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Mexico
At 4.45 am on Saturday 2nd August 2003, myself and eleven other bleary eyed members of the team from the Wash Basin arrived at Belfast City Airport. We were going to spend just over two weeks in Mexico City, helping OMS missionarys, Jonathan and Lupita Morton.
I have to admit, I was feeling very apprehensive, as this kind of experience was totally new to me. After enduring the ten hour flight to Houston Texas, we had another five hour flight to look forward to!
When we finally arrived at the airport in Mexico, we were literally sleeping on our feet!
We spent the weekend settling in to our 'new home'. On Monday morning, we were driven to the Iglesia Cristiana (church) in La Loma which would be our base for the next week. Each morning, we helped run a kids club, where we played games, sang, made crafts, had memory verses and told bible stories. The kids also got served their breakfast.
In the afternoons, when the kids left, we went across the road to the slum area of San Miguel, where the boys on the team built steps for a girl who had one leg shorter than the other. We also helped to cut out materials etc at the church, to prepare for the next day's crafts. The children were absolutely amazing and so thankful for the little they had. Even the simplest things, such as giving them a hug was as if we had given them a million pounds. Needless to say, there were quite a few tears at the end of the week from both us and the children. It was just so hard to leave them and I'm not ashamed to say, out of all of us, I probably cried the most!
The second week started off in the same way, only this time at the church in Tutilan. We helped run the kids club each morning, following a similar format. There is also a 'kinder' which is like pre-school for the children run from this church during term time. This time, in the afternoons we found ourselves painting window frames, play equipment, classrooms and marking out a basketball court.
The people of Mexico were so friendly and welcoming, and the trip has held nothing but fond memories for the twelve of us and we built up so many relationships with the people we met. Both adults and children. The food was slightly too spicy for my liking, especially when it came to the ice lollies with chillies in them!! I didn't even dare try them!!
I can safely say that serving God on the Wash Basin Summer Service Project to Mexico has been the best experience of my life, and it was such a privilege to do so. The people of Mexico and the children will always hold a special place in mine and all our hearts.
Cathy
Cathy
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