Dealing With Unbreakable Boarders

Hello all! Hannah here, sorry my recap post is a little late, but hey, better late than never.

For the last three years after leaving Esperanza, unlike most of the group, I am lucky and get to stay in the warmth of San Diego for a few extra days to visit family instead of going back to the cold of Ohio. This year, my one cousin was not busy the days I was there, so I figured one day, we could go see the border from the US side, since I never have before. This was a hard pill to swallow, and below I will reflect why, but first, let's go over the Mexican side of the border.

Here is a nice picture I took last Sunday at the Mexican side of the border.

When looking at this, you can see how the citizens have tried to make the best of the given situation. They don't let the border affect their land, however they do not avoid the border, in a way they accept it and fight against it through peace and happiness. Yes, it clearly is not a happy place to anyone by any means, but you will all know what I mean in a second. Instead of barren land and ignorance towards it, there is a boardwalk, shows, a family beach, and many other fun attractions around.

(I just liked this picture so I put it in as a transition)

So lets move on, here is the american side of the border.

Going to the American side was my idea, I found where to go, gave my cousin the information and we went. Let's just say neither of us was prepared, knowing the Mexican side is very casual, when planning what to wear, I wore casual things, jeans, a nice shirt, some sandals, however when we got to the address (it is a state park called Border Field), we were both a little surprised. The closest you can drive in to walk to the beach to get anywhere near the border is still a 1.5 mile hike away, not including the around 0.5 mile walk to the border on the beach. So what did we do? We walked, a lot, and what did we see? Absolutely nothing, maybe a few people, but other than that, absolutely barren, desolate land with many helicopters and border patrol vehicles everywhere. This was the first hit to me, I figured why are people so against this land, as we all know San Diego is a big city, so chances are they would utilize it if it wasn't a state park, but the nearest buildings on the coast had to be about 20 miles away. People are terrified of this land, at least that is what I got.

So next, my cousin and I walked down the beach toward the border. If you have ever seen the border from the Mexican side, you will notice there are 2 fences, and to answer questions, America owns the land in between. So, after walking all of the way to the border, you are forced to stop around 30 yards before the fence due to a restricted area... Why is this area restricted? I couldn't tell you, but you cannot get any where near the fence on the American side, very close, up to a sign, and then you are just staring at the yards of land in-between you and a place you stood only a week ago.

Here's the closest I could get to the border in America.

Nearest building? What's a building? 

So what does this mean to me? There is absolutely nothing around the American side of the border for miles, to me, this is an exact representation of the fear Americans have, and for what reason? Our country will not even attempt to go any where near the border, let alone go over it. This makes me feel an unknown amount of shame about the US. I am ashamed people are not more educated about this situation, that people are too stubborn to even listen most of the time (or they listen but refuse to believe), that people constantly reject others whenever they themselves came from immigrants. It is a hard pill to swallow because as much as we, those who have been and those who believe us, push others to look at other countries as our friends and family, since we all share the world together, people will always refuse. Standing around 30 yards away from a fence I once touched a week before was difficult, knowing that I have friends and people I consider family in that country and I cannot even touch a fence that separates us that my own country built! That is a hard pill to swallow, it creates some anger, but thinking about it, anger will not fix anything, and Mexico is a fantastic representation of this. Instead of being angry over the fact that this fence is blocking out their country because of America thinking of them as "menaces" or whatever else you may want to call it, they take the pill, swallow it, and turn it into peace, turn it into something that does not rattle war, but rattles bones. Rattles bone in the fact that they are able to fight with absolutely no war what so ever against a country that has put this fence in their faces rejecting them, and that is a lot to say in this day and age since there is almost nothing but war.

Here is a cool panorama of America's side, my cousin needed at least some debut because he is awesome for actually taking me there.

So, while some of you may be angry about this fence, may be angry about this post, may be angry about anything related, don't let the anger phase you, take the pill, swallow it, and turn it into peace. Those of us who do believe and who want things to change need to start by giving up war and giving into peace, without that, nothing will ever change, and change is needed more than ever.

Until next year,
-Hannah <3

 A final somewhat happier picture to end on.

