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Visiting
Mexico: One Brick at a Time April 9, 2007 By Alicia Fletcher Building a house is easy--all you have to do is make cement
blocks, make cement beams, have a small cement mixer, get a group of 11 girls
and six guys and you have a house. Well, maybe there’s more to it than that,
but, I will have to say from an amateur carpenter’s point of view, it didn’t
seem hard at all. Tiring,
definitely, but not so complicated. So Here’s How You Do It My story of building a house starts in Tijuana, Mexico, with
the campus ministry, FISH, from Fontbonne University of St. Louis. As a student I was offered an opportunity to attend a service
trip to Tijuana the end of last year. I
had never been on a service trip before, and thought it sounded like fun.
Like most Americans, I’m used to being involved with such things
indirectly, through sending money to such causes around the world, but the idea
of taking physical part in bettering lives really appealed to me.
As I went to the monthly meetings with the group planning to
attend, I started to see how much work the tasks would be. During one meeting,
they showed a clip of what the work would be like, and I about died! There were
girls in muddy trenches passing buckets of cement and getting it all over
themselves. It was unbelievable to
look at, but the thing that stood out to me as I watched them was the smile on
their faces and the joy that they seemed to be experiencing.
I think it was at that moment that I really decided I wanted to go and be
a part of the Esperanza International (the company we worked on behalf of)
experience. Mexico At Last! It seemed like the weeks flew by, and it was time to hop on
the plane, fly to San Diego, and then drive over the border to Tijuana.
I remember looking out the window and thinking, I’m going to Mexico to
build houses? I’ve never picked up a hammer longer than a few minutes to drive
a nail into the wall for a picture to be hung. So why am I going on this trip to
a foreign, potentially dangerous place to do something I know nothing about.
But then I looked around me at the other girls going who didn’t know
much more than I did about construction and was immediately at ease because the
matter at hand was not how much we knew about building, but about the passion in
each of us to make a difference in those who need help.
So, after many, many hours of flying, driving, eating, sleeping, reading,
and talking, we arrived at Esperanza-Tijuana (a part of the whole Esperanza
International, which extends to many other countries around the world). Driving through the gate and seeing a little piece of
paradise was so refreshing. Many
others, who had been on service trips before, relayed various stories of staying
with families in less desirable areas and the episodes that resulted from such
arrangements. So we were all
thankful for the gated facility that we would come to call home for the week to
come. We all crashed and unpacked
our things in our little dorm rooms that consisted of four big iron bunk beds
each. That night we settled into
our new surroundings and had dinner, then tossed and turned to sleep in
anticipation of what we had in store for us the following day. Cement Mixing On Monday morning we all gathered in the large meeting room
with another group, from The University of Southern California, that was staying
with us at the facility. Sometimes
it’s hard to connect with other groups in those circumstances, but we were
able to do so without hesitation. Both
groups gathered together in a circle with the main director of
Esperanza-Tijuana, Eduardo. Eduardo
introduced himself and his role there, as well as what Esperanza International
is, in his native Spanish tongue. A
girl from the other group interpreted what he said to the rest of us, who
weren’t fluent. We came to find
out that he spoke good English, but chose not to use it at certain times.
We went around the circle introducing ourselves and answering his
question of why we all chose to give up our Spring Breaks to come so far to help
another country when there are those in our own states who need help. Their
responses all generally expressed that they just wanted to make a difference to
those who are even lower than our own poverty level. It was neat to hear
everyone’s selfless comments. So, after our meeting, both of our groups headed out to
separate work sites to begin this unbelievable experience that I am pleased to
now call an unforgettable memory. To
make a week-long experience short, we went to two homes during the week. We
spent three days working on one home, and two days working on the other home.
The first home was something special to our group because we did a lot of
work on it ourselves. When we left that house for the last time, it was a tearful
time for us because it was just a little intimate group of 14 people who helped
to change the lives of this family for the better. It was so emotional to hear them express to us their
gratitude and how much of an impact that we made on their lives.
After we all went around and hugged each of the family members, we loaded
up our vehicles and drove back to the Esperanza facility feeling bittersweet
about our work experience. During the week we also had several information presentations
from some women who make purses from potato chip bags, Esperanza’s social
worker there, and we took a trip to their local orphanage. The little children
were so precious; I just wanted to take them all home with me, especially a
little girl about three who wouldn’t let me leave her when it was time for me
to go. It broke my heart to leave
her crying for me. We left on Sunday for home, but our hearts are still in
Tijuana, Mexico, with the precious families and acquaintances we met during our
trip. I would have to say that such
a trip like that leaves you speechless. Once
you get back, life almost seems petty after seeing the hardships I saw there.
I do plan on going back next year, and will try to make a difference
again--one cement brick at a time. If I can do it, anybody can. ninetyandnine.com © 2007, Alicia Fletcher --------- Alicia Fletcher will graduate from Fontbonne
University of St. Louis in 2007. She is considering several career options. |
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