Notes from a Mexico Mission Trip

Every year the church I grew up in takes 200 high school students to Tijuana for 5 days to build houses. I have gone as an adult volunteer for the past 4 years, and I also went on this trip when I was in high school each year for Spring Break. During the trip, we are separated into teams of 15 and each team builds a house for a family. I'd like to describe some reasons why I continue to go on this trip as an adult and to further highlight the impact this trip has.

Our campsite

Community~Compassion~Reflection~Learning

I love to go on this trip for reasons of community. All 200 of us camp together and spend time without phones or internet. It is really wonderful to disconnect and witness so many teenagers connect with one another in-person. I think it is really important for high schoolers to be immersed in radically different environments and see what happens. So many of them form friendships they never thought they would, and they really feel the impact that community has on their well being and that through community comes so much support, love, and empowerment. I also really love how this trip highlights global community, that we are also able to connect with our neighbors in another country and feel part of a larger community.

Our team during lunch break after putting up walls

Adding stucco to the house, the final step of building

This trip is really difficult not just in physical labor, but emotionally, too. There is always the shock of where we are, how just across the border there are people living in very different conditions with no running water and barely a roof over their head. I find it amazing just being able to connect with the family (and my Spanish is able to support me in this), but even without language I can still feel a connection and I think this is what drives the beauty of the trip: sharing compassion and smiles with people who live different lives yet are not different from us at all. And I love that the teenagers I work with get to reflect on this, too. I know that we are only there for 5 days, we come in and out so quickly but when we think about the true outcome of this trip-- not just the fact that a family has a new place to sleep with a locking door and windows, but also how simple it is to connect with other humans on a genuine level of compassion and understanding-- this makes it all worth it.

Handprints in the doorstep from the 3 kids of the family

Lastly, I enjoy the opportunity this trip provides me with continuously learning how my leadership shows up. I am challenged with responsibility, patience, and humor (all things necessary when working with teenagers!) I delegated tasks, stepping back and allowing them to work hard and make mistakes. I want to work with teenagers in the future so this experience really helps me reflect on my leadership style with this age group. I also try to lead by example. I hammered up on the roof despite disliking heights, laughed when I sawed pieces of wood diagonally, played with the family we were building for. All of these things come together to further show the importance of challenging yourself, finding joy, and recognizing the impact of this trip.

Our team in front of the completed house

Evening view of the hills and moon from our campsite

Thank you for reading! I am willing to talk about the trip more or answer any questions you may have.