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My name is Stephanie Anderson and I feel honored to have been
asked by Erika to write a page on her blog about my mission trip to Mexico.
Where do I begin? I was a weeklong trip to San Vicente, Mexico with members of
my church, Rainier View Christian Church. This trip consisted mainly of doing
construction projects and interacting with the people who live there. Both
tasks were very rewarding. In regards to construction, we put in a chain like fence, planted trees, painted, and put up a roof. It was hard work in the hot sun, but I enjoyed it because we could see immediate improvements. There was something tangible that I could point to and say, “I helped build that.” But sometimes the things that are intangible can be just as rewarding.
I have taken three years of Spanish class in school so I could decently communicate with the people we were serving. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip because I got to see something I learned in school actually pay off and be useful. I was even able to do a little bit of translating which was fun. As a team we spent a lot of time playing with kids. It was a little intimidating at first considering the fact that I don’t like kids that much, but it turned out to be wonderful. The kids were so fun, very rambunctious, and loved playing with us. In weeks leading up to the trip our church collected donations to bring to Mexico and I loved handing out the bags of donations to the kids and moms. After handing them out, I looked around and saw all the kids looking through their bag like it was a stocking at Christmas. And all that was in the bag was shampoo, a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, a piece of candy, and maybe some hair ties. It really makes you grateful for what you have. It felt great to be able to help them out, even if it was in just a small way.
One day, a small group of us took a mom and her two kids, who are in a very unfortunate situation, out to eat and to buy her some new clothes and get her hair cut. The next day we saw the same mom and she was wearing the outfit we bought her and she just looked so happy. For many of us, a day like that is no big deal. We don’t think about what it takes for someone living in poverty to do that.
I got to hear a lot of testimonies while I was there, from people in our group, as well as people that live in Mexico. Hearing these testimonies did two things for me: it reinforced the fact that I am truly blessed and haven’t suffered in the way that others have, and it also changed the way that I view other people. I’ve learned that just because people make bad choices doesn’t mean they’re nobodies. People can change their ways, they just need help. A struggle for me is going to be keeping that in mind when I see people who have gone down the wrong path. I don’t want to keep looking at them and judging them for what they’ve done. I want to look at them as a child of God with the potential to improve.
This mission trip has been a life-changing experience for me. Being able to make a difference in the lives of others has made a difference in my life. I am so grateful for everything that I have: working toilets, air conditioning, a loving family, and most importantly, a God that cares for each and every one of his children, no matter how many mistakes they make. I cannot thank God enough for providing a way for me to go on this trip and giving me this experience.
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