Back in January I signed up for what ended up being the most life-changing week I probably will ever have. What did I do this week you ask? I traveled with my church to Tijuana, Mexico to build seven houses for seven families and change lives.
I had always heard amazing things about this trip and decided that I was going to go when I was entering my junior year. Well, that would be this year. When it was finally time to turn in the paperwork it still didn't seem real, after all, it was months away.
Suddenly school was over and I was about to head to the airport and everything became very real. My dad was going with me so that offered me some comfort, but for someone who doesn't travel far from home very often I was quite scared.
We arrived early in the morning, no, earlier than early in the morning. 5:15 am early to be exact. Still pretty much asleep I walked into the airport after saying goodbye to my mom and brother only to find out that the flight that was supposed to take all 80+ of us to San Diego was cancelled. Not delayed, cancelled. The hours that followed were some of the craziest of my life. Splitting the mob of us up into 10+ airplanes was no easy task, but somehow we managed to all get down to San Diego before sunset.
The next morning came the daunting task of crossing the border. I don't know if you have ever tried to cross into Mexico but it was not exactly a calm experience. My dad was driving the van that my group was sitting in, keep in mind he knows no Spanish, and pulled up too far due to a misunderstanding. Watching the guards tighten their grip on their machine guns that looked like they were taken straight out of one of my video games was enough to make me fear for my life. In the end we crossed the border with all our parts intact but there was a moment where I wasn't quite sure.
If you know me at all you will know that my gifts are not physical, so the thought of building a house wasn't exactly an exciting one. Looking at the lot of dirt and trying to communicate in my very broken Spanish to the homeowner, Luis, was overwhelming. But we eventually started the task of leveling the ground. This involved a lot of pickaxes and shoveling, but eventually we got to the end of the day with a lot left to do.
The second day was known throughout the group as 'Concrete Day', also the hardest and longest day of the week. Once the concrete was started there was no stopping until it was done. And we didn't have a machine, we had bags of concrete, gravel mixed with sand, and barrels of water. After finally getting the ground level and the wood set up to keep the concrete in place, it was time to pour in the water and start creating a foundation.
The days passed both slowly and quickly. The cold showers were far from refreshing, and the constant water drinking was annoying. However there was a few moments that will stand out forever in my mind.
One of the nights, keep in mind we were staying at an orphanage, we ate dinner with all of the children. I didn't end up sitting at a table with any of them, but after dinner saw them out on the playground and decided to join them. There were two little boys, no more than three, who ended up getting mad and flipping each other off, and then there were two little girls who came up to me and two of my friends. Somehow with the little Spanish we knew and the little English they knew we were able to play duck duck goose, got your nose, and airplane. At one point they were hugging me and my two friends and said, in Spanish of course, "three mamas," and smiled.
The last day of building there were three little girls on the site, one that was going to be living in the house and two of her cousins. I had put a hand print on my pants and when the saw that and some paint their eyes lit up. Not only did they like putting their hand prints on all of us but they were also addicted to paining in general. Trying to get a paintbrush back from them to do some touch-up work was like trying to take a puppy away from me. At the end of the day another cousin, a little boy about 3 joined us and we sat in a circle and played a camp favorite of mine, quack diddly oso. Not only did they get addicted to this they also had us write it out so they could play it after we left.
When I asked the father of the house, Luis, when they would be moving in, he replied with Monday. That was yesterday. Thinking of them living in the house just a little bigger than my living room makes me smile wider than I ever have before. Knowing that my group, the blue team, and the other six groups were able to provide seven families with a new shot at a better life for them and their children makes me beam with pride.
Coming back to the U.S. and it's technology, people that don't just wave to you on the streets, and constant stress was a bit of a shock. To be honest it was nice to be away from my phone, facebook, constant anxiety, etc. Not only did my anxiety get better for most of the trip, I made so many great connections with people I probably would've never talked to let alone see at their weakest if it weren't for this trip.
I am so glad to have gone on this trip and if you would like to see more about it go to the blog for the trip at http://tijuana15.blogspot.com/?m=0
Here is one of my favorite songs from the trip that we sang at the end of everyday:
Slow me down, oh Lord, slow me down.
Help my heart to hear your sound.
Speak into me life, Lord speak now.
Slow me down, oh Lord, slow me down.
Clear my mind, oh Lord, clear my mind.
Bring me peace that I cannot find.
Take my worried thoughts, break my pride.
Clear my mind, oh Lord, clear my mind.
Wake my soul, oh Lord, wake my soul.
With this mess I've made, make me whole.
Of this life called mine, take control.
Wake my soul, oh Lord, wake my soul.
Slow me down, oh Lord, slow me down.
Help my heart to hear your sound.
Speak into my life, Lord speak now.
Slow me down, oh Lord, slow me down.
~MG
