March Herald.indd - Lake Union Conference

Westmont Youth Help Church in Mexico
B Y J E N N Y A N
Nine members of the Westmont
(Illinois) Korean Church youth
group drove in the church van to
Mexico to participate in a mission
project from August 9–16, 2003.
The goal was to help the Adventist
church at Nuefo Laredo.
Since most of us had not
traveled to Mexico before, we
anticipated, as we neared the
Mexican border, that it wouldn’t
be much different from what was
on the American side. After all,
even on the American side of the
border, everything was in Spanish.
However, as soon as we crossed the
border, the differences were very
real. Everyone became
quiet as they looked
out the windows at a
landscape very different
from what we were used
to seeing in Illinois.
As our week began,
we met with Cynthia,
Guatemo, Carlos,
Queztecoatle, Fernando,
and Esperanza, plus
their parents who were
to be our Mexican host
family and with whom
we would be working.
Even though we arrived
at the work site each
morning at about five
o’clock, they came
earlier to greet us and
show us what the day’s
jobs would be. Usually,
These Westmont (Illinois) Korean Church youth went to Mexico to
help an Adventist church in Nuevo Laredo.
our job was to clear the church area
and to help mix and pour concrete.
Each day they also brought us
a delicious lunch which we greatly
enjoyed and then worked a bit longer
before “siesta time.” During siesta
time, we prepared the materials for
our evening Vacation Bible School
(VBS) and tried to rest a bit. At 5:30
in the evening, we drove back to the
“templo” to greet our VBS kids and
conduct the programs.
The kids were so special. They
were growing up in Nuevo Laredo,
one of the most dangerous cities in
Mexico, worse than we could ever
imagine. They lived in small, oneroom
shacks on dirt streets, had
few clothes and toys, and did not
have shoes. In Nuevo Laredo, the
wealthy live in concrete homes, but
the not-so-fortunate have homes
made from scraps of wood, bricks,
or corrugated metal. Stray dogs
wander the streets.
In spite of the poverty in which
they live, the boys and girls were
full of smiles and always greeted us
warmly. They would wait for our
arrival and then run out to greet us,
in the sunshine or the rain. They
gave of their love so freely that it
amazed us.
Our one week in Mexico passed
by so quickly, but
it was enough time
for us to learn a lot
about God’s grace. He
provides His grace
so wonderfully, and
sometimes we forget
how His eye watches
over the sparrows. Our
Westmont youth group
learned a lot about
the beauty of people’s
hearts and souls, and
we look forward to
going to Mexico again
next year to serve God
by helping people.
Jenny An is a Westmont
Adventist Youth member.
Visit our Web site at luc.adventist.org Lake Union Herald, March 2004 • 3