In 2002 our group built a home for a family in Tijuana. The husband worked for the water company. The couple had three children. I can't remember the husband and wife's names but the son was named Christian and they had two daughters. When we said goodbye on the last day, they told us that this would always be our house and we were always welcome. "Mi casa es su casa." They asked us each to sign our names to a large rock with permanent marker.
In 2004 our group was building a home about a mile from what we refer to as "Christian's house". We stopped after work one day but no one was home. We left a note saying hello. That year Tijuana had heavy rains and the streets were ankle deep in mud. The next day Christian and his mother walked to our worksite. They invited us to stop over after work. When we did she treated us to a glass of Coke and gave us a tour of her finished home. There on the patio, she still had the rock on display.
For several years following we were in neighborhoods further east so we did not stop but in 2013 we were once again in that colonia so we returned for a visit. The daughter (now grown) had recently gotten married. She wanted to show us her wedding album. As she opened the cover there it was--a photo of our group!
Photo albums record those most important life events and the people that make them special. Just before the photo of the new bride and groom was a photo of a bunch of US citizens, all dusty and sweaty after a day pouring cement. What is in your wedding album? --Steve Schroer
Friday, March 17, 2017
My Favorite Moments of the Week
It's Friday morning and it's sad that we'll be leaving in less than 24 hours. It's a good time to look back and think about some "moments" that will bring back good memories of this trip.
- During the event led by the Border Angels at the wall at the beach at La Playas of Tijuana we were asked to stand across from a person on the other side of the wall and touch hands. This wall is located where there used to be a Peace Park where our Esperanza coordinator, Eduardo, used to ride his bicycle to play soccer with kids from the U.S. When we first started coming to Tijuana there wire steel bars that extended 20 feet in the air, but you could reach through and shake hands with people on the other side. They have added little wire rods to these bars so that now you can just touch a pinky finger to the person over there. I couldn't clearly see the person I was touching through the wall, but I felt their presence. We touched skin as a pastor led a prayer. I can still feel that contact.
- When we had lunch at a rooftop restaurant in downtown Tijuana I paid a Mariachi band to entertain us. I gave them a couple of requests and the first song is one that they needed more practice on (Cucoroocucoo Paloma). The two violinists were out of synch and it sounded terrible, They did better on Guadalahara, and while they played it, I saw a young guy holding a ribbed gourd with a stick that he could use to add a percussion beat. For the third song I asked them to play their favorite and pointed to the kid to indicate that he should play. I don't know what the song was, but he did a great job rubbing that gourd with the stick to make it vibrate with a good rhythm. He worked really hard at it and we gave him a good applause.
- A young girl stopped at our work site after school one day. She sat by Pastor Joyce who tried to talk to her. She was really shy and would not say a word. Joyce thought that maybe she was afraid of her and asked me to try to engage with her. I tried for a while, even resorting to giving her a couple of life savers if she'd tell me her name. We soon had a crowd of people around her guessing names, Is it Theresita? A head shake. Is it Rosa? A head shake. We tried every name we could think of, then started asking her boys names. Eduardo, Rigo, Jose? Finally in the loudest, clearest voice I've heard down here she said, "My name eees Katie! Man, that was a special moment.
- We talked with a few refugees from Haiti. They said they were in Brazil for work associated with the Olympic games. When the games were over, so were there jobs. They originally left Haiti for better opportunity and that is what kept them moving north. They traversed 10 countries to get to Tijuana to cross into the U.S. as refugees. Three months ago the door was shut on them so they are being held in limbo. The catholic church provided them the site where they are waiting and gives them food. There are 62 people there, men and women. They said if you had children you could cross, but these folks don't have children with them. I can see the face of the man shrugging and saying, "We've been here three months. We don't know what will happen to us."
- Every day I hear birds singing in all the greenery around the Posada where we are staying and see hummingbirds drinking and bathing in a fountain, This trip gives you such a combination of pathos and paradise that I can't help but want to come back year after year,
John Muskopf
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Thursday thoughts
This is Phil Starr typing with a few thoughts after Thursday's work.
It is hard to believe how amazing this trip is. Our experience has been that once you go on this mission trip you look at life a lot different.
First thought: Families
From the very first day you get a sense of family and community. Arturo and Luce's family, friends and neighbors are at the site working with us and cooking amazing lunches. We have fun talking to their children. So far there have not been too many neighborhood children.
