In the News
AS PUBLISHED IN THE UTAH COUNTY DAILY HERALD
April 2011
American Heritage Students Travel to Mexico for Service Project
Three hours north of Mexico City lies the city of Tequisquiapan. Although it is a tourist site for Mexicans and others, many of its residents live in primitive conditions.
Students from American Heritage School in American Fork recently spent a week there, helping to improve those conditions by building concrete floors and stoves for residents. This is the third year that AHS has conducted a project of this nature. The other two provided assistance to Ensenada and Vera Cruz.
Fourteen students and four adults went to Tequisquiapan. Spanish teacher Ruel Haymond was among them.
"We went with Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions," he said. "Its purpose is to unite families from the U.S. and Mexico. We laid cement floors, from small ones -- about shower-size -- to those in a dining room. We built stoves so the families could be more efficient. That protected the mothers who were breathing in soot for so many years."
Many of the students earned their own money, working for an entire year, to be able to make the trip.
"Family to Family encourages the youth to pay for it themselves," Haymond said. "It makes it a much more meaningful experience for them."
It was hard work, physical labor to which many of the students were not accustomed. But when asked if they would do it again, their response was immediate.
"Absolutely, without a doubt," said Nicole Bushman. "It was hard work, but it was fun."
"Yes, no question," said Kaytlyn Lofgreen.
They were not the only ones working. In many cases the Mexican families worked alongside the visiting Americans. Haymond gave an example.
"They oftentimes helped with the cement -- mixing, laying or shoveling it," he said. But that was not all.
"As part of the deal, they would come and cook for us," he said. "We serve them and they have an opportunity to serve us. They retain their dignity. Both are blessed for having been a part of it."
Lofgreen said she worked on stove-building every day. "We had a metal mold in a rectangle," she said. "We put ashes then gravel. We poured cement and put a base around the edges. We filled that up with more cement and ran a pipe for the chimney. When it was set up, we took the mold out then put the rest of the chimney on."
The residents were pleased, to say the least.
"I got to see the people's reactions," she said. "They were so excited they wouldn't let the stove dry before they started cooking on it."
Those stoves made a difference in their lives.
"Some did not have any stoves at all," Lofgreen said. "One lady had a really old rickety one that had a lot of holes in it."
"The first lady was so excited she brought out tortillas for us," she said. "She was genuinely grateful with many smiles and thank you's. They were so thrilled to have this woodburning stove."
Lofgreen said she grew from the experience.
"I learned to love my Mexican brothers and sisters," she said. "They are exactly like me. They just live in a different place and speak a different language."
Bushman spent most of her days on the floor-laying crew.
"We mixed cement," she said. "One of the floors we had to mix it by hand; for the others we had a mixer. We transported it, laid the floor, helped smooth it out. The majority of them were kitchen floors. They were quite a bit smaller than we have here."
There was more to the experience than laying floors and building stoves.
"We gathered people together and went into the forest," Haymond said. "We cleaned trash and painted benches. We had lunch and dances with the youth. It was a marvelous experience."
They also taught hygiene and health seminars, giving soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels and combs to the residents.
"They were so grateful for them," Haymond said.
In addition to service, they took some time out to see the countryside.
"We hiked up to an opal mine," Haymond said. "It was fascinating. The day before we flew out, we went and explored the culture. We drove for three hours into the mountains. We went down into a ravine area where there were gold and silver mines. We discovered some of the most glorious, beautiful areas, with pools and waterfalls."
Bushman told about her reaction to the week.
"It was what I expected," she said. "It was really interesting. It was neat to be able to go and serve the people there. It was neat to be able to talk to the people and kind of understand their stories and what they had experienced during their lifetime."
She gave an example.
"One of the floors we did was for a single mom," she said. "She had three children living with her. She was working a full-time job and trying to make ends meet."
Lofgreen told of another mom she met.
"This lady was the godmother and didn't even know where the mom was," she said. "She also had her own children and a husband. She was taking care of these children without much for her own family."
The examples of the Mexican families provided food for thought to the students.
"I learned the importance of gratitude for what we have," Lofgreen said. "We have so much, even though I have seven siblings that are younger than me and our house is not very big for the standards in America. We saw how little they had, but how happy they were. To see the light in their eyes helped me be grateful for those things that I do have."
More information about Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions can be found at www.ffhe.org.
Published on "LDS.net"
http://www.lds.net/forums/missionary-work/9700-family-vacations-heart-humanitarian-travel-part-2-a.html
The Best of Both Worlds
Depending on which organization you choose to travel with, the amount of tourism varies greatly, but all the organizations I spoke with ensure that participants get some downtime to enjoy their surroundings. For example, tourism and sight-seeing is low on the priority list for Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions. It’s one of the ways to keep costs minimal; however, we were still able to spend some time at the beach, do a little shopping, and see a few of the local attractions. Charity Anywhere Foundation operates in a similar fashion. ...
The LDS Element
Some of the nonprofit organizations I’ve mentioned specialize in providing an LDS atmosphere, while others are completely nondenominational; both options will result in some incredible experiences. An LDS atmosphere helps connect Church members from all over the world, while nondenominational expeditions can provide some amazing missionary opportunities.
Since Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions locates families in need through missionaries and Church leaders, there is a strong LDS element to the expeditions. We served LDS families, we stayed at the homes of local LDS families, and we spent a great deal of time interacting with members of the local ward by playing basketball or jumping rope with the Primary children and watching the youth rehearse for an upcoming dance festival. We also accompanied local priesthood leaders on visits to the homes of inactive members—an experience that turned out to be perhaps the most spiritual part of our trip.