Thoughts from John Muskopf

Hi, my name is John Muskopf and I first started working with Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico in November of 1999.  This year's group members probably got tired of my talking about the "old days" in the city, but since I had taken a three year respite from what had been annual trips from 1999 to 2012, trip leaders Phil Starr and Kevan Franklin were interested in what differences I had noticed between visits.  Since the city continues to evolve, you notice incremental differences from year to year.  There are always new grocery stores, housing developments, and highways sprouting up, but you might not notice large-scale changes unless you take a step back as I've done.

 

For the first time this year, I've seen a drastic increase in what you could consider the development of a "middle class" in Tijuana,  Back in 1999, most of the population growth was from squatters moving north and erecting shacks out of whatever building materials they could acquire.  Today you see shopping areas that are the equivalent of strip malls in the states with sushi bars, telephone stores and coffee shops.  I was a little bit shocked when we went to the soccer game Friday night and drove through parking lots reminiscent of those at OSU football games.  Thousands of people were tailgating with barbeque grills, sound systems, various kinds of alcohol, live bands, and dining canopies set up over their party sites.  I'm not sure where these people work, but there are enough of them with disposable incomes that they created quite a lively scene on a Friday night.

 

I've also seen that the economies of a couple of the colonias where Esperanza operates are not as healthy as they once seemed.  The town of La Gloria has not lost ground in that they have a new large-sized grocery store and several new taco stands, but some of the older businesses have the same paint jobs which are fading and peeling.  There were several buildings which were missing roofs, windows, and walls, which I'd never seen before.  Many of the houses along the street leading to the Posada (across from the Catholic Church), used to have women sweeping the dust from the street in front of their homes every morning.  This year, it was hard to tell if many of those homes were still occupied.  It's kind to sad to think that many of the people have moved out to the "suburbs" where the new housing allotments are, but I guess if you compare the new condos with indoor plumbing, modern kitchens, more floor space, clean streets, and so forth, I could see why people may have left.

 

The town of Lomas de San Antonio seemed to show the worst of this economic shift.  Back in the early 2000's (there I go again), Lomas was an exciting place to be.  There were little kids riding their big wheels around the town square and watching us work.  We had a big fiesta when we built Hilda's foundation and we didn't have enough toys or gifts for all the children who showed up to celebrate with us.  This year was the first time that I've been at a fiesta with no children.  I didn't see any babies in town, and only a couple of teenagers.  What happened to Lomas?  Did the people move north to be closer to work?  Did the drug cartels chase everyone away (like they did Hilda)?  I'm glad we completed building a new floor and got a good start on the walls for the woman we were helping, but it was sad to see such little progress in a colonia that once seemed to have much promise.

 

On a positive note, I was again amazed at the students from the U.S. who went with us to Mexico with open minds and open hearts.  You parents who allowed them to venture out into what for you is an unknown should be proud of them.  They did physical labor that you'd think was impossible and would not consider doing in the states.  They chipped in and did it without complaint, bearing the sun and sweat, scrapes and bruises with smiles on their faces.  They have new friends and a new appreciation of Mexico and it's culture.  I'm glad I went back and look forward to going again next year (once my own body recovers).

 

Thank you,

John Muskopf

Emily's thoughts from the last couple of days and final thoughts.

From Emily Velichka:  Here is a blog post about our activities Thursday, Friday, and my final thoughts. Hope this helps!

Hi everyone! Emily again. I just wanted to give a recap of our days Thursday and Friday as well as some final thoughts after our wonderful week spent in Tijuana.

Thursday we returned to the worksite we had previously been to on Monday in San Antonio. This time, we were preparing the walls of the home prior to the cement pour on Friday. This day was more tedious than we were used to, with several small jobs that required careful attention. I learned I was surprisingly good at wiring the foundation together, and was excited to have a new skill. We then lifted a lot of cement blocks up over these wires to create the wall. Even though the blocks were heavy, we listened to music, talked to each other, and kept the atmosphere light. After this workday, we went to Casa Migrante, a temporary home for deported males. We first spoke with several staff members, and then had dinner with a few of the residents. It was extremely difficult to speak to someone who had just been deported from the country I have known and loved all my life. One of the men at my table, Carlos, had a positive attitude, which he said kept him going despite the sadness occurring all around him. I truly appreciated his mentality and story during this time. After this visit, we spent the evening with some students from the Boston group, and even made a late-night bacon snack. J

Friday we again returned to San Antonio, and poured the cement to solidify the walls. This again required a large amount of cement, but we got a good workline going and had it almost completed in no time. We then had a fiesta with the family, where we enjoyed some delicious food and cake. Unfortunately, there were no children around for the piñata, but we left it with the family to use at a later time. Before leaving, the family thanked us for our work and told us to come back and visit. I can only hope to see them and their finished home someday. Friday night we went to a Xolos soccer game, which was amazing! It was fun to relax with the Boston group and cheer for the team, as well as eat some delicious churros. I am so happy to have been able to go. We then returned to the posada for some last-minute packing and started our all-nighter from the border to the airport.