Second - Work and have fun at the same time
Our work days are physically challenging. Especially for those of us who sit behind a desk and come from 20-30 degree days - having us work in the 75-85 sunlight. We use the old phrase - Work hard and play hard. We joke around with all the workers making the days fly by.
Third - The family: Arturo and Luce - children April and Melanie -
I took a couple minutes today after lunch and talked to Luce. The family has been in Tijuana for six years. Before that they lived in Oregon. Neither Arturo or Luce had USA papers and had been living in the USA for at least 6 years (we are not how long ). Both girls were born in the USA and are USA citizens. One night Arturo was stopped going to work and they asked him for his papers. Since he didn't have them - he was arrested - he was able to call Luce and let her know that he was arrested. He had been deported once before so he was jailed two years. Once he was out of jail - the family moved to Tijuana in this neighborhood near Arturo's mother - who was at the site each day helping to make lunch. Arturo's mother lives very close to where we are working. All of Luce's family is back in the USA. She hopes to eventually get the necessary paperwork so she can go back to visit. The girls had a hard time moving to Tijuana as they knew very little Spanish before they moved here. This is the struggle with the deportation process - here is an example of a family torn apart and forced to move to keep the family together. Most importantly these are humans with families not just a statistic.
Final thoughts - Thank you to the college students
I want to say a quick thank-you to our three college students: Hannah (4th trip), Emily (2nd trip) and Mo (3rd trip). This is the 8th joint trip with the College of Wooster and Trinity. They are hard workers and make the trip fun!!! They have chosen to take one of their spring break weeks and spend it with us working and having fun.
Phil
It is hard to believe how amazing this trip is. Our experience has been that once you go on this mission trip you look at life a lot different.
First thought: Families
From the very first day you get a sense of family and community. Arturo and Luce's family, friends and neighbors are at the site working with us and cooking amazing lunches. We have fun talking to their children. So far there have not been too many neighborhood children.
Second - Work and have fun at the same time
Our work days are physically challenging. Especially for those of us who sit behind a desk and come from 20-30 degree days - having us work in the 75-85 sunlight. We use the old phrase - Work hard and play hard. We joke around with all the workers making the days fly by.
Third - The family: Arturo and Luce - children April and Melanie -
I took a couple minutes today after lunch and talked to Luce. The family has been in Tijuana for six years. Before that they lived in Oregon. Neither Arturo or Luce had USA papers and had been living in the USA for at least 6 years (we are not how long ). Both girls were born in the USA and are USA citizens. One night Arturo was stopped going to work and they asked him for his papers. Since he didn't have them - he was arrested - he was able to call Luce and let her know that he was arrested. He had been deported once before so he was jailed two years. Once he was out of jail - the family moved to Tijuana in this neighborhood near Arturo's mother - who was at the site each day helping to make lunch. Arturo's mother lives very close to where we are working. All of Luce's family is back in the USA. She hopes to eventually get the necessary paperwork so she can go back to visit. The girls had a hard time moving to Tijuana as they knew very little Spanish before they moved here. This is the struggle with the deportation process - here is an example of a family torn apart and forced to move to keep the family together. Most importantly these are humans with families not just a statistic.
Final thoughts - Thank you to the college students
I want to say a quick thank-you to our three college students: Hannah (4th trip), Emily (2nd trip) and Mo (3rd trip). This is the 8th joint trip with the College of Wooster and Trinity. They are hard workers and make the trip fun!!! They have chosen to take one of their spring break weeks and spend it with us working and having fun.
Phil
Tuesday and Wednesday pictures
Here is the link to Tuesday and Wednesday pictures
Note that the last two pictures are actually videos of the Orphanage girls singing to us. One is Hallelujah.
Note that the last two pictures are actually videos of the Orphanage girls singing to us. One is Hallelujah.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Muscles I didn't know I had
So my name is Cindy Gaul and this is my first year on the Esperanza service trip. I grew up in the San Diego area, so I am no stranger to Tijuana. We spent many fun times shopping on Revolution Ave., camping in San Felipe and eating lobster at Rosarita Beach. My main reason for coming on this trip is because my daughter Hannah is a co-leader senior from the College of Wooster and she has been begging me to come with her for 4 years. She has always been very excited about what is being accomplished here. Also, she will be moving here in July as a one-year permanent volunteer, and I really needed to see for myself what exactly they do here and also where she will be staying.
