Testimonials

Courtney Hohl

"Going on expeditions with Family to Family has drastically changed my outlook on life. Each expedition, in a different location in Mexico, has been different but equally rewarding. The October 2009 Veracruz trip was my third with the group and I am grateful for the experiences we had. 

One of my favorite parts of the trip was not only what we were able to give through service but what the people we served gave us.  Their example, humility, and love taught me more than I could have learned from any anthropology class.  It taught me more than what it means to do something nice for someone else.  The love of the Mexican people and also the love of the people in our group has taught me what the Savior teaches all of us: what it means to put God first in your life. 

Besides learning so much from the other group members who come from different backgrounds and who have faced different life experiences, another one of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing how much the Mexican church members came together to serve each other.  They are such hard workers and dedicated a lot of time serving their neighbors and friends.  I love Family to Family for the relationships I have gained with the people as I have tried to serve them.  They have shaped my life and changed me in ways I can't express.  The only way to truly understand is to experience it yourself."

Sam Nyman

"Veracruz is such a beautiful place: the ocean only a couple miles away and colorful beautiful buildings lining its streets. But my favorite part of the whole trip was the people: meeting the families, talking to strangers, and making friends. They all taught me something, through the stories they told me of their struggles to get by, through their gratitude, or simply through their kindness. I specifically remember Saturday morning when a mother told me how she felt about God. She said, “He is like the sun, everywhere…you can’t avoid or hide from him.” This provided the realization that God is not just present in our little family in Provo, Utah. He really is everywhere. The trip overall was a great spiritual experience. I came back an improved, and more polished individual."

Breana Jones

"When July rolled around, most of my desires to go on the expedition had vanished. What could I offer? I had been to Veracruz on the June expedition already.

Everything in my life seemed to be falling apart, from serious health problems in my family to personal financial issues. I had nothing to give. My vision narrowed as darkness seemed to crowd around me. I was so close to backing out, but something kept me going. And then I arrived at Veracruz. Who knew putting in a concrete floor could make such a difference, not only for the family, but for me?

Having been born and raised in Mexico, poverty has constantly surrounded me. But never had I seen such extreme poverty as with the Velasquez family: six people sharing one bed in a house made of tin, wooden crates, used carpet and a stove in back, made out of tires. Their optimism, smiles, hugs, and charity in such grave circumstances of poverty were awe striking. As I spent more and more time with them, my personal burdens seemed lighter and my vision clearer. It was at their home that I learned a great lesson: When trials come our way, service is a means to shine light not only into the life of others, but into our own life because in doing so we draw closer to greatest light of all, our Savior. And this light of service is what continually expands horizons."

Lynda and Ashley Martin

"At the end of each day, Katie would have us pick a word that defined our experiences. My word for the entire week would be unity. We started out at the airport as a group of unsure teenagers, but at the end of the week, left as best friends. How else could you get 18 girls to share 2 showers? Spending seven days together working and serving the Lord showed us that we shared a love for God’s children and a common desire to help others.

Attending Sunday School with the Veracruz ward also helped me feel unified. These were teenagers from the other side of the world, who didn’t even speak the same language, but we had the same beliefs and standards. I also had a similar experience in the temple. While waiting, I was able to speak with a girl named Roxanne who was from another part of Mexico. Wow, we had so much in common! I kept having the thought, “she’s my sister in the gospel.” We all are. This trip has really shown me that borders are just lines drawn on a silly little map."

-Ashley Martin

"Simply stated, spending six days serving the people of Veracruz was the best experience I’ve ever had. Working under extreme temperatures and conditions, I was privileged to see joy in the faces of children, hope in the youth, and gratitude in the adults we served. The outpouring of love from those performing the service and those receiving was at times completely emotionally overwhelming, yet thrilling. I encourage anyone to make whatever sacrifices necessary to participate in future expeditions, as I will always be grateful for this tremendous experience."

-Lynda Martin

"By means of this letter, I wish to express to you my gratitude for the labor of love and charitable service that the brothers and sisters have so graciously bestowed on the brothers and sisters of the Arista ward of the stake over which the Lord has allowed me to preside. The floors placed for the three benefiting families will be a blessing of health and of desire within the brothers and sisters that received this blessing to improve their circumstances. The white shirts have been a great help for the youth who will soon part for the mission field, and whose economic conditions do not allow them to have all necessary items before parting for the field. And no doubt, the toys and clothes will be a blessing to the sisters of the Relief Society and their little ones. Please express my gratitude to all the participants in this labor of love."

"Even though we went to Mexico to help the people there, we feel like we came away having gained so much more than we gave. It was'nt an easy vacation by any means, but we learned about working hard and laughing together. When asked what her favorite part of the trip was, our 14-year-old daughter will say it was the day they moved bucket after bucket of sand down the stairs. She claims she still has the bruises to show for that day. We came to realize that we don’t need lots of “stuff” to be happy. We also came to realize that sometimes we need to slow down and enjoy the little things in life like holding a child, spending time together, helping one another, and laughing together.

We loved our trip with FFHE to Ensenada. We miss the children we got to know and wonder how the family we helped is doing. Now that we've rested up, we’re ready to go again."

Jamie Lawson, LDS Living Magazine

"I recently joined Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions on a trip to Ensenada, Mexico, to experience first-hand how a trip filled with service rather than entertainment could impact someone. I believe I speak for all of us who participated when I say the experience was nothing less than life-changing, and one we will never forget.

While working to build new homes for two wonderful families in need, I learned that language is not a barrier. As we communicated with them heart to heart through smiles, hugs, and broken Spanish, we were all able to convey the love we had for one another. And while our goals in Ensenada were ultimately accomplished through construction projects that improved the living conditions of the families, I believe projects like these merely facilitate a greater cause that reaches far beyond the building of physical structures—we built bonds of friendship and love with the families we were serving, as well as with each other.

If you choose to go on an FFHE, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll have powerful experiences as you work side by side with 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."

"I really enjoyed the trip to Mexico. I got the chance to meet and experience a different culture. The people that we were with were awesome. They all brought something special to the trip. It really opened my eyes to things that we take for granted and at the same time I noticed things in this country that we never realized we didn’t have. The people there, monetarily speaking, had so little but at the same time they were happier that most people here. If you walk down the street in America people don’t say “hi” unless they know you and even then, sometimes they don’t. There people seemed happier. They would smile as they walked down the street. Kids laughed and played more than kids here. I never would have realized just what the people in this country take for granted. I’ll always remember the people I met on the trip and I’ll never forget the places and things I saw while I was there."

"I've served others in many different ways over the past few years. However, the expedition to Zihuatanejo was unlike any other service project I had been involved in to date. I was used to preparing a donation or physical gift to send to others through the mail. This experience gave me the opportunity to serve face-to-face and see just how much our simple efforts can greatly benefit others. Seeing their happy faces and receiving their grateful hugs at the end of a building project was enough to make the whole week worth the while. I'll go back every year."