Prior to this trip, I had no idea what to expect, but I am eternally grateful for all that it has offered me. Tijuana is a city unlike any other, and I am amazed by its rich history and compassionate residents. I feel comfortable, at-home, and included there. I love the strong sense of community, family, and the bigger picture. In addition, I also learned a lot about myself this week. Who knew that I would be able to be lifting cement blocks and heavy buckets? Now I know what I am capable of, and how to help others in ways I never thought possible. Towards the beginning of the week, I wasn’t sure if I would return next year, but now I am already looking forward to being back. This was such a unique service opportunity and I cannot wait to return to it again.

At the bunker - deported veterans home

Thursday night we made our annual visit to La Casa Del Migrante - a shelter that provides short term housing to deported men.

Information on La Casa Del Migrante

Youtube video on Casa

During their introduction speech we talked about their being shelters in Tijuana and Rosarito that house USA Military veterans that have been deported to Mexico because they were not USA citizens.
Information on the deported veterans home shelter in Tijuana


At the bunker facebook page

Phil Starr

Great week

We finally have wifi again.  The wifi at the Posada has been down for two days.  It finally came back on a few minutes ago.  We are all doing well - tonight we are going to the Xolos Soccer game - the other group from Boston Mass is also going.

Phil

Note from Heather, Rachel and William

Hey everyone!

It's Heather and Rachel, your friendly neighborhood Psychology majors! This is the first time on this trip for both of us, and we are having a BLAST.

Hey. It's William. On a serious note, I've found that I've grown immune to the poverty that surrounds me. I was shocked when I first saw it, but as I said in my earlier post, this is another world, and for those who live in it, it's the world they know, and my world is foreign to them. Today, we went to the orphanage and it was saddening to realize that all those girls don't have a home or a family, or they have a family that can't take care of them such as the girls who go home on weekends. On the other hand, they seem to be well cared for and well loved by the nuns. They seem really happy, which makes me happy.

On a lighter note, I'm having so much fun. We went to Guissepi's tonight, which is an Italian resteraunt which was fantastic and I really bonded with the few of the orphans, particularly one who took my hand and showed me around, including taking me to her room. Everyone in our group is working very hard, harder then some of the others and I feel like we really are making a difference in the families, orphans, members of the community, and ourselves.

On a tired note, goodnight.

Tough Wednesday

We are making just a quick post tonight after a 50 cement bag pour.  We are all pretty tired but in good spirits. After work we went to the Girls Orphanage to have a tour and play with the girls.  After that we went to Gusuppies an Italian restaurant that we have been coming to for a few years now.  Great to have a change of pace foodwise.  We are very impressed at how hard the College Students are working.   Phil Starr

Day Two!

Hello all,

It's Sarah again.  Today we worked in another neighborhood, pouring a floor again.  The floor was much smaller today and the ground was flat so the work was a bit easier.  We all seemed to get the hang of it today.  One challenge of today was that it was very hot and sunny so a few of us were burnt despite efforts to prevent so.  The food today was also delicious.  The family made us chicken tacos and tamales.  A former Wooster student and long term volunteer who lives in San Diego came down to work with us, which is always fun.  It was nice working with the other group from Boston and getting to know them better.  We also got to work with a group from Los Angeles for the first time.  Tomorrow we are pouring a roof and visiting a girls' orphanage.


Sarah

Tuesday - Day #4

Hello people,
My name is Sachi and this is my first time on the Esperanza trip. My experience here so far has been really great. This trip has been exactly what I expected and so much more. Despite not knowing any Spanish, I still feel as if I'm immersed into the culture as everyone else. Meeting the families we are serving makes the work that we are doing really meaningful and the meals they make for us are so delicious. In addition,  it has been a pleasure working with the other groups from different colleges too. Although the work we are doing is hard, the accomplishments and bonding that happens make it all worth it.
Today, we worked creating a concrete floor. All the groups were present and everyone had a basic idea of the process making the job today easier. Last time while creating the concrete floor I was in a line passing down buckets, but today I helped shovel gravel into buckets to create the cement. Today we managed to finish the concrete floor earlier than last time, so we also helped transfer a bunch of sand dirt out of the owners property. My favorite part of today was taking down some of the dirt on the property using a pick. I never used a pick before, so I thought that was pretty neat. Overall, it was a great day and I look forward to the next, unfortunately it will be hotter tomorrow. But I'm sure the day will be just as good.

