Four weeks ago I was able to go on a service trip to Tijuana, Mexico with Loyola Marymount University. The trip is called De Colores and it happens about once a month. In the past couple of years they have been encouraging a few JVs to go on each trip in order to grant LMU students the opportunity to interact with people who are currently doing a year of post graduation volunteer work. All of my other roommates had already been on a trip besides Julie, so the two of us plus a Jesuit Novice named David who works at Verb. It was such a wonderful opportunity.
The trip left on a Friday evening and we spent the first night in San Diego at the house of the couple that founded the trip when they were students at LMU 20 plus years ago. It was so cool to have the chance to hear the story of how an idea as simple as helping people in Mexico can turn into a life long passion. They have managed to do something that is often hard to do, which is live a life of financial success while concurrently being extremely devoted to those in need. They spend a few weekends every month down in Tijuana building homes for people in need. Meeting them provided a great inspiration for living a passionate life.
The following day (amidst apprehensions from my parents) we crossed the border into Mexico. When I was in high school I went on a service trip to El Paso where we crossed the border into Juarez, so this was only the second time I had the chance to cross the border. Upon crossing it was immediately clear that I was in a much poorer, different country. Everything from the infrastructure to the way people dressed was different. After crossing we went straight to a school located in a town on the eastern side of TJ. The rest of that morning was spent mixing cement for a concrete pad at the school. There were only around 25 of us on the trip but waiting for us at the school was a group of over 50 Mexican families who were ready to work, and work hard! In the US when concrete is needed for a large project we have the luxury of having a cement truck back right up to the pad and pour in premixed concrete. This luxury is simply not fiscally achievable in many parts of the world, so we began the lengthy/tiring process of mixing away! Within 4 hours we were finished and had completed a 10x100 foot pad of concrete. It was an inspiring experience to watch how hard the families were working in order to better their community. The government simply does not have the resources to build simple infrastructure such as school for communities, so the communities are forced to do it themselves.
Following my stint as a concrete mixer we were served an incredible/authentic Mexican lunch where I used far to much of the hot sauce I was warned about..... After lunch we drove to the neighborhood where LMU had built a community center. This community center served as our home for the night and we had the chance to see some of the homes in the neighborhood that had been built by the organization the Norths started. Dinner was served at a place called Casa del Migrante. This center serves as a home for men who had been recently deported from the United States or were in town from Southern Mexico about to attempt to cross the border. Since my Spanish is not yet up to par i was luckily able to sit across from a man who spoke English. He had been living in the United States for over 20 years. Once say he was returning a friends car from his shop (he was a mechanic) and was pulled over because the license plates had expired the previous month. It was an extremely unfortunate situation for someone especially since it was one that was not even his fault. When he was deported he left behind his 2 high school aged children and his wife. He told me that he has been gone for so long that he no longer knows anyone in Mexico. No matter what your feelings are on immigration, it is truly heartbreaking to see firsthand a family being broken up with end in sight.
The night on Saturday was filled with two staples of Mexican culture: dancing and soccer! Four guys from LMU and I lost a close battle to some Mexican boys but we gave our best shot. The game was played on a dirt field with goals that were made out of plywood. There was a house covered in chicken wire that bordered one end of the field so that it would not get too beat up by being constantly pounded by soccer balls. It caused me to pause and think about the finely groomed fields that I grew up playing sports on. It didn't seem to matter what quality the field was, kids will be kids and never stop playing.
After a restful nights sleep on a concrete floor we spent our last morning at an orphanage. Since there was a pretty steep language barrier with the kids, I took command and made pancakes for everyone. It was a challenge at first, but I was able to get it down to a science by the end of the cooking session. I had breakfast with a few of the kids and played a game or two before leaving. Following the orphanage we packed up the van and made our journey through a two hour border crossing. All in all it was a great but exhausting weekend in Mexico. I would highly recommend making the trip to another country no matter how close/far it is!
