By: Anastasiia Bykhovskaia – Estevan Mercury
[Etevan Mercury News] – Seven people were able to take a break from their busy routine to dedicate some time to helping others.Justus Deruiter, Amanda Hagel, Katherine Bergman, Beckey Franke, Randy Franke, Brady Johnson and Bryce Friess recently returned from a mission trip to Hueyapan, Morelos, Mexico, where they were met by another group member who lives there for six months a year. The project is supported by the Archdiocese of Regina.
Randy and Beckey Franke organized the trip and it was their first time leading a group on their own, but they’ve been down there two times before.
“When we go down we feel really connected to the land and we feel really connected now to who we call our friends down there… This was just a different kind of holiday, where you are actually immersed in the Mexican culture with Mexican people, who are just amazing. We stay with them in their homes,” said Beckey explaining why they decided to become organizers of the trip. “And just a feeling that this is something really important that we need to help work on.”
One of the participants, Amanda Hagel, thought that the trip was a good way to connect with people in the Estevan community and was looking for an adventure to do. The experience turned out to be a bit of an eye-opener, but it still met her hopes.
“Mexico that’s portrayed in Hollywood movies and stuff is not the Mexico that we saw when we went down there. It’s totally different … in a good way,” said Amanda.
Beckey as well as Amanda and another trip participant Brady Johnson said that the people there and their attitude were the most outstanding parts of the trip for them.
“They are poor, they don’t have two cars, they don’t have a lot of things that we have, but they are happy, they are content and they take care of each other. I feel that sometimes at home we miss that. It’s their sense of the community,” said Beckey. “They are just so connected.”
“The Mexican people were amazing. They shared everything that they have with us, their food, their houses… They are just very generous,” said Amanda, adding that she really wants to go back next year. “They are almost like a family now.”
“It was incredible, everything about it, their culture, the people,” said Brady, who also hopes to see her new family again. “The people and their way of life, they don’t have a lot, but they are willing to give you everything that they do have and they are just so grateful and thankful for everything they have and have that strong connection with each other and a strong sense of community.”
The group was in Mexico Jan. 17-26. working on the Ceurnavaca Project. The project has been going for over 30 years and has seen outdoor kitchens, toilets and greenhouses being built. The Estevan community also helped some of these projects come true through Duelling Pianos fundraiser, which was held a few years ago.
“I want to thank the community so much for supporting the project,” said Beckey.
The new stage of the project involves building a technical school to bring young people in to keep them away from criminal activities.
“There was one gentleman once that was working with us that was 19 and he had three kids,” recalled Beckey. “Drug and alcohol abuse are really high for young people because there is no affordable progression for them in the communities. So that’s what the school is trying to do, is to keep them out of bad places … And to give them some self-sustaining tools and occupation, so they could build maybe their own business, become entrepreneurs and work in their community.”
To help make the project come true, led by an expert, the group had to learn how to plaster with clay. The workshop was also open to other people, so they could use the new knowledge to improve their living conditions.
People learned to then take their new knowledge into the community. The mission trip participants also went out to locals to help.
“The next day we went up the mountain to a family who didn’t have windows and doors on their house and didn’t have the outdoor toilet. They had the frame and a … part of the outdoor toilet, so we plastered that and helped to put windows and doors in one of the rooms in their house. They were so thankful,” said Beckey.
The group mainly helped with plastering and sending, so now the building can be used for future workshops, and they also did some other tasks around the greenhouse.
Groups like this one go down to energize people around, start projects and give them the motivation to keep building something that will significantly benefit their community.
“We help start something, and then we come home. And the next year we come, it’s changed because they are just passionate, they want to get working on it and get it done,” said Beckey.
The year before, the group did the foundation for the multipurpose room, which now is only missing a roof, and also worked on the greenhouse. Next, people plan to start working on building a place, where residents could stay while in school.
Beckey added, “We feel that this is God’s call for us, we are just trying to live out our ‘yes’ to Him.”
The mission trips are open to anybody willing to become a part of this experience. The next group will be going in January 2021.