Tuesday pictures

Today we worked in Cumbras Colonia where we poured another floor and moved dirt.  Here are today's pictures:

Tuesday Pictures

First Day

Hello all!

My name is Sarah and I am a junior Econ major at COW.  This is my third time on the Tijuana trip.  I've come back twice since my first trip because this is such a unique opportunity.  The best part of this trip to me is working with the families and sharing this experience with them.  It is so beneficial to work with others of different backgrounds so we can learn from each other and improve our relationships and perceptions with others.  A student from another group said that the families really give us more than we give them.  I believe this statement reflects what everyone who returns year after year feels about this organization.

Today we worked on pouring a concrete floor and creating blocks.  I had never created blocks on previous trips so I volunteered to try it out.  I was surprised at how heavy and difficult they were to carry and thus became frustrated.  Everyone worked together to complete the blocks and we returned to help pour the floor.  This task, while difficult in its own way, was physically less demanding.  It is always nice to see at the end of the day the tangible products of our work, whether those are blocks, a floor, or a roof.  While today's work was challenging, it was rewarding as always.

Best,
Sarah

From Depths to Roofs

Hola todos! Mi nombre es Hannah. It is my third year on the trip and I couldn't be happier to be back! Today was our first day of work. I've noticed as the years go on, the work gets harder, I think because I know what's coming now a days when I step onto the worksite, or maybe because I'm getting older, (haha you now 21 is super old now a days). Anyway. Today we started out tough by pouring a floor in the colonia of San Antonio. It was a beautiful colonia, very much in the boondocks, which is different than any other place I've worked before in Mexico. After many hours, we finally got the floor poured and saw our finished product, which is always worth all of the hard work.

One thing I've noticed is that service trips in Tijuana are very different than those I've been on in the US. In the US, at least for the trips I've been on, we start with a house that is already there and either restore it or just help it be what it used to be. In Tijuana, I've gotten to see everything from the bottom of a 6ft trench for the foundation to floors to roofs. It's such a process and it amazes me that ordinary everyday people have accomplished this work from the very depths to the top with pretty much just our hands. It amazes me every year how much we as people are able to do by just being determined and getting out there and doing it. We don't need cement trucks and excavators, we just need people willing to work together and willing to change lives, and the fact that all people, no matter how young or old, how weak or strong, are able to do that.

Hasta Luego Amigos!
-Hannah
PS.. Is it roofs or rooves? This is an ongoing debate at the Posada right now.

Pictures from Monday

Below is the link to today's pictures:

Monday Pictures

Monday - working day one

This is Phil Starr from Trinity - and this is probably my 14th Esperanza mission trip!!!

This morning most of the group walked to the flea market which moves around to different colonials each day.  We didn't buy anything except doughnuts from the bakery.

There are a total of three groups sharing the Posada this week.  Seven from USC, 11 from Boston Mass and our group.  We had our opening circle with Eduardo to start the day - we sit in a circle and we introduce ourselves to him.  

Today was our first workday.  We went to the colonial - San Antinio (I'm probably butchering the spelling) and we poured a floor for Esperanza.  We have been in this colonial in previous years.  We saw one of our previous places - and for those who were on the trip - in maybe 2006 or 2007 when we worked on a place that was going to be a garage.  It was never used as a garage it is a store.  On that trip we had a number of Sr High youth.

Myself and six students (three from Boston and three from our group) went over to another house and made cement block for a few hours.  This is something that I've never done before.  It takes 5 buckets of sand, 50 lbs of concrete and probably one bucket of water.  It goes into a smaller cement mixer.

Then the machine that makes the block is electric - you put the cement mix in the mold and it tampers it down.  Two blocks come out and two people carry them on their wooden platform.

We came back over to Esperanza's house to help with the floor cement poor which was 30 bags of cement.  I took my usual post working back of the mixer working with the sand and gravel.