After a week of work I was able to make the trip back to Omaha for a quick weekend trip. Luckily that same weekend my mom and sister Erin were passing through town to look at the University of Nebraska for college. While the decision not to attend UNL was made fairly quickly, it was a great opportunity to see them for dinner on Saturday. After dinner Michelle and I met up with my roommate Ken for next year at his parents house. It was a great time and really affirmed my thoughts that I was going to be living with a great person with a great family. It is going to be a great experience in Lincoln next year!
That night Michelle and I took Erin on a great tour of Creighton. We both put in every possible bit of effort we had left, but she decided to go to University of Portland! She is going to have a great experience there, I have no doubt. The next day I had to head back to LA, but I am so grateful for the time I had to be with Michelle and my family.
The next weekend was the famed JVC silent retreat. Yes I said that correctly, silent retreat! 3 days of pure silence in Northern California. That Friday after work we made the drive to San Jose to do some exploring in the Northern part of our state that we have had little experience with so far. No one but Julie had ever been to San Francisco before, so we decided that the city on the bay would be the location for our Saturday events. We started our day in the Castro, had lunch at fisher mans wharf, visited the Godiva chocolate factory, took pics by the golden gate bridge (check facebook), drove through haight ashbury, and just had an overall great experience. The day ended with a wonderful dinner cooked by the gracious San Jose JV girls. Both houses were so accommodating! I also had the chance to tour the JVC Southwest office with our program coordinator Andrew, who then took us to breakfast the next morning at a nice cafe near Santa Clara. After breakfast we packed up and made the journey to Applegate, CA!
It was a fun time getting to see everyone from the Northern California houses at the retreat, but unfortunately we only had about an hour of talking before the silence of the retreat kicked in. The retreat center that we were in was beautiful. It reminded me so much of the Creighton retreat center, which was nice. All of us were paired up with a spiritual director to talk to us for one hour a day, but besides that we were in silence. My director was is an English Professor at the University of San Francisco. She was so welcoming and fascinated by the idea that I am from the Midwest ha! It was nice to have an opportunity to relax, read, pray, and workout. Those four activities occupied probably 90 percent of my time each day. Often times life gets too hectic to sit back and truly appreciate the beauty of other and of the gifts we have all been given. There is a certain beauty to silence and I was able to take full advantage of that during the three days of the retreat. The best retreat I have had with JVC this year.
After an 8 hour drive back to LA on Wednesday, I immediately caught the red eye back to Omaha for Holy Thursday. I got to see Michelle and Gordon for a few hours. Both are doing such amazing things next year. Michelle is planning to study Spanish at an immersion skill located in Bolivia (jealous!)! Gordon is going to be a JV in Tucson, AZ next year. He is going to love it and hopefully I can visit him. So proud of both of them!
On Thursday night I rode to Vermillion with my friend matt. It was so great getting to spend time with him and just talk about life. That evening we met up with our other friend adam and his fiance Emma in Vermillion and hung out for most of the night. It is not very often that the three of us are together anymore, but it is always a blast!
Friday I got to spend the day with my family! I saw all of my grandparents, spent some quality time with my siblings, and of course saw my dog cooper. My mom worked all day and my dad didn't get home until 11 from a trip, so it was kind of a bummer that I didn't get to spend more time with them. It was a blessing to get home at all for the Easter weekend though and none of my roommates were able to. There was a sad moment on the trip home when I realized that I wouldn't be able to fly for free any longer because i an turning 23..... It has been such a gift this year and I am sure that I will be missing it.
Easter Sunday Mass was at Holy Name parish right by our house. It was over two hours and worth every minute. Gospel choir and a packed church of people worshiping is always a good time. We had an Easter brunch at our house for all of the JVs. Soooo much food and so many good people. There was even a house from Northern California that stopped by on their way back from San Diego.
That night Julie and I left for a week long service trip in San Diego with Verb students, but it is getting late and I will save that for another blog. I love and miss you all. Update me on your own life!
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