Loving Mexico Out Loud
The journey of an incarnational ministryBack!
We’re back! I can’t believe a week flew by so quickly… Each day was an eye-opening experience, and every day brought new perspectives to mind.
Before this trip, whenever I would hear about human trafficking, I always imagined the problem to be in some faraway land I couldn’t quite grasp. When we watched the movie “Trade,” it hit me pretty hard. The movie opened with a bunch of scenes of Mexico – your typical skyscrapers, tourist attractions, the Metrobus, people driving in their orderly chaos, street vendors, graffiti-covered walls… Even though I had only been in Mexico a few days by that time, those scenes seemed so familiar, and I was kind of excited that the movie takes place exactly where I was. My excitement quickly turned somber as I got a glimpse of what was really going on underneath it all – women and children are being kidnapped, duped, and exploited for labor or sex… and it was all happening so close to me. Just an hour’s bus ride away was La Merced, where sex workers line the streets and the rest of the community just carries on indifferently. During our prayer walk, my prayers became more and more desperate as I began to realize how real it all is…
The more I learned about human trafficking, I realized what a complex problem it is and how many obstacles must be overcome… people’s indifference, the corrupt/cowardly government officials, the low success rate of prosecutions, the impact of human trafficking crossing international borders… I felt so small as I realized all I could do was some manual labor to prepare a shelter for the victims. I was so encouraged and inspired by Pastor Benny, Janice, and the other missionaries/staff members who are doing so much more and have made so many sacrifices for this effort.
I think my team members covered the details of our trip pretty well (sorry for not blogging during the trip), so I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope and, crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest wall of oppression and resistance.”
~Robert F. Kennedy
Even though it seems like an uphill battle, I can’t help but think this is the beginning of something great…
Michelle
I’m leaving on a jet plane…
It is our last day here, and as we prepare to fly back to LA, I can’t believe our mission trip has already come to an end. I’m looking forward to going home, but at the same time, I really don’t want to leave. Even though it’s only been a week, it has been an incredible experience, and it was such a privilege to have been part of El Pozo’s amazing journey.
El Pozo has been transformed to become a place that looks and feels like a safe haven. When I am there, I feel so safe, at peace, and full of hope. I am so glad that we were able to put in the finishing touches to make it a home for the girls. But as Brian mentioned in the previous post, La Merced (where we had our prayer walk) was a stark contrast. I just couldn’t believe how blatantly the girls were standing around and how everyone else seemed to be fine with this. The more we walked, the more furiously I prayed because every girl out there is somebody’s daughter, friend, sister, and possibly even mother. I could literally feel my heart breaking and felt sick to my stomach. Then I realized, if seeing these girls breaks my heart this much, I can’t even begin to imagine how much it breaks God’s heart to see His beloved children like that. It was my first time visiting a red light district, and after seeing it, the issue of human/sex trafficking started to feel like the insurmountable Goliath again.
But last night, at the NEO service at Pastor Benny & Janice’s place, I was reminded that we simply need to show radical and furious love, and God will do the rest. Because there is no way we can attack and resolve this issue by our power alone. And since last night was our final night in Mexico City, we went shopping at a local bazaar/marketplace, hung out with some NEO members at Cafe Ocho, and went for one last late night taco run! Definitely going to miss this place..
Parting is such sweet sorrow, but Janice has invited us to come back once El Pozo is up and running, so we’ll definitely be on the look out for that. Once again, thanks so much for all your support, prayers, and comments! We’re leaving on a jet plane, but we’ll be back again. 
God Bless,
Sarah