We had a few neighbors helping us with the cement pour today.  It went pretty quick and I'm sure our entire group will be sore and tired tonight.

This Esperanza Mission Trip is such a good trip.  I will take some time to reflect later in the week.  I'll close for now - I'm very impressed with the students - we all put in a full days work.

Phil
  


 

Glad to be back

Hello, my name is Mo and I am a sophomore at the College of Wooster. This is my second trip down to Tijuana, and I am excited to return and interact with everyone. After a long 15 hours between airports, it was great to feel the crisp breeze of Tijuana at night. One of my main objectives are to see how Tijuana has developed since the last time we were here, both physically and culturally. I think it's important that we remember to consider how people in neighboring countries are affected by some of the events that take place in ours. Especially concerning American politics. I am curious to receive a different perspective about our country from our neighbors to the south.

Today we went to the border at Freedom Park to see the barrier the separates the United States and Mexico. Besides the beautiful artwork painted on the walls, I was excited to see a group of teenagers on both sides of the wall working on a "bi-national garden". I thought that was the coolest thing, people being able to positively interact with each other despite "systems" keeping them apart. After the border we went to downtown Tijuana and enjoyed lunch on our usual rooftop restaurant. Later, we browsed the colorful shops and bought souvenirs and blankets.

But the best part starts bright and early tomorrow. when we begin working and interacting with the families!
Stay tuned!

-Mo

A Day of Firsts

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Velichka and I am a sophomore student here at Wooster!

We started our day by traveling to the Mexican-American border. It was amazing to see the variety of artwork on the wall, and even a small garden in front of it. There seems to be so much history documented through the writing there, and it was neat to see many names written.

This is a particularly special trip for me, as it has been my first time on an airplane, first time traveling internationally, and first time seeing an ocean. I was so excited, I enlisted some friends to come with me to "dip our toes in". However, this was not the result, and we ended up with some very soaked jeans!! Regardless of having soggy clothes for the rest of the day, it was so much fun.

We wrapped up our day by eating lunch at a rooftop restaurant with some delicious pico de gallo and were able to shop downtown for a bit. It was interesting to barter with the shop owners for low prices, and many of us purchased some great gifts for ourselves and our families.

I am looking forward to starting the workweek tomorrow and seeing what the rest of the trip has in store for myself and the group. This has been an incredible experience thus far, and I cannot wait to continue.

Saturday / Sunday Pictures

Here is the link to our pictures so far:

Saturday and Sunday pictures

Group Photo at the Border

We found Wi-fi

Hi. My name is William Barnett. I'm a sophomore music composition major from the College of Wooster. I never fully realized that when driving through the city of San Diego, when you cross an imaginary line, you cross into another world. When we first crossed the border, my eyes were drawn to the difference in infrastructure, the poorly built houses, and the sketchy people walking around. It was a little bit of a culture shock and at first I pitied the 1.5 million people who live in Tijuana, but as the weekend progressed, I began to realize that this world could not be described by poverty.

For dinner, we were taken to an amazing taco shop, all handmade with fresh ingredients and fantastic grapefruit lemonade smoothies in the fridge. While driving, we got a glimpse of houses and saw how artfully decorated they were, and how much pride that people take in their house. From Meriachi bands to Margaritas, Mexico is a place that's rich in culture and both a fun nation and people.The morning, we went to the beach and saw lines of fun shops and resteraunts, almost like what you would find in Malibu or Santa Monica in L.A. We also got to look through the two giant walls that separates Tijuana from San Diego and the four-wheeler that drove down by us just to stop little kids from climbing the wall. I could not believe what great lengths the U.S. has gone to keep those on our side of the wall out and how we can show so much fear and hate towards a country of such rich culture and happy people. Looking across the fall, I felt like America was so close to and yet so far, like I truly had entered another world.

One of my first questions was how the financial differences of Tijuana affect happiness. From what I've heard, people are happier here. People are much more family orientated, as they are all they have. Back in the US, where all our needs and comforts are met and exceeded, we focus on the things we don't have and our often ungrateful for the blessings we have.We came here with a goal to help the problems of others, but perhaps they might just help our problems too.

We are here

After flight delays and being split up into three separate flights we finally got to the posada last night at 10 pm. We got groceries and ate at the taco stand. We are at the border now and will go downtown. Wifi at posada isn't working but we hope to figure it out.