A note from Jenna
We are on the plane heading home after our week serving the people in Mexico. This is the 3rd mission trip to Chiapas that I’ve been on and I remember this very moment from the last trips. I was sitting on the plane with full determination to never take for granted all the luxuries that I have at home and to always be grateful for the little things like running water that is clean enough to drink, clean toilets with seats, toilet paper in the bathroom, my comfortable pillow sitting on top of my comfortable bed, and orange juice.
We stayed in Coapilla for a few days where we were served several delicious meals at the convent. The nuns waited on us as if they were our servants and we were royalty, regardless of the fact that some of us aren’t Catholic. The food was wonderful and plentiful but my favorite was the orange juice. When the sisters would come back around asking if we wanted seconds I always said, “si, por favor”.
Since I don’t know the culture well, I asked Vicente if it would offend them if I got up to help with the dishes. I didn’t know and didn’t want to cause offense but at the same time I wanted to show my appreciation for all the work I knew they had put into those meals. The least I could do was help with the dishes. After getting the OK from Vicente, I headed into the kitchen with an armful of dishes and asked if I could help wash. Mother said that this was their work and they were happy to do it. Besides, she said they didn’t have water in the kitchen to wash the dishes but if I wanted to help I could clear the table and put the dishes out back where they would wash them later. No problem! So, I carried a pile of plates out back and my heart skipped a beat. Their water supply was a full barrel of water standing on the floor in front of a table by a cement sink. What made me catch my breath though, was the huge bucket of orange peels that they had hand squeezed to make the juice I loved, that until that very moment I didn’t fully appreciate or realize the extent of the sacrifice it took to offer me that second serving of juice or to wash the glass from which I drank it. Truly, it was a labor of love.
We had clinic in Esquipulas where, for the first time on the trip, the pharmacy was set up such that we could see the entire team at work. We watched as Rich lovingly sat next to his patients, with his arm around them and looked them in the eyes as he spoke. We saw Aaron across the room, putting his patients at ease and making them laugh. We witnessed Nancy and her determination to ease ALL the suffering of those that came to her. None of that would have been possible without Lia, Thalia and Joshua making sure the patients and doctors understood each other. Sherry and Collette were smiling and hopping about checking people in and doing all the lab work. At our station, Kyle, with his easy going manner, never made me feel bad when I blundered and made a mistake while I was helping him. And then there was Vicente, constantly watching over us to keep us safe until he would drive us to the next location. We had the best team ever.
Although we may have only put a small drop in the bucket, so to speak, as far as helping those in need, I remember Mother Theresa’s words, “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
So, I sit here on the plane and hope that the determination I have at this moment-to not take things for granted and to appreciate the little things- doesn’t eventually wear off, as it normally does after one of these trips once I get home and back into my normal routines. I hope that the examples of those that served us and those I served with stays with me, as they so lovingly showed that they understand the meaning of the Lord’s words in Matthew when he said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Maybe, each time I drink a glass of orange juice, I will see that huge bucket full of orange peels sitting on a counter next to a sink with no running water and all these memories will come rushing back to remind me of the lessons I’ve learned while serving with all these wonderful people. I hope so.
-Jenna Johnson
