I departed for Oaxaca, Mexico in early April on a mission trip through the organization Simply Smiles. On my way to this poor city in southern Mexico, I was unaware of the effect this trip would have on me, and how impactful this journey would be. Being exposed to a different culture with different customs, was the most eye-opening thing I have ever experienced. Seeing people with significantly less than I have brought about a transformation of consciousness. The opportunity to help others in need, to travel, to experience new cultures is an experience in which everyone should partake. . It will open your mind to new ideas and allow you to see the world in the raw. Instead of turning your back to the issues in our world, face them head on, and do something.
Simply Smiles is a not-for-profit organization that provides bright futures for impoverished children, their families, and their communities. While staying in Mexico I helped to build a place where forty children will eventually live from all around Mexico. Casa Hogar Simply Smiles is a children’s home where kids have the access to education, an opportunity for lifelong friendships, and a place to build their dignity.
“ Workcamps and mission trips puts things into perspective and allows you to connect with people in different parts of the country. It provides an opportunity to help those that are less fortunate and helps you to find out things about yourself along the way,” NHS junior Tom Cotton said.
Along with construction, and painting, we bagged rice, sugar, and salt to feed thousands of families who live in a remote jungle community. We also visited Casa Hogar Benito Juarez, a developed children’s home in Oaxaca. This children's home is a place where many live with disabilities. I was able to interact with a young boy who was born without eyeballs. I also had the chance to play basketball and soccer with many of the young boys there. Having the chance to see the children light up during our time there was so rewarding. Even though we were there for only a few hours, and seemingly did not do anything extraordinary, we made these kids happy. To see them laugh as they dribbled past you, or to pick up a guitar for the first time was an unbelievable sight.
“ I have been on five mission trips throughout high school and each one individually has impacted who I am as a person. They have brought me to places around our nation, such as Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Mississippi, where I most likely would have never been otherwise. It opened my eyes to not only the extreme poverty in the United States, but the kind and giving personalities of those with so little,” NHS senior Alana Murray said.
One of the days in Mexico I visited the Oaxaca City Dump where thirty or more families lived among the trash. Each family makes their living sorting through the mounds of trash. They live in small cement houses that Simply Smiles built for them.
When I got out of the car to visit our friends at the dump, the smell and heat overwhelmed me. Instead of wafting my nose or making a face, I smiled, shook each person's hand, and gave them hugs. No matter their residence, it is their home, and you have to show your respect and gratitude for them letting you see where they live. We were allowed in Edith’s home where her and her family live. The sight of their house was unlike anything I had ever seen. Their furnishings were recycled, bugs flew everywhere, there was no running water, and in their house skinny farm animals were housed-used to make excess money. As I stood in the unbearable heat, is this home I felt the immense sadness for each family living in this situation. After finally reaching the top of the monstrous trash heaps, I looked at the mountains where I could see and how beautiful the view in the distance was, and in that moment I almost forgot where I was. The vision of men digging through the mass of trash and waste quickly brought me back to their reality.
While we walked around the mountain we were told not to step in the puddles of black liquid, which was basically an extremely toxic and dangerous chemical to breath in or come into contact with. So, not only are these people digging through waste, they are also digging through chemicals that can kill them. This horrified image in my mind became a reality when I saw a big white truck park on the ledge I was just standing on. A man hopped out and grabbed a wide hose from the rear. He immediately began spraying the black liquid. I stood still unable to digest what I was seeing. I had the instinct to look away, not wanting to deal with the emotional distress this caused.. As i stood watching, I could not believe that the community offered no reaction to this daily occurrence. I promised myself that I had to spread the word on the problems at hand. I have to live my life differently, not for myself,but for the kind people who are forced to think their condition is worth addressing.
“Those who live in communities of sufficient shelter often forget that there are many people struggling each and everyday to live comfortably. Each work camp has offered me a different experience, and they have made me crave to learn more about the people in our country. The feeling you gain from these experiences is so difficult to put into words, but I can say that I strongly believe that youth should devote some of their lives into helping others,” Murray said.
The experiences faced on a mission trip are not easy; they are emotionally, mentally, and physically tough, but they will make you a better person. I was able to see raw happiness, resilience, and hope in a community with nothing. I saw the tragedy of an individual's life, but I also saw the sheer joy they carry even through the challenges they face. Even the people with nothing had a smile on their faces.
Mission trips gave me the opportunity to share my experiences, and to help. But the biggest things my trip taught me were the importance of filling your life with relationships that will better you, being aware of how fortunate you are, and to lend a hand to whoever is in need. Regardless of language barriers, economics, and culture we, as humans, have the responsibility to share love and to help in anyway we can.
Image Courtesy of simplysmiles.org