By: Will Overton
The mission trip to Reynosa by the rising Junior class was an experience that none will soon forget. It was filled with excitement, hard work, and good times. The friends we made with the other church and the Mexican people, like Roberto, will be remembered forever. Words really cannot describe the impact this trip has made on our lives.
Beginning at the Nashville airport on Monday June 25th, we learned that we would be taking a trip to "Flexico", not Mexico. In other words, we would have to be flexible with the many crazy events that were bound to happen on a mission trip of this magnitude. There was no air conditioning, hot water, or comfortable bedding for our enjoyment at the church compound that we lived in for the week.
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Although we were not allowed to have the luxuries of our everyday lives (trust me when I say we were not accustomed to these harsh conditions and heat), our incredibly hard work through the morning and afternoon never wavered. Our enthusiasm never waned as we became more tired by the second…with everyone from our group encouraging one another to keep up the hard work. Seeing the hard work and dedication of the Mexican people who did not have to be there working beside us was motivation enough for many. During the course of the week, we mainly mixed concrete and laid cinder block. After four days of hard work, we had poured four roofs and the foundation for the third church of the ministry, along with mixing an astronomical amount of cement.
The poverty that we saw each day driving to our worksites made each one of us appreciate all that we have been blessed with in our lives. It is impossible for us to imagine what life must be like for the Mexican people. But, through all of these hardships, they are so happy and hard working. They never complain and always have a huge smile on their faces. Even though we had much difficulty communicating with one another, both cultures learned a lot from each other during the week.
After four days of hard work, we were rewarded with a trip to the Market and a day off from working. We would all like to say thank you to Adam DeVries, Matt Garvey, Merritt Goodman, Mary Lee Bartlett, and Gene Barnes for chaperoning the trip—y'all did an incredible job! We would also like to thank all of you for keeping us in your prayers.
Sincerely,
The Reynosa Mission Trippers of the Rising Junior Class |
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By: Andrew Colton
My name is Andrew Colton and I am a rising junior at Ensworth High School. In June 2007, I went on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico, an extremely impoverished town near the Texas border. In Reynosa, we mixed cement and helped build houses for needy families working along side many Mexican people. Some of the people we worked with were helping to build their own house! Others worked because the church had helped them in the past and still others came just out of kindness. I saw Christ in the Mexican workers and their ability to work and think so selflessly all the time.
I speak absolutely no Spanish; yet I was still able to develop a great friendship with a Mexican man named Roberto who spoke no English. Roberto was one of the people who worked with us throughout the week. He taught me how to tie rebar and do other things around the work site and was patient and kind whenever I messed up, which was frequently. I saw Christ in Roberto's patience with me and the other workers and in his ability to always have a smile on his face even in the hot sun. On this mission trip I learned just how blessed I am but more importantly, I learned that even when people are living in terrible conditions they can still have faith in God and be eager to help others even when they are not asked to do so.
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