I am so glad that I made the decision to come. So many things that I have experienced in the short time that we have been here. We have visited the border and seen the wall. We went to Sunday morning mass at the Catholic church down the street. We shopped on Revolution Ave. and also visited the Tijuana history center. We have eaten some truly amazing food. We visited the Migrant house for men which helps men that have been deported. We went to a Xolos soccer game. Today we visited an orphanage for girls 5-12 years old. We made necklaces and bracelets and played with balloons. They sang for us before we left.
I guess I am most impressed with the resilience of the Mexican people. It is a society rich in culture and tradition, family and values.
Some things that I have seen that are heartbreaking have been people trying to touch each other through the wall, even though the opening is only big enough for maybe a pinkie. A mom and her children sitting outside the wall talking to a man who I assume is her husband and the children's father. Men who have lived in the US for 5, 10, 28 years, who are suddenly deported, leaving behind spouses, children and extended family and have no idea where they are going or whether they will ever see their families again. I am not talking politics or immigration laws or regulations, I just know as a mom with a family, this is heartbreaking.
The family we are helping with their home are here because the dad, Arturo, was deported. Their two girls are American citizens. The mom, Luce, left behind her whole family, who are American citizens. So, we are helping them try to rebuild their lives by building them a new house. We have been hauling blocks, buckets of cement and buckets of dirt. And yes I am finding that I have muscles I never knew I had. Hasta Luego, Cindy Gaul
I am so glad that I made the decision to come. So many things that I have experienced in the short time that we have been here. We have visited the border and seen the wall. We went to Sunday morning mass at the Catholic church down the street. We shopped on Revolution Ave. and also visited the Tijuana history center. We have eaten some truly amazing food. We visited the Migrant house for men which helps men that have been deported. We went to a Xolos soccer game. Today we visited an orphanage for girls 5-12 years old. We made necklaces and bracelets and played with balloons. They sang for us before we left.
I guess I am most impressed with the resilience of the Mexican people. It is a society rich in culture and tradition, family and values.
Some things that I have seen that are heartbreaking have been people trying to touch each other through the wall, even though the opening is only big enough for maybe a pinkie. A mom and her children sitting outside the wall talking to a man who I assume is her husband and the children's father. Men who have lived in the US for 5, 10, 28 years, who are suddenly deported, leaving behind spouses, children and extended family and have no idea where they are going or whether they will ever see their families again. I am not talking politics or immigration laws or regulations, I just know as a mom with a family, this is heartbreaking.
The family we are helping with their home are here because the dad, Arturo, was deported. Their two girls are American citizens. The mom, Luce, left behind her whole family, who are American citizens. So, we are helping them try to rebuild their lives by building them a new house. We have been hauling blocks, buckets of cement and buckets of dirt. And yes I am finding that I have muscles I never knew I had. Hasta Luego, Cindy Gaul
My Favorite Day
Hi everyone! Emily here!
Today's evening activity is probably my favorite of the week as we traveled to the orphanage. Upon entering the facility, we talked a bit with one of the sisters who take care of the girls at the facility. She stated that twenty-five girls between the ages of 5 and 12 are currently residing at this center, which seemed a bit low to me compared to last year's higher number. We then traveled inside to meet the girls and spend time with them.
Since we spent most of our time at the orphanage playing outside last year, I was expecting a similar experience this year as well. However, we actually stayed in a large gathering space and worked with the girls to create necklaces, bracelets, and rings with colorful beads. It was nice to sit and make conversation with some of the younger ones as we created jewelry together. I don't know much Spanish, but each girl asked me simple questions I could answer, and we enjoyed one another's company.
After this crafting time, the real fun began! We also brought some balloons with us and blew some up for the girls to toss around. However, soon we were seeing girls pop the balloons, rub them on each other's hair to create some static electricity, and even throw them at plants to see if they'd pop! This time was a bit crazy, but it was definitely entertaining to see the girls get their wiggles out and just have fun and laugh with us!
Our stay ended with a performance of some songs sang by the girls. As we left the facility, we were bombarded with hugs, good-byes, and thank-you's. I truly loved the energy I saw in these girls today, and hope that every one of them receive the love and care they need to be the best they can be as they grow up.