While visiting one inactive family, we had a unique challenge to overcome—no one was fluent in anyone else’s language. Neither the Elders Quorum president nor the family spoke any English. James was fluent in Portuguese and Ryan and I only spoke some Spanish. After a prayer, we all sang “I Am a Child of God,” singing different verses in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It was a remarkable way to invite the Spirit, since we were all familiar with the message and the melody, even if we didn’t understand the words.
James bore his testimony to the family, doing his best to translate from Portuguese to Spanish. He then asked Ryan to bear his testimony in Spanish.
While many eighteen-year-olds may not have reacted positively to this impromptu request, thanks to his high-school Spanish classes and the interaction he’d had with the Mexican people on previous FFHE expeditions, Ryan willingly shared a touching testimony in less-than-perfect Spanish. That night I learned that language is not a barrier. As we communicated heart to heart, we were all able to feel the Spirit and convey the love we had for one another.
In addition to Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions, humanitarian organizations such as Alliance for Youth Service and Eagle-Condor Humanitarian offer similar opportunities. Alliance for Youth Service, for example, provides evening activities such as firesides, dances, and family home evenings to help create a feeling of worldwide Church unity. Eagle-Condor Humanitarian is also geared toward an LDS experience since the people they serve are members of the Church and most expeditions come with an excursion to the Lima Peru Temple. Finally, when you book a Village of Hope expedition through LDS Travel, it will include the opportunity to attend church with a local ward or branch.
New Perspective
On a humanitarian vacation, you can’t help but gain new perspective about your own life and blessings. Part of the FFHE agenda includes a nightly meeting called “Points to Ponder,” where participants gather together to share insights about the trip. It was during Points to Ponder that I was able to learn how much this expedition had affected the Lamoreaux family, particularly the four children.
"The last few years I’ve had trouble thinking of things I want for Christmas and my birthday. I have clothes, food, shelter, and clean water to drink. What more do I need?"said Ryan.
His younger sisters all shared similar sentiments."When we get something, we always want more.Were never satisfied with what we have",observed Aubrey."These people are happy with what little they have. I think that’s a great lesson for all of us." Jamie added, "Im grateful for the blessing of seeing how other people live. It makes me grateful for my own blessings.” Perhaps twelve-year-old Corrie summed it up best when she said, “This has been the best experience of my entire life. It’s been a really great lesson and I’ve learned a lot." ...
... While it’s extremely rewarding to watch children as they acquire a deeper sense of gratitude and love for others, adults will most definitely gain insights of their own. “The biggest success of our trip was the connection we made heart to heart with the orphanage family,” says Cheryl Stoddard. “We were able to, in a very small way, share the Savior’s love with them, and in return, gain understanding of how resilient His children are; how happy we can be with so little; and how responsible we are to share the blessings we enjoy and take so much for granted.
The Intangibles
While our goals in Ensenada were ultimately accomplished through construction projects that improved the living conditions of two families, I think projects like these merely facilitate a greater cause that reaches far beyond the building of physical structures.
“What we do is about giving families hope and sharing with one another,” says Kendon Eakett, co-founder of Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions. “Those with so little can gain hope as they see total strangers sharing and helping. At the same time, those who come on the expeditions can experience the joy of serving. Most importantly, both groups can build friendships and become part of each other’s lives.”
He continues, “We always get much more out of the experience than we ever expect. We want to let these families know that someone who is a total stranger cares about them and that we’ll be back. When we return, the people always ask about the families who aren’t there. They never forget them. They’ll never forget the Lamoreauxs.”
When I returned from Ensenada, I found it difficult to put into words all the emotions I felt while serving others. In terms of physical structures, perhaps our projects weren’t all that impressive. But we built so much more than houses—we built bonds of friendship and love with the Torres and Hernandez families, the orphans, and with each other.
“People are always asking me what I built,” says Richard Wulfenstein, who serves on the FFHE board of directors. “When I don’t tell them something fantastic like a house or a school, they look at me like, ‘Why go all that way if you’re not going to build something of significance?’ How do you tell people about the love you feel for the people you serve and the people you serve with? It’s one of those things you have to experience for yourself to fully understand."
So that’s my challenge to you—to experience it for yourself. If a humanitarian vacation seems right for your family, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Wherever you choose to serve, you can have powerful experiences as you work side by side with your family and people of another culture to accomplish a common goal. And while it’s true that the service you give will have a lasting impact on the lives of others, the life that changes most will probably be your own.
Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions will be building a new house and bathroom for a family in Torreón, Mexico, this April, and they are working to raise $3500 to complete the project.To make a donation, contact Kendon Eakett at info@ffhe. One hundred percent of donations will go towards the building costs associated with this project. FFHE is non-profit company and all donations are tax deductible
HUMANITARIAN PEOPLE WEBSITE
http://www.humanitarianpeople.org/ffhe
| Headline: | Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions |
| Description: |
Families are the root of our civilizations. When we serve others and assist them in finding hope in their lives, we actually gain more than we can ever give because we also find hope and purpose in our own lives. We've found that in Mexico, so many people are so busy each day trying to hoe their own row and get enough to live on day by day that they rarely find the time to work and serve together. Catching the vision of banding together to form a better community empowers all of us. Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions is a Non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to strengthening families through humanitarian service in Mexico. |
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