Student Ministry/Reynosa, Mexico

The picture of us sitting with Jacinto on a log in front of their tiny flower garden is the screen saver for our computer. It is a reminder of so many of the things we encountered on our recent trip to Reynosa, Mexico, that we could never have prepared for or imagined. Jacinto, his wife Francisca, and their daughter and grandchildren are the family that our group built a home for. While the women and children interacted with us throughout the week, Jacinto kept a quiet distance most of the time. On our last day there, however, he seemed eager to be near us and to try to communicate with us. When we sat down to pose for the picture, he joined us, first at a distance, then finally, right next to us on the log. Afterward, he told us how much he wanted a copy of that photo, and another one of our entire group, framed on the wall of his new home. He said every time he looked at the pictures, he would remember what we had done for him. He told us not to give pictures to just everyone we met there, but instead to save them only for the people who would cherish them, like himself. It was such an encouragement to us to have a glimpse into Jacinto’s heart and know that we were able to do something that made a difference in his life.

The week was filled with surprises. We weren’t sure what to expect other than hot weather and hard work, but when we think about our time in Reynosa, neither of those things stand out in our minds. What we remember most is that people who have nothing by our standards gave abundantly. Francisca cooked lunch—delicious chicken and rice dishes—for our entire group, not once, but twice. We have no idea of the cost of those meals for their family, but we know it was huge. We were there to serve them, but instead, they served us. Children who live in shacks with no electricity or running water laughed and played in the dirt streets of the colonia and seemed genuinely joyful. There were little pockets of beauty in an otherwise bleak surrounding, like Francisca’s rose garden.

One of the biggest surprises for both of us was watching God work in and through our group as teenagers and adults worked together with one heart and one purpose. We could never have imagined that our group would leave behind all previous social boundaries and bond with one another, or that some of the most privileged among us would work the hardest and pour out the most love and compassion for the people we were there to serve.

We had no idea what to expect from our first mission trip to Mexico, but as we reflect on our experience, we are pretty sure God had a lot of things to teach us that week, and not many of them had anything to do with building a house.

Sydney and Tracy Ramirez

Reynosa Photos