Today's evening activity is probably my favorite of the week as we traveled to the orphanage. Upon entering the facility, we talked a bit with one of the sisters who take care of the girls at the facility. She stated that twenty-five girls between the ages of 5 and 12 are currently residing at this center, which seemed a bit low to me compared to last year's higher number. We then traveled inside to meet the girls and spend time with them.
Since we spent most of our time at the orphanage playing outside last year, I was expecting a similar experience this year as well. However, we actually stayed in a large gathering space and worked with the girls to create necklaces, bracelets, and rings with colorful beads. It was nice to sit and make conversation with some of the younger ones as we created jewelry together. I don't know much Spanish, but each girl asked me simple questions I could answer, and we enjoyed one another's company.
After this crafting time, the real fun began! We also brought some balloons with us and blew some up for the girls to toss around. However, soon we were seeing girls pop the balloons, rub them on each other's hair to create some static electricity, and even throw them at plants to see if they'd pop! This time was a bit crazy, but it was definitely entertaining to see the girls get their wiggles out and just have fun and laugh with us!
Our stay ended with a performance of some songs sang by the girls. As we left the facility, we were bombarded with hugs, good-byes, and thank-you's. I truly loved the energy I saw in these girls today, and hope that every one of them receive the love and care they need to be the best they can be as they grow up.
Wednesday from Hannah!
Hey everyone!
My names Hannah and this is my 4th time coming down to Esperanza (I was supposed to do this blog a lot earlier in the week, but we've gotten back home really lat every night) oops. Anyway, I'm a senior at the College of Wooster this year and I couldn't be happier to be in Tijuana again.
Today was a pretty relaxing day in comparison to yesterday. It was a lot cooler in temperature, much like your below zero temperatures back home... with a little addition of 80 degrees, but pretty close to those sub zeros. We have had a rough go of it on our worksite having few hands and much work to do. Today was a little better though, as we had many hands from the community come in to help pour cement and build more walls up. It's great to see the sense of community so strong, more and more help comes every day to our worksite and we have gained many new friends because of it.
In addition to this great physical work we had today, we also got to go to the orphanage to hang out with some of the girls. This is always one of my favorite parts of the trip. Its hard to get into the vans and go somewhere else after we are already dead tired from our many days of work, but getting to see all of the girls smiling faces is definitely worth it.
As for those of you who don't know, I'll be coming back as a long term volunteer for Esperanza in July. I am so excited for this experience and this trip has reminded me why I applied for this position in the first place. I can't wait for the experience and to immerse myself in this culture even more.
Talk to you all soon!
-Hannah
My names Hannah and this is my 4th time coming down to Esperanza (I was supposed to do this blog a lot earlier in the week, but we've gotten back home really lat every night) oops. Anyway, I'm a senior at the College of Wooster this year and I couldn't be happier to be in Tijuana again.
Today was a pretty relaxing day in comparison to yesterday. It was a lot cooler in temperature, much like your below zero temperatures back home... with a little addition of 80 degrees, but pretty close to those sub zeros. We have had a rough go of it on our worksite having few hands and much work to do. Today was a little better though, as we had many hands from the community come in to help pour cement and build more walls up. It's great to see the sense of community so strong, more and more help comes every day to our worksite and we have gained many new friends because of it.
In addition to this great physical work we had today, we also got to go to the orphanage to hang out with some of the girls. This is always one of my favorite parts of the trip. Its hard to get into the vans and go somewhere else after we are already dead tired from our many days of work, but getting to see all of the girls smiling faces is definitely worth it.
As for those of you who don't know, I'll be coming back as a long term volunteer for Esperanza in July. I am so excited for this experience and this trip has reminded me why I applied for this position in the first place. I can't wait for the experience and to immerse myself in this culture even more.
Talk to you all soon!
-Hannah
Welcome the stranger
At the foot of our worksite is a haitian refugee center. Luz told me that there are about 100 Haitians living in this abandoned little church, and about 5000 in the community. They have three large tents and porta-pots set up outdoors. Luz continued, "These Haitian are refugees. They left Haiti due to the earthquakes, flooding, and extreme poverty. They traveled from Haiti to Brazil and then made their way to Tijuana in hopes of eventually settling in the USA but now their hopes are dashed."
I was thinking...So they are stuck here in a foreign country where the culture in so different and they don't speak the language. (Kind of like Mexicans living in Ohio.)
