I've spent the last several days reflecting on my feelings about my experiences in Mexico. I was part of a group of more than 30 that went to Juarez to build 2 single family homes. My last few blog posts contain most of the details.
One of the reasons I went on the trip was to allow God to "tweak" me in some way about the church's role in serving the poor. You see, I've never been on a mission's trip before. Unlike many in my position, I was not raised in the church. I didn't become a Christian until June of 2000 ... shortly before moving to Pennsylvania to take a job. Therefore, I haven't had much of the experiences of many who were part of a youth group growing up or long time members of a church sending many to places like Africa.
In fact, I really didn't get the whole "missions" thing. I mean, I know what the Bible says. As Christ followers we are to care for the sick, poor, and impoverished. I get that. But, actually getting on a plane, flying somewhere like Juarez, and doing the "missions thing" myself was another matter!
So ... what happened you ask? I guess I can't say that I get it now and am forever sold out as a mission's guy. I did make a number of observations on the trip and do feel changed in some way, all be it subtle.
Here goes. First, seeing the way the typical citizen of Juarez lives was sobering. They have virtually nothing. They live in structures built from pretty much any material available ... mostly pallets and car tires. There were houses constructed of a combination of things (pallets, plastic sheet material, chicken wire, cardboard, tires, etc.). Basically anything that could be scavenged and transported to a site was used to create shelter.
It was interesting, though. It bugged me a little that one of the people for which our team built a house talked on a cell phone off and on during the day. Should that even bother me? I was talking to a friend about it and he said some in his van on the El Paso side of the border noticed a poor person on the side of the road with one of those signs that said "I'll work for food." They noticed, though, that the guy was smoking a cigarette. Knowing the cost of cigarettes these days, obviously this person (if really in need) was choosing to purchase cigarettes over food. Is that something we are supposed to think about? In other words, are we to judge the "degree of neediness" of the people we are helping?
Another observation I made was the level of commitment on the part of the staff of Casas Por Cristo. The 2 guys that spent the week with us (Jason and Scott) spoke one evening about their background and spiritual journey leading to serving as a Casas staff member. They are truly missionaries ... raising their own salaries and called to live on the border to serve.
I guess the most significant observation I made, though, was how the group from our church bonded during the trip. There were a number of folks that didn't know each other going in that will probably be lifelong friends coming out. I had a number of "spiritual" conversations with people on the trip that probably wouldn't have happened otherwise. Awesome! I can say with accuracy that there are a bunch of people that have been changed forever as a result of this trip. Am I one of them?
Time will tell. I can say, though, that supporting organizations like Casas Por Cristo through getting people in our church involved is definitely a worthwhile endeavor. I can certainly see us sending another team next year!
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