Mexico Mission Trip - Day 5

Today was one of the best days yet in my opinion. We got to go to another orphanage and play soccer with them, then we got to embrace the true Mexican culture as we went to downtown Chiapas. There we got to go to a market to buy gifts and souvenirs to remember our trip. The vendors were very competitive with prices sometimes, but it was a good experience full of many surprises. We also got to go to the town square where there were game booths and performers. We got to experience the daily life of Chiapas residents, and it was truly memorable.

But there is one thing that keeps coming back to my mind about today, and that's Juan. Juan, probably 12 or 13 years old, is one of the boys that we met at the orphanage, and at first he seemed just like everybody else there. But then I learned that he does not know how to speak, and he can only understand a few words. When we brought in groceries and other supplies that we had purchased, he was SOO excited to see everything. He was picking up the dish soap and yelling, and even though he wasn’t yelling words, we could still hear the emotion. At first there were times where I thought he was a little annoying, as he was taking people’s backpacks and running away with them while we were playing soccer. But then I thought, “What is he trying to communicate?”. Then I imagined the daily struggles that he goes through. Just imagine going a day without being able to communicate. You couldn’t request anything and often, people would ignore you. You can’t express your thoughts, opinions, questions or feelings. I realized how lucky I am to be able to do all of that, and without any struggle.

I hope as you are reading this, you think of simple things in which you forget to thank God for. It has been a great trip so far, and I know leaving will be an emotional rollercoaster for all of us here.

- Brendan Sullivan