Luz told me that they are kind of lazy. They speak French and Creole and don't want to learn Spanish. They look for jobs but was better pay so often refuse to work hoping for government aid.
I thought this sounded familiar. (It is kind of what I hear people in the US say about Mexicans.)
Most amazing to me...in a time when Canada is accepting tens of thousands of refugees, Australia is accepting tens of thousands refugees, the European Union is accepting hundreds of thousands of refugees, and Mexico is now accepting these Haitian refugees and offering assistance to them as they resettle, our own country is shutting our eyes and pushing away men, women and children in need. We are failing to respond with compassion. God's command to welcome the stranger is falling of deaf ears. --Joyce Schroer
I was thinking...So they are stuck here in a foreign country where the culture in so different and they don't speak the language. (Kind of like Mexicans living in Ohio.)
Luz told me that they are kind of lazy. They speak French and Creole and don't want to learn Spanish. They look for jobs but was better pay so often refuse to work hoping for government aid.
I thought this sounded familiar. (It is kind of what I hear people in the US say about Mexicans.)
Most amazing to me...in a time when Canada is accepting tens of thousands of refugees, Australia is accepting tens of thousands refugees, the European Union is accepting hundreds of thousands of refugees, and Mexico is now accepting these Haitian refugees and offering assistance to them as they resettle, our own country is shutting our eyes and pushing away men, women and children in need. We are failing to respond with compassion. God's command to welcome the stranger is falling of deaf ears. --Joyce Schroer
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Tuesday evening quick post
Today was a busy Tuesday so this will be just a quick post to let everyone know that we are doing great.
We started off the day going to see Father Jaime a retired Catholic priest who runs a special needs clinic. We saw two locations one was more of a rehab center and the other one was a school. These were just up from the Posada.
At the worksite today we got 7 layers of bricks laid and poured 9 bags of cement. This stretched us somewhat as the 13 of our group worked with the family and some neighbors.
After showers we went to the taco stand for dinner.
We went to the Tijuana Xolos soccer game. Unfortunately Tijuana lost 2-0. Seems like they always loose when we watch one of their games.
Phil Starr
We started off the day going to see Father Jaime a retired Catholic priest who runs a special needs clinic. We saw two locations one was more of a rehab center and the other one was a school. These were just up from the Posada.
At the worksite today we got 7 layers of bricks laid and poured 9 bags of cement. This stretched us somewhat as the 13 of our group worked with the family and some neighbors.
After showers we went to the taco stand for dinner.
We went to the Tijuana Xolos soccer game. Unfortunately Tijuana lost 2-0. Seems like they always loose when we watch one of their games.
Phil Starr
Monday, March 13, 2017
Monday Night with Andy Muskopf
I wish I'd been able to come on one of these trips sooner. I'd spent years hearing stories and seeing pictures of previous trips, but they don't compare to the real thing. Its been incredibly positive and rewarding.
While spending time here one thought that keeps running through my mind is "People are just people." Its only the menu and soundtrack that changes.
Thank you, Esperanza and Trinity for this opportunity.
Met the Family
My name is Steve and this is my 19th year coming to Esperanza. Eduardo, the volunteer coordinator and I started the same year. On Monday we first introduce ourselves to the other groups. We are here with University of Southern California and UMass at Boston.
When I come here and see with my own eyes and talk with the people face to face I realize that so much of what we hear in the news and read on social media is not true.
The husband, Arturo is a hard worker. He works in quality control for a company that makes automobile batteries. He worked Sunday night and got home at 6 am today. Since that time he was getting ready for our arrival. Then he worked side by side with us all day. He hopes to get a couple hours of rest before returning to work tonight. Yes Arturo is Mexican but he is NOT a bad hombre.
He is so happy because he has a job and a beautiful family. With our help he will soon have a nice home. I love the way that people interact with one another. There were many people from the community that came to work with us too.
Today for lunch, Luz made my favorite, flautes with mashed potatoes.
In the afternoon we briefly met their daughters, April and Melanie who were both born in the United States near Portland, Oregon. They miss the beautiful scenery and snow of Oregon.
Steve Schroer
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Can I See Some Identification?
When I was 11 years old my grandparents offered to take me to Florida with them. I had never been on a vacation before, and the idea of traveling was a completely foreign concept to me. I was so excited for the experience you would have thought that the back seat of that Buick was actually a rocket ship heading to the moon.
