After a very long trip and late night on Saturday, everyone was happy to be able to catch up on their sleep. Saturday was cold and rainy, but Sunday's weather was pleasant and sunny. The temperature broke 70 degrees midday. I walked around the Posada after breakfast and found two varieties of snails. Check out Facebook to see some of the pictures I took. Part of the attraction of Mexico is the flowers and creatures that are not found in Ohio. A large type of green Hummingbird visits the fountain in the front area of the Posada. We are sharing the facilities with a group from USC and a group from OSU.
Most of our group walked to the nearby Catholic Church for morning services. They have a lively band that plays for Mass and an inter-generational congregation.
After worship, we traveled to Friendship park on the Mexico side of the Border wall at the Pacific Ocean. This park has been renovated and is a popular place for families to gather on Sunday afternoons. Some people exercise, others fish, some play volleyball, others enjoy the food sold by vendors. We were particularly interested in the border wall artwork, which changes from year to year. (Also on Facebook) There is a home for deported U.S. Veterans located along the boardwalk and a "Veterans for Peace" group was holding a service near the wall to pray for justice for deported veterans and to garner support for their cause. We took our annual trip picture at the border with a copy of the Wooster Daily Record and a College of Wooster flag.
After the Border immersion experience, we ate at a restaurant in downtown Tijuana. This is a place that we eat at every year with a veranda that overlooks the busy city streets. A Mariachi band came and played several traditional songs for us. The band consisted of four musicians, a trumpet, a bass, a guitar and a violin. We then took an hour and a half to shop in the downtown area.
We held a closing circle Sunday night where everyone shared a rose, a thorn and a bud for the trip so far. My rose was seeing the family that we worked with last year, It is always good to see how much a house means to a family. The were so happy to have a home of their own. They stuccoed the walls and painted them in colorful ways. All of the families that we work with are so grateful for our help.We shared cake and refreshments with them to celebrate our reunion. A number of us who worked on their house last year had a picture taken in front of the house in the same spot that our final picture was taken last year. My thorn was the Haitian refugees who are still living in a small facility across the street from this house. It is sobering to think about the millions of people in the world today who have no country to call their own. With the help of faith communities and the Mexican government these refugees are trying to start over again in a new land.
Tomorrow we will get up early to walk to the street market in La Gloria. The market is like a big flea market but also features large vegetable, fish and meat stands. We will have a morning orientation with Eduardo, the main foreman for Esperanza, and find out where and what our work project will be this week.
Rev. Dr. Kevan Franklin
Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ
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