I am often asked why I travel each summer to be a part of the BASICS Tijuana Ministry mission trip. Why would I want to spend my vacation where it is often hot, where water and electricity is intermittent, where schedules call for long days with little sleep, and the need for service never seems to end. The answer to the why question for me is simple. The people are the reason I go, both those who travel with us as missionaries, and the people of Tijuana whom we serve.
When I started going to the La Morita area about 20 miles south of the US border, and an hour from downtown Tijuana, I was overwhelmed by the living conditions and the many injustices incurred by the people who live there. In this area we meet the poorest of the poor. Many live in one room structures built from scraps of wood. There is a lack of municipal services that we take for granted in the US. Dirt roads that wash out in the winter are common. Those who are lucky to work for the large manufacturing companies in the area earn a minimal wage – maybe $80 for a 6-day week. There is no such thing as employee rights. Age discrimination in the workplace is rampant and employees can get fired for missing a day of work due to illness. There are no social services provided by the government. Those who suffer mental illness or disabilities, addiction or medical illnesses go untreated. No one has medical insurance. Domestic violence exists on multiple levels and affects the lives of many.
In spite of these hardships, the people I have met and work with in Tijuana are amazing and a joy to be with. There is a strong sense of family and a love for God that is inspiring. They are hardworking, inventive, and laugh easily. They are not people looking for charity or a handout, but rather a hand up to help bring dignity and opportunity to their lives. We have come to know many people whom we now consider family and look forward to seeing each summer.
Thanks mainly to the effort of the Missionary Oblates who are assigned to the parish that is our home site when we are there, we do see improvement. A handful of Oblate priests serve over 150,000 people and say Mass at 14 different chapels in the geographic area. They realize that the way out of poverty is through education, so they invest heavily in scholarships. Most young people of their parishes cannot afford to continue their education without this help. Once they graduate, many of these young adults come back to the parish to share their skills including doctors, nurses, social workers, engineers, psychologists, and technology specialists.
While the parish focuses on the many injustices associated with the local living conditions, the BASICS Tijuana Ministry has a different focus. Our mission is to foster friendships and spiritual growth by reaching across borders to bring people together. By putting our faith into action, we build lasting and vibrant communities in collaboration with Maria Inmaculada Parish in Tijuana. Building homes that will last for multiple generations is one of the ways we meet our mission. We are blessed by the families we meet and build for.
Our travelers each summer may come with the intention to serve and share themselves in Tijuana. But, as the week progresses, they often reflect on how they believe they receive more than they give in service to the people of Tijuana. This change of heart makes all the work to make this mission possible worth the effort. Travelers often reflect on how the best part of their experience is the local people they have come to know and have made friends with. Reaching across the border brings them together with people that they earn they have more in common with than they realized. Many also realize that happiness is not tied to the things in your life, but rather the people in your life. Mission accomplished.
Here are some thoughts expressed by Kim Allen upon her arrival back from Tijuana this summer. Kim is an alumni of St. Simon Parish School who traveled with us to Tijuana when she was a student at St. Francis High School. Now that she has finished college and has established her nursing career at Stanford, here are her thoughts…
“The soul-deep JOY I continue to find in the people of Tijuana is what keeps bringing me back, even after so long. I still have so much to learn from a community that with so little, manages to find so much love. Students who grew up in plywood lean-tos, earned a scholarship to a nursing, engineering, or medical program, then came back to serve their community as full-fledged engineers, nurses, or doctors to help preserve the dignity and promote the wellbeing of the community that raised them. A man who was once addicted to drugs and developed HIV who found love and support and now helps run the AIDS and TB clinics helping a massive population of underserved people. A grandmother who took in her young grandkids without question when her daughter and son-in-law were killed in a car accident. A single mother who fights battles of her own while raising her two little kids after their house burned down. Workers who continue to show up with smiles, an incredible work ethic, and an abundance of patience as they guide a group of untrained people building 3 houses in a week. The leaders of this group show us grace, kindness, and gentleness as we navigate the growing pains of learning new skills (shout out to Andre Andrzej Sosinski for making my dreams of becoming an apprentice plumber a reality). And the teens who could spend their summers relaxing, playing video games, exploring with friends but choose to drive south to learn so much from those with so little to give. Coming back refreshed, re-inspired, and already thinking of next year. This time, I won’t let 7 years go by before going back Thank you once again, Tijuana Ministry!”
Thank you, Kim! And thank you to the people of St. Simon Parish who helped to make our trip possible through their contributions to the 2023 Auction. Here is a link to just a few of the many, many pictures of our 2023 mission trip. We hope to see many of you with us next summer! God bless.
Joan Mibach