I sat, impatiently, listing off the the things that I was excited to experience for the first time. Chief among them was seeing my first palm tree.
"Now, don't get your hopes up too high." My grandmother chided. "It's not like the moment we cross the state line some palm tree is just going to be waiting for you. We are still pretty far north."
She was wrong.
In the distance, as we approached the "Welcome to Florida" billboard, I could see it- a beautiful and majestic palm tree; surely planted by some state employee who had no inclination that his handywork would serve as fodder for the largest and loudest "I TOLD YOU SO" the American South had heard in sometime.
In much the same way, you could notice a distinct change as soon as we crossed the U.S./Mexico boarder yesterday. In a moment I had crossed over from "this side" to "that side". The identities of everything from the roads to the people had suddenly morphed and became, in a word, foreign.
I was reflecting on this as we traversed back to the north to visit the boarder wall today. Distinctions between opposing sides become hyper realized when they are separated by a 30 foot metal barrier. It seems that making distinctions between two groups is the new great American pastime. These days you have to be a Republican or Democrat, gay or straight, for black lives or blue lives, and of course, legal or illegal (God, I hate that word).
In reality, these distinctions we give ourselves are false labels that distort our true identities as Children of God- brothers and sisters of the same divine Father.
Thomas Merton says "Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self. This is the man that I want myself to be but who cannot exist, because God doesn't know anything about him...We are not very good at recognizing illusions, least of all the ones we cherish about ourselves."
And so, my hope for everyone on this trip, for everyone back home, is that we find the moral fortitude, the strength of character, and a true understanding of our eternal identities to the tear down the hollow walls the separate us, the structures that blind us, and replace them with an understanding that my identity, and yours, can never be defined by something so basic as who is on "this side" or "that side" of a wall.
I sat, impatiently, listing off the the things that I was excited to experience for the first time. Chief among them was seeing my first palm tree.
"Now, don't get your hopes up too high." My grandmother chided. "It's not like the moment we cross the state line some palm tree is just going to be waiting for you. We are still pretty far north."
She was wrong.
In the distance, as we approached the "Welcome to Florida" billboard, I could see it- a beautiful and majestic palm tree; surely planted by some state employee who had no inclination that his handywork would serve as fodder for the largest and loudest "I TOLD YOU SO" the American South had heard in sometime.
In much the same way, you could notice a distinct change as soon as we crossed the U.S./Mexico boarder yesterday. In a moment I had crossed over from "this side" to "that side". The identities of everything from the roads to the people had suddenly morphed and became, in a word, foreign.
I was reflecting on this as we traversed back to the north to visit the boarder wall today. Distinctions between opposing sides become hyper realized when they are separated by a 30 foot metal barrier. It seems that making distinctions between two groups is the new great American pastime. These days you have to be a Republican or Democrat, gay or straight, for black lives or blue lives, and of course, legal or illegal (God, I hate that word).
In reality, these distinctions we give ourselves are false labels that distort our true identities as Children of God- brothers and sisters of the same divine Father.
Thomas Merton says "Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self. This is the man that I want myself to be but who cannot exist, because God doesn't know anything about him...We are not very good at recognizing illusions, least of all the ones we cherish about ourselves."
And so, my hope for everyone on this trip, for everyone back home, is that we find the moral fortitude, the strength of character, and a true understanding of our eternal identities to the tear down the hollow walls the separate us, the structures that blind us, and replace them with an understanding that my identity, and yours, can never be defined by something so basic as who is on "this side" or "that side" of a wall.
Busy Day!
Hi everyone! My name is Emily Velichka and I am a junior student at the College of Wooster. This is my second time on the trip to Tijuana.
Today we had a busy day! This morning, I was fortunate to attend a Catholic mass at a church down the street from the posada where we stay. As I am Catholic myself, but speak little to no Spanish, it was very interesting to follow the order of Mass I am typically accustomed to, but in a different language! My knowledge of prayers and responses was definitely tested throughout the service, but it was powerful to receive Holy Communion in a church so different from my own.
Next, we traveled to the border wall. However, this time felt a bit different than the previous year. The wall is painted a bit differently, but the main difference was in the overall atmosphere of the boardwalk. I saw several families communicating through the wall, with children bringing small gifts to their family members on the other side. A typical greeting between these people is to touch pinkies, and this sign is actually displayed as a small mural on a section of the wall itself. The most powerful part of this trip segment was a portion of a church service we were invited to participate in. As a group, we walked to the wall and were invited to stand across from someone on the other side. As a large, collective group, we then prayed together for a solution to be found regarding the wall and all it brings to our two nations. During this time, I felt an immense amount of emotion that I'm not sure I can quite put into words, but know I will take this feeling with me to put all of myself into our work this week as well as when I return home.
