It’s extremely difficult to capture the essence of our week in Mexico in just a few words or through the viewing of a few pictures (or even a multitude of pictures). First of all, words and photos only show a part of the experience. They tend to be one-dimensional whereas the full experience was certainly multi-dimensional. Secondly, the week in Mexico affected each of us differently. There were certainly experiences and emotions that we all shared but we each began this trip from our own starting point. Some of us have traveled internationally before this trip, some of us have experienced other cultures, and some of us have performed hands-on service work. But to work and live in community, outside of our comfort zones, with people we were only beginning to know was, I believe, a new experience for all of us.

The first entry on the youth blog, written days before we finished packing our bags for the initial flight to Mexico, posed the question of how our trip might achieve a change in the youth perspective to the world around them. That entry concluded with the idea that, at a minimum, the youth would return to Milwaukee “with a greater appreciation for what we have and what we can do for others”.

Our trip did that and much more. I must first say that our youth, all eleven of them, truly and fully participated in this experience. They jumped right in with their hearts, hands, minds and souls. If they had doubts as we disembarked from the bus Monday morning in the small village of Yautepec, they kept them well hidden. If they had concerns as they trekked up the steep, narrow alleyway to the church, they didn’t let on as they confidently chatted with each other. If they were unsure of what work they would be doing as we rounded the corner and saw the church for the first time, they quickly realized why this was called a service trip.

They spent the days hard at work, each doing very different tasks as the needs arose. They painted, cleaned, and removed panes of glass. They were on their knees, standing, climbing ladders, and standing on overturned buckets to reach into corners. They offered their help far more often than they asked for help. They were as dirty and tired as the adults were at the end of each day.

But they also did what we adults could not do. Without knowing the local language, they were able to communicate with the children of the neighborhood who came to catch a glimpse of these new people. A smile and a bit of laughter are elements of a worldwide language, understood by all children, no matter their age. Our youth connected with these local children, so much so that on subsequent days, more children appeared to play, sing and teach us their games. From those seeds of communication, the older members of the community and the service team joined together. Although the world may seem huge, unfamiliar and at times, a bit scary, our youth began to understand that our basic needs are really all the same. Our life in the Milwaukee area may be far different from life in Yautepec, but love, peace, joy, family are universal desires, and each one of us can help share that with others, no matter the country we’re in or the community we live in or the language we speak.

Our youth experienced a week unlike others they’ve experienced. They saw homes smaller than some of our living rooms. They experienced children much younger than themselves selling trinkets on the streets. They shopped in the local market for everyday food items. They strolled the main streets, quickly realizing the lack of sanitary conditions we take for granted. They experienced the joy and gratitude from a local congregation, thankful for the sweat equity we had shared with them. They encountered a bit of life in a totally different culture. They experienced it with laughter, joy, a new sense of self, and the knowledge that they can make a difference in this world. Whether they’ll fully realize it at this point in their lives, they experienced God in themselves and God in the midst of all our experiences!

So did this trip change their lives? In many ways I believe it did. I’m sure they will still want updated iPods, new outfits or the latest and greatest pair of athletic shoes. But they also have a greater appreciation for what they do have. They have a greater appreciation for what matters in life. Moreover, they have a greater understanding of themselves and their part in this world.

To all the youth on the trip, Meredith, Zach, Piers, Jordan, Clement, Tommy, Ellen, Malcolm, Bennett, Claire and Max, thank you for sharing so much of yourselves with us and with the members of the Diocese of Cuernevaca! Keep this experience in your heart and mind as you face each new day!

-HP