Teen Service Experiences in Mexico

One of the best ways to forget about your own problems is to serve someone else. In the Ananda Living Wisdom™ High School service projects are emphasized to create the opportunity to expand our students’ hearts and horizons.

One of the unique experiences that our school offers to teens is our trip to an orphanage in La Paz, Mexico, La Ciudad de los Ninos Y Ninas. When we go there we have the “hands on” opportunity of living in the orphanage, helping cook and clean, and most importantly, playing with the children. The children there understand and speak very little English. Our students prepare by studying Spanish in advance, but soon find out that the true universal language is that of the heart. It’s amazing to see the level of understanding that takes place between the Mexican children and our students.

A typical day includes an early wake up, meals/clean-up, and many hours of play-time with the Mexican children. Each of our students finds a way that they feel in tune with to share with the children in the orphanage. Perhaps it’s a game of wall-ball, soccer, basketball, jacks, or crafts. Special activities include going to mass with the kids in their small chapel and trips to the beach.

As a group we take on a service project. This might be repainting a room or possibly even a mural.

When it’s time to go back home, the tears start to flow. So many wonderful connections have been made. Our students beg to come back. So many of our students say that it changed their lives. They speak of how good it feels to forget about ourselves and serve someone else. The general feeling is that we often receive more than we give. Many of the orphans are joyful and fulfilled and that teaches us that joy does not come from material belongings and everyone is our family.