After this, we went to Revolution street, where we enjoyed a rooftop lunch complete with a scerenade from a mariachi band! We then enjoyed some time to shop around afterwards. Bartering with the shop owners is always an interesting experience, and this time was no different!
Finally, a small group of us traveled to the Cultural Center of Tijuana to end our day. This was my first time going to the center, and it was interesting to learn more about Mexican history as we typically just learn the basics throughout our own history classes.
Today has been a long day filled with many emotions, but it was a great way to enter in to the rest of our week! I'm looking forward to starting our first work day tomorrow, and know the rest of this trip will be just as fun as today!
Today we had a busy day! This morning, I was fortunate to attend a Catholic mass at a church down the street from the posada where we stay. As I am Catholic myself, but speak little to no Spanish, it was very interesting to follow the order of Mass I am typically accustomed to, but in a different language! My knowledge of prayers and responses was definitely tested throughout the service, but it was powerful to receive Holy Communion in a church so different from my own.
Next, we traveled to the border wall. However, this time felt a bit different than the previous year. The wall is painted a bit differently, but the main difference was in the overall atmosphere of the boardwalk. I saw several families communicating through the wall, with children bringing small gifts to their family members on the other side. A typical greeting between these people is to touch pinkies, and this sign is actually displayed as a small mural on a section of the wall itself. The most powerful part of this trip segment was a portion of a church service we were invited to participate in. As a group, we walked to the wall and were invited to stand across from someone on the other side. As a large, collective group, we then prayed together for a solution to be found regarding the wall and all it brings to our two nations. During this time, I felt an immense amount of emotion that I'm not sure I can quite put into words, but know I will take this feeling with me to put all of myself into our work this week as well as when I return home.
After this, we went to Revolution street, where we enjoyed a rooftop lunch complete with a scerenade from a mariachi band! We then enjoyed some time to shop around afterwards. Bartering with the shop owners is always an interesting experience, and this time was no different!
Finally, a small group of us traveled to the Cultural Center of Tijuana to end our day. This was my first time going to the center, and it was interesting to learn more about Mexican history as we typically just learn the basics throughout our own history classes.
Today has been a long day filled with many emotions, but it was a great way to enter in to the rest of our week! I'm looking forward to starting our first work day tomorrow, and know the rest of this trip will be just as fun as today!
Sunday Morning Reflections from John Muskopf
I finished my blog last year mentioning the fact the I can see the development of a middle class here in Tijuana. That was evident again last night during our visit to Rosarito for shopping and dinner. The traffic was busy and the club scene was hopping. We wandered down to the beach, and there were numerous bands playing, people riding horses through the edge of the surf, and a spirit of excitement and enthusiasm in the air. We heard one band member announce that "Trump Sucks," through the microphone to cheers from the crowd but other than that we observed no hostility toward Americans (like us). We heard live music and voices coming from somewhere in the neighborhood until about 4:30 in the morning.
The weather here is fantastic as usual. The native plants in the garden the staff planted have grown huge and you can see and hear a variety of birds among them. The fountain was flowing and it was neat to see a large crow drinking from the top of it, followed by several hummingbirds that took turns taking dips or drinks. The hummingbirds were smaller than the crow's head.
Some of our group went out for a breakfast of Birria (possibly misspelled) a beef dish, or will be going to mass at the Catholic Church within walking distance of the compound where we stay. We've met a few students from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and are excited to get the week started.
The weather here is fantastic as usual. The native plants in the garden the staff planted have grown huge and you can see and hear a variety of birds among them. The fountain was flowing and it was neat to see a large crow drinking from the top of it, followed by several hummingbirds that took turns taking dips or drinks. The hummingbirds were smaller than the crow's head.
Some of our group went out for a breakfast of Birria (possibly misspelled) a beef dish, or will be going to mass at the Catholic Church within walking distance of the compound where we stay. We've met a few students from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and are excited to get the week started.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 2
Corinthians 5:17
Last year I didn’t get to come to Esperanza so this year so
many things struck me as being new even though I am one of the veteran members
of the group. I first came to Tijuana in
2004 and I haven’t missed many years. Some years I came two or three times.
