My Mission Trip to Mexico: Moments That Define Your Life

a·maze [uh-meyz]-verb, a·mazed, a·maz·ing, noun -verb (used with object)

1. to overwhelm with surprise or sudden wonder; astonish greatly.

2. Obsolete. to bewilder; perplex.

-verb (used without object) 3. to cause amazement

In July Mike and I went on a mission trip with our church to Tecate, Mexico. Our group of eighteen people camped out and worked together to build a new home for a family of six. Their existing home was in poor condition and was too small for the growing family. I found myself thinking how lucky we are, here in America, to have clean bathrooms, paved roads, drinkable running water, and the health department! From day one I felt an intense rush of emotions. I was scared, excited, humbled but most of all I felt emboldened because I knew I was embarking on a mission of charity and love. I felt honored to be able to help someone who needed it and all week I worked harder than I ever have before; when you work like that you forget about the world and truly get a chance to focus on being in the present. I wasn't thinking about my cell phone or my myspace; I wasn't thinking about work or what I had to do on Monday. I simply focused on building a home for Efrain and his family. I'm not going to lie, I grumbled a bit at the hard work in the hot sun and the dirt that was everywhere but towards the third day I cared less about my situation and more and more about new home that was the goal of our labor.

We did everything by hand, no power tools or mixers; we poured a cement foundation, built and raised four walls, covered the walls with wire, tar paper, and chicken wire and covered that with two layers of stucco. The roof was covered in heavy duty tar paper and tar paint. We worked from about 8am-6pm and at the end of the third day we worked about an hour later than we were supposed to in order to finish the last layer of stucco. The teamwork was incredible and I'm proud of everyone. On Thursday (the best day) we brought gifts (toys for the kids, blankets, bibles) and we gave the keys to the house to Briguida, the mom. Everyone was standing in the house and the pastor said a little prayer, and I couldn't help but cry. The feeling in the room was unlike anything I've ever experienced. It was absolutely amazing. I know that this experience has changed my life, and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to do this with the love of my life. Mike was there for me in so many ways, as always, but I'm especially grateful for his patience with my condition Thursday night.

We did a great thing and gave a home to a family who will appreciate and remember the people who came to help them but I think it's me who really got the prize on this trip. I learned a lot about myself, about Mike, the people in my church (especially Jessica, Cade, and Julie) and about a completely different culture just five hours from here. I "won" a sense of accomplishment, adventure, and I felt truly rich from all the things I have in my life. I felt God's love and I was given the opportunity to share it with someone else; someone who needed it more. This is the feeling I want, it's what drives some of my deepest ambitions. I'm ready for more.