Mission trip to Tijuana
I recently had the opportunity to take a young adult mission trip to Tijuana in Mexico.
Our group went in solidarity with the Novena to Our Lady of the Snows. We stayed in La Morita (one of the colonias around Tijuana) at the parish house. This is a picture of La Morita from San Eugenio.
It is a bit overwhelming to try and describe all that I saw in the nine days there. The people were wonderfully welcoming, always offering a drink and a chair. We saw much sickness and poverty, but the people were always ready to give.
The Oblates that we worked with were wonderful examples of what is it to serve Christ by serving others. The Oblates offer work to many of their neighbors. One woman waters the flowers daily because her husband is not working, another young man is building a new storage building. Sometimes, though, the Oblates help others by purchasing medicine or giving families food. There is a clinic on the grounds of San Eugenio as well as classrooms for catechesis and sacramental preparation.
This is Victor, he had a kidney transplant thanks to help from the Oblates and other agencies. The Oblates continue to provide the medicine Victor requires to keep his body from rejecting the kidney.
The Oblates helped to build and maintain the chapels in each of the colonias. Terrazas uno, Terrazas dos, Rojo Gomez, El Nino and a new chapel in Fuentes are all very simple and a source of pride for those that live near by. The chapels are not forced on the people by the Oblates, rather, the Catholics who live in the area often have Mass and catechesis in someone’s home and then they petition the Oblates for a chapel. The faith of the people we encountered was very strong!
Many people who live in La Morita came because they could no longer make a living in their home towns. They left their families and their homes to find work. In Tijuana work consists of a few things: working at the factories for $50- $100 dollars/week or finding work in construction, street repair and sometimes farm work. To purchase property in La Morita you need $2000. As you can see – it would take you a long time to earn $2000 at $50/week, especially when you need to feed and clothe your family. Most homes in La Morita begin as old garage doors and a dirt floor. Over time people can build their homes from lumber or cement blocks. Even the concrete floors are very expensive, it takes a long time for a family to afford that luxury.
Our group also took a trip to see the border. Very disturbing. At any time there are two heat-seeking helicopters and border patrol agents and is lit up at night. On the border there are hundreds of white crosses and coffins with names of individuals and families that have lost their lives crossing the border.
I think the biggest impact on myself is the realization that I can help the people of La Morita here at home. I can recycle, I can use less resources, I can know what is going on in the world, I can speak up for the people with no voice. I encourage all of you to do so, too.
*Note* For some reason I can't upload any more pictures - I'll keep trying!
Our group went in solidarity with the Novena to Our Lady of the Snows. We stayed in La Morita (one of the colonias around Tijuana) at the parish house. This is a picture of La Morita from San Eugenio.
It is a bit overwhelming to try and describe all that I saw in the nine days there. The people were wonderfully welcoming, always offering a drink and a chair. We saw much sickness and poverty, but the people were always ready to give.
The Oblates that we worked with were wonderful examples of what is it to serve Christ by serving others. The Oblates offer work to many of their neighbors. One woman waters the flowers daily because her husband is not working, another young man is building a new storage building. Sometimes, though, the Oblates help others by purchasing medicine or giving families food. There is a clinic on the grounds of San Eugenio as well as classrooms for catechesis and sacramental preparation.
This is Victor, he had a kidney transplant thanks to help from the Oblates and other agencies. The Oblates continue to provide the medicine Victor requires to keep his body from rejecting the kidney.
The Oblates helped to build and maintain the chapels in each of the colonias. Terrazas uno, Terrazas dos, Rojo Gomez, El Nino and a new chapel in Fuentes are all very simple and a source of pride for those that live near by. The chapels are not forced on the people by the Oblates, rather, the Catholics who live in the area often have Mass and catechesis in someone’s home and then they petition the Oblates for a chapel. The faith of the people we encountered was very strong!
Many people who live in La Morita came because they could no longer make a living in their home towns. They left their families and their homes to find work. In Tijuana work consists of a few things: working at the factories for $50- $100 dollars/week or finding work in construction, street repair and sometimes farm work. To purchase property in La Morita you need $2000. As you can see – it would take you a long time to earn $2000 at $50/week, especially when you need to feed and clothe your family. Most homes in La Morita begin as old garage doors and a dirt floor. Over time people can build their homes from lumber or cement blocks. Even the concrete floors are very expensive, it takes a long time for a family to afford that luxury.
Our group also took a trip to see the border. Very disturbing. At any time there are two heat-seeking helicopters and border patrol agents and is lit up at night. On the border there are hundreds of white crosses and coffins with names of individuals and families that have lost their lives crossing the border.
I think the biggest impact on myself is the realization that I can help the people of La Morita here at home. I can recycle, I can use less resources, I can know what is going on in the world, I can speak up for the people with no voice. I encourage all of you to do so, too.
*Note* For some reason I can't upload any more pictures - I'll keep trying!
posted by Erin at 11:00 AM
2 Comments:
Wow!! That must've been a real eye opener. In this land of plenty...make that excess, we can become callous to the plight of others. The alien is cursed when they cross the border and "steal" our jobs. The reality is they are doing the jobs that are below Americans "dignity".
Lord, please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts. So we may see as You see, hear as You hear and love as You love.
Wow!! That must've been a real eye opener. In this land of plenty...make that excess, we can become callous to the plight of others. The alien is cursed when they cross the border and "steal" our jobs. The reality is they are doing the jobs that are below Americans "dignity".
Lord, please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts. So we may see as You see, hear as You hear and love as You love.
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