One Wednesday evening (Wednesday nights are the High School Youth Group nights), we were watching the slide show of upcoming events, and one caught my eye. It was a slide advertising the upcoming mission trip to Piedras Negras, Mexico. By the following Wednesday I was signed up and excited to go.
A few days later (a Friday), all the high school students who signed up met at the Church and we loaded up in White Vans, and took off on a long drive to Piedras Negras, Mexico.
Back (Left to Right): Jenny Sjoerdsma, Katy Martens (Me)
Front (Left to Right): Brittany Walker, Mecholah Cotrofeld, Jessica Martens
After arriving in Piedras Negras (a small town just a few minutes across the border), we headed to Ven De Christo, the Church where we'd be spending our time.
The Church was very simple. It didn't have any glass in the windows, just netting, and it had bare white walls and a concrete floor. It was nothing special, yet it had such a magical feeling to it.
After unloading and piling everyone into the church, it was around 6 at night, so we cleaned up the inside, sweeping, picking up trash, washing the walls and dusting the pews and the altar.
We worked until 10 at night, cleaning it up, then went to sleep, because we had an early morning on Saturday.
The next morning, we woke up at 530 and had breakfast with the people who live in Piedras Negras. It was really interesting to talk to them, because our spanish was not that great, and the same for their english, so we had to be creative when conversing.
At 6 we cleaned up the mess from breakfast and spent the next 5 hours painting the outside of the Church-giving it a much needed fresh coat of paint.
Left to Right: Brittany Nichols, Katy Martens (Me), Jenny Sjoerdsma
Left to Right: Bracken, Jon Evans, Katy Martens (Me), Jenny Sjoerdsma, Brittany Nichols
Back: Jessica Martens
Once we had finished painting the church (around 1) we headed out to walk around the town and talk with the local people. We learned a lot about their culture, how important Ven De Christo is to them, and how they live.
After spending a few hours walking around, we returned to Ven De Christo around 3 in the afternoon and got ready to head out yet again. This time we walked to the local park, where we met up and played with over 40 kids. We spent 4 hours just hanging out with them and learning their favorite games.
Around 7 we left and headed over to a house for mentally challenged kids, who didn't have a home. There were 20 kids in this orphanage, whose families had left them, and who were cursed with mental illness. Rarely, people go to play with these kids, so when we began playing with them, their eyes lit up. They would pull us into their rooms and show us their toys, and wanted us to hold them and hug them. It was one of the most amazing, life-changing things I've ever done. This orphanage is supposedly the only one in all of Northern Mexico, and the people who run it have such big hearts. They care so much for these children, and would do anything for them.
Around 10 we headed back to Ven De Christo to get some sleep for the next morning.
The following morning, we woke up around 7 and made breakfast for the local people, and all of us worked together to lead a church service for them from around 9 to 1130. It was really cool to teach them the way we learn, and to watch the translator explain to them. You could see, in their eyes, how excited they were to listen to us speak about our faith.
After the service, we cleaned up the outside of the church for a few hours (12 to 3) then packed up the car and headed home.
Of all the glamorous trips, with nice hotels and good restaurants, that I've been on, this was by far my favorite. I got to really connect with people and step out of my comfort zone, and grow closer with God and stronger in my faith.
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