Project Mexico

Project Mexico
by Andrea Kreidler and Ana Yelland (Mar. ’02)

Spring Break is right around the corner! College students look forward to this time of year, and even high school students dream of what they’ll do for Spring Break once they get to college. There’s no shortage of popular vacation spots – like New Orleans for Mardi Gras or Cancun for the sunny beaches or Colorado for snow skiing. You’ve seen the videos and commercials about these places – don’t they look like fun? You want to go there when you can, right? These are places people have told us are a blast. However, some of the personal stories we have heard have cast a different light on the Spring Break experience. They have ended up doing things that they might not usually have done in their everyday lives, such as over-the-top partying and anything and everything immoral that one might imagine with it. The time spent inebriated, thinking unclearly, fills the space where the Lord should be.

What in turn do you bring back from a vacation like this? How does a vacation like this fill you spiritually? What memories do you have, if you have any at all? You might have a few laughs about something ridiculous that happened or a vague memory of someone you met. To some people this might seem like fun, and society certainly portrays Spring Break as one wonderful, selfindulgent experience. However, the leftover emptiness that one will feel continues to exist, only on an even greater level. Is this what people should dream about doing – being spiritually unfulfilled and in need of confession and repentance?

Do we really want to seek pleasure that leaves us with an empty void? This is not true fun, nor does it enrich us as individuals. More importantly, it also goes against all of our Orthodox values and everything we have been taught as Orthodox Christians. We considered all of this, and frankly, we’d like to tell you about some vacation spots that, to us, are ten times better and more fulfilling than either Cancun or Mardi Gras. When it comes time for you to make your decision about Spring Break, how about spending a week in beautiful Guatemala, or serene Rosarita, Mexico? If staying inside the borders of the United States would be more to your liking, then there is sunny San Francisco or New York. These are all places included in a program called Real Break and Project Mexico. Real Break is just that, a break away from the everyday temptations that each of us as young adults encounters each day. This might not sound as exciting to you right now, but let us tell you a little bit about one of them.

“... for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me…” (Matthew 25:35-36)

Project Mexico is a program designed to help less fortunate people. We were both given the opportunity to go to Project Mexico at separate times. Our experiences are paralleled with nothing else we have ever done before. The ranch where Project Mexico is based is located in Rosarita. This ranch, which is an Orthodox mission, was designed to be an orphanage for boys with troubled lives. The boys learn life skills and responsibility in an Orthodox setting. This prepares them for life outside of the orphanage. Last year a group of us from numerous colleges and churches worked together in a faith-filled atmosphere doing numerous projects for the ranch. It was a chance to meet new people, work hard, and try to make a difference in someone’s life. And it just might surprise you and make a huge impact in your life as well. Some of the things we did last year included putting new doors on the boys’ rooms, insulating the ceilings, and laying cement for the floors. We painted walls and ceilings, made a sidewalk from the kitchen to the boys’ rooms, added stucco to a previously built house, and did many other small tasks. Boy, doesn’t that sound like a lot of work? Well, you’re right. It is hard work, but the experience is well worth it. You might be asking yourself, “Why would I want to pay to go work?” That’s a good question. The work is only a fraction of the experience. The experience is about helping others in the name of the Lord. This alone is worth it.

One moment that stands out in my mind is when we gave the boys some extra things they needed. The reaction and looks on their faces were amazing. Something we take for granted was put right there in front of them, and it made us realize how much we are blessed. We bonded well with the boys at the orphanage even though there was a large language barrier. One day we played soccer with them. Let me tell you, they're good! We enjoyed a restful evening with the boys eating s’mores and singing a few songs around the campfire. Besides the work and time spent with the boys, we had numerous discussions with Fr. Michael Nasser which were very enlightening. Not only did we go to a place with our brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the U.S., but also when we left we had bonded together as true brothers and sisters, as lifelong friends.

Whether it is turning a stable into an orphanage for boys with troubled lives or building sidewalks, the experience is so moving that it fills you with the Holy Spirit. When you return to your regular life, you feel that the people you helped have made a giant impact on your life and the way you will live it. The people you went to help actually helped you more than they would ever know. We know it has changed our lives tremendously. The time spent in Mexico was filled with prayer, fellowship, and quite a bit of work. But if we had to make a decision between getting trashed or being brought closer to God, we would pick the latter.

The best thing about this is that as a high school student, you don’t even have to wait until you’re in college to participate in Project Mexico. You can do it now! And when you’re in college, you’ll have that and Real Break opportunities from which to choose. Remember what we have said about the emptiness you might feel in your everyday life. The opportunity is there to overflow your heart with God’s love. The overwhelming flow of love and fulfillment that an experience such as Project Mexico or a Real Break will give you is unparalleled. And don’t forget, while it is nice to experience Mexico, Guatemala, or San Francisco, an opportunity to help someone might be hidden in your very own backyard. Christian ministry is needed everywhere. Help others and help yourself.