ENSENADA, MEXICO
WHY ENSENADA?
When I was 14 years old, I took my first international trip to a Global South country. My sister and I went to Ensenada, Mexico in October 2012 to serve with the El Sauzal Orphanage.
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In hindsight, my time in Mexico was transformational. For the first time, it exposed me to realities faced by the rest of the world while I lived my comfortable, North-American life. My heart was shaken as I acknowledged the disparities between my comfortable home and family, and the marginalization and suffering endured by billions of people around the world.
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Years later, I see how the people I spoke to and the things I experienced in Mexico stirred my heart for international development. It's (in large part) why I have decided to commit my life to healing the hurting, nourishing the hungry, and restoring hope to the hopeless.
WHAT DID WE DO?
Children's Activities
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Our goal during our time at El Sauzal was to make the children feel special and loved
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One way we did this was by leading the children through a craft: we'd take a photo of the children and they would decorate a frame
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This photo reinforced how beautiful and worthy they are
Delivering Supplies
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Prior to the trip, my sister and I collected donations of school supplies from churches and families in our local communities
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While in Ensenada, we were able to deliver these supplies to the children first hand
Quinceañera
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While at El Sauzal, a young woman celebrated her Quinceañera and we were invited to attend
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We helped to set-up and tear-down this event, and got to be included in this special cultural occasion!