PACT Journal #1

Lindsay Miller

February 12^th-16^th, 2015

Menlo Church

Brett Koerten

bkoerten@menlo.church

This was my first time to Mexicali and I had no idea what to expect. Every year, the high school ministry at my church takes around a hundred high schoolers and some leaders down to Mexicali via a joyous eighteen-hour bus ride. We are split up into “villages”, groups of about thirty people who go to certain communities’ churches scattered throughout Mexicali. At the villages, we complete smaller construction projects, run activities for the children, or niños, and even put on a carnival festival for all five villages to attend.

The experience has broadened my viewpoint and way of life, making me more mature and sensitive to others and myself. One man I talked to over a taco lunch told me that he drove one hour a day to pick vegetables on a farm, making one dollar an hour. However, he was still engaged in his community and spent his free time helping with church community activities and building relationships.  Like every other villager I talked to, he was extremely compassionate and surprisingly content with his simple lifestyle. The importance of connection to others helped those I met maintain strong relationships with family, each other and even the random church from California that came to visit them for four days a year. I felt like I made a difference in the people's lives, especially the kids. I gave them attention that they normally don't get on a daily basis, which made them extremely happy, something that was very rewarding for me to see.