and a local market; also visited a graveyard, where it seemed the majority of graves were of infants). Saturday we finally got started on the construction! I loved the whole building side of this trip, as it was something relatively new to me (although I’ve done various related odd jobs). We split into two teams: I was on the team building the house for the family of 4. The houses were frames of two-by-fours with plywood sheeting and tar paper roofs. Each of the days we were on site the family (sans the father) was there, along with an assortment of neighbourhood kids, all very interested in our sunglasses and cameras (and some of them took some pretty good pictures), and in getting piggy-back rides. :) Our teams cooperated very well, each filling in doing something that needed to get done, figuring out our strengths and preferences. My favourite day was probably the day spent working on the roof, as we were kept busy, and had a great view from up there. :D
The evening activities varied. We went out for supper a couple of times (excellent food, especially at the taco stand), played some volleyball and Dutch Blitz, had a bonfire, attended a birthday party (complete with a Bob the Builder piñata), climbed a volcano (now inactive), and had two chances to swim in the ocean. That wasn’t all, but those were some highlights.
One of the most amazing people we met on the trip (at the birthday party) was a man named Angel. I’m just going to fill in his story by quoting from the blog of one of the guys who was on the trip: “Angel is a silver maker in his forties who lost mobility in both his legs as a result of a car accident years ago. He got a wheelchair donated to him, but found it impossible to navigate the potholed dirt roads of Mexico with the hospital-style wheelchair he had been given. Always the inventor, he put mountain bike tires on it and otherwise improved the frame to make it possible for him to move about himself. Out of this his wheelchair ministry was born, and he now alters and distributes wheelchairs around Vicente Guerrero to disabled people who otherwise often spend their entire lives crawling on their hands and knees at home. He has continued with his silver jewelry business and now employs several physically disabled people, and is expanding his wheelchair ministry to other communities in the neighbourhood. Most of his wheelchairs are old, unused ones from hospitals in Canada or the US. In June he is going to Canada for the first time and will actually be meeting with Mayor Sam Sullivan (mayor of Vancouver). In fact, Sullivan was so impressed with what Angel is doing that he has booked two days off to spend with Angel and personally show him all the Vancouver sights.
A group of us chatted with Angel for some time – what impressed me the most was how he always interjected “God willing” into his language when he was speaking about his future dreams and plans (and he has many – this guy’s a visionary). Here is a man who has grasped the minuteness of his own work and his complete reliance on God. He provides hope and empowerment to many, many people in the area who otherwise are rejected from society, yet he sees that it is not him, but God at work.” (my thanks to Thomas)
I realized on this trip that even if I wouldn’t have gone other people would have likely filled in, as was the case for most of us who went(spaces were limited). However, though most people would think that the sole purpose for going on this trip was to provide a service to those people for whom we build the houses. Rarely to people see what is given back to the participants (as well as to those who are working in these communities year-round). For many of the students who travelled to Mexico, this was a life-changing experience. They gained a new perspective on how blessed they are to be living in Canada, to be well-nourished, and also to see first-hand what poverty looks like. We will forever have these families and children in our hearts, and hopefully that will move us to encourage generosity in those around us, to know that one person really can make a difference. We learned that we weren’t just providing a home – a place to live. We were improving health, life chances, and security for a family, and showing Benito Garcia that there are people who care, people who love them. There is no jealousy, no pettiness. The ongoing work there provides hope for the community, and not just for those who receive the houses.
Additional notes:
- The relationship between the wealthy (most Canadians) and impoverished people is not about us having less, bringing our level of living down to their level (sometimes the way people think when they start feeling guilty). Rather, it’s about bringing them up to a higher standard of living, where they can have access to education, clean water, have a safe place to live – having their basic needs met.
- We learned why many Mexican children don’t receive an education (usually lack of documentation or lack of finances, or both). Also, many parents are unaware of proper procedure.
- So many people go on vacation hoping to find even a little bit of the joy that these people have (despite the fact that it is rare that they can even afford what we would deem necessities). They find joy in hope, in family and relationships, in community. Their version of hospitality is giving of everything they have, while so often we are only willing to give of what we don’t want, or small parts of what we believe we can spare.
We were encouraged not to feel guilty for how good we have it, but instead to let this impact our lives positively, by becoming informed,by becoming active. And hopefully, by helping motivate others to become the same ...
It was an amazing trip! Much thanks to everyone who helped support me (financially or otherwise), I am truly grateful.
Meghan :)
“I will rise above, I will live for love, I will answer to the call.” ~ ‘Revolution’ by Starfield