Yes! So many things
strike me as being new!
·
We saw new crossing gates to enter Mexico.
·
We saw new highway interchanges.
·
We have new hardwood laminate on the floors in
our bedrooms.
·
Rosalinda who was 4years old on my first trip is
due to have a new baby while we are here.
Everything new is popping up this year. And still all the old things that I hold dear
in my memory are here too.
·
The warmth of the sun on my face after a long Ohio
winter.
·
The smell of the marine layer as it billows in
off the Pacific.
·
The traffic—oh my! Tijuana!
·
The sounds of music, dogs barking, children
playing, etc.
Yes there are still plenty of the old memories that are
still with me. I also hold dear the
memories of people who came on past trips and are no longer with us in this
earthly realm. I’ve thought of Clete who
would rate the speed bumps according to pucker power. And Ellen who would wash every plate in the
kitchen upon arrival because they were dusty.
I think of some of the hard workers of the past Dean, Jim, Charlie, and
Mike. I think of Blanca who came even as
she was dying of pancreatic cancer. The
old has passed away.
I think of the new…new generations. Hannah will soon begin
as a long term volunteer. She will be
the 4th from our Ohio groups following Heidi, Rena and Ryan. How will these new experiences shape her
life? Time will tell.
As the week continues I look forward to meeting more old
friends and making many more new ones as well.
Joyce Schroer
We have arrived!
This is Phil Starr writing tonight - at this point it is 8:30 pm Tijuana time and we are all pretty tired.
Most of us got up at 2:00 am so we could meet up at the College of Wooster at 3:30 am.
I want to thank Ella Franklin, Chris Merek and Kevin Jewell for taking us to the Cleveland airport. Both flights were very good today and on time! (If you remember from last year our initial flight was delayed - so our group ended up flying on three separate flights and crossing into Mexico after dark).
We had lunch at Inn and Out Burger and crossed into Tijuana around 2:00 pm. My initial thoughts about the landscape is that it pretty much looks the same as it did last year. Still quite a difference between San Diego and Tijuana. There is probably a little less trash along the sides of the road and there appears to be more traffic.
We arrived at the Posada around 2:30. Everything is much greener than in Ohio and the Posada is looking very good.
We did grocery shopping and headed to Rosarito to shop and have dinner at El Nido's. Their food continues to be outstanding!
Below is a picture of the water fountain in the outside courtyard at the Posada.
Most of us got up at 2:00 am so we could meet up at the College of Wooster at 3:30 am.
I want to thank Ella Franklin, Chris Merek and Kevin Jewell for taking us to the Cleveland airport. Both flights were very good today and on time! (If you remember from last year our initial flight was delayed - so our group ended up flying on three separate flights and crossing into Mexico after dark).
We had lunch at Inn and Out Burger and crossed into Tijuana around 2:00 pm. My initial thoughts about the landscape is that it pretty much looks the same as it did last year. Still quite a difference between San Diego and Tijuana. There is probably a little less trash along the sides of the road and there appears to be more traffic.
We arrived at the Posada around 2:30. Everything is much greener than in Ohio and the Posada is looking very good.
We did grocery shopping and headed to Rosarito to shop and have dinner at El Nido's. Their food continues to be outstanding!
Below is a picture of the water fountain in the outside courtyard at the Posada.
We are all looking forward to a great week! Temps are supposed to be in the low 80s for our work days.
Phil Starr
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Upcoming Esperanza Mission Trip
We are less than a week away from our joint Esperanza Mission trip to Tijuana Mexico with Trinity and the College of Wooster. This year we have 13 people going on the trip - 10 have gone on previous trips and it will be the first time for 3.
This is probably my 15th trip and I am really looking forward to it again. We work for an organization - Esperanza International. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.esperanzaint.org/
We hope that you follow us on the trip with this blog. Here is a link to last years blog which includes a bunch of pictures:
http://esperanzamission2016.blogspot.com/
Phil Starr
This is probably my 15th trip and I am really looking forward to it again. We work for an organization - Esperanza International. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.esperanzaint.org/
We hope that you follow us on the trip with this blog. Here is a link to last years blog which includes a bunch of pictures:
http://esperanzamission2016.blogspot.com/
Phil Starr
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