Adult perspective

What is Esperanza to me?

As more than one person shared during closing reflection, a week long trip to Tijuana through Esperanza cannot accurately be described in words or pictures.  No one who has not been here them selves even comes close to understanding this experience.

This is my 9th trip, more or less, I lost count at some point when this became part of  my summer that I look forward to all year long. I come as an Adult Leader for a church youth group, and have come with an all adult group.

Esperanza to me is an example of community more completely than I could ever imagine.  The Staff give their lives, heart and soul, to the groups from the U.S. that come to serve and the communities in Tijuana that strive to better their lives.  

I love the Mexican culture and Esperanza because they want help, not a hand out.  It is so powerful to work along side the family, see the children do more than their share, and have neighbors helping just because they can.  This is a shining example for the youth that come here of community and ownership that U.S. culture generally lacks.  

My life is so blessed, I come to be reminded of that and to give back, but every year I fail.  Every year I give a week of my life, to share my blessings, and end up taking more than I gave.  I leave Tijuana every year with a different lesson, the love of a family and community that did as much for me by example as I gave in sweat and hard work.  Without fail I learn something that I did not know I needed to be taught.

I have seen the communities here grow over the years, there are many more paved streets now, and more big stores and new businesses.  The families however have not changed.  This year hesitantly my husband agreed to join me on the trip two weeks after our wedding, to see the place is that makes me so happy.  With tears in his eyes on our last work day he said to me "they have so little, and are so happy".   It puts our daily lives in a whole new perspective.  I cannot begin to know what impact this shared experience will have on our marriage, but I am excited to find out.  

Esperanza to me is the opportunity to do one little thing that can help a family make a big change.   One piece of every trip that sticks in my mind is the thanks that is shared by the family after the last work day.  They say "there are no words" but the look of gratitude on their faces is more than enough.  Over the years one mother shared the joy of being able to tell her then two year old daughter of the people who helped build her home.  Another mother said that this home was a dream come true because she had been afraid that the walls would fall in on her children when the wind blew. These feelings I can only imagine, but Esperanza enables me to be a small part of the story of these families lives. 

Esperanza has spoiled travel for me, in the best possible way.  I am no longer content with visiting the touristy places, but long to see the daily culture and beauty in all places.  People at home are concerned when I say I am going to Tijuana, but I say "don't be". The Tijuana that I know is a beautiful peaceful place with wonderful people. I know there are places in the city that I shouldn't be and places only to be visited during the day, but there are those places near home as well.  Esperanza has helped to build communities that allow groups to see the best and most beautiful parts of Tijuana.

Teens that I have been with during Esperanza weeks go home just a little different.  They have a greater appreciation for education, their home, and their family.  Many have taken the experience and come back year after year, others have gone onto international studies because of the experience.  

As I have said words don't really do justice to the Esperanza experience. All I know is that I feel at home at the Posada, and that I come year after year to share the blessings that I have been given and end up with more love and life lessons than I feel I earned.  So, I guess I will have to come back again next summer and try again. 

Jenifer Klein

St. Louise Catholic Church

Bellevue, WA