The Mexico I thought I would never see

href=”https://anamericanpointofview.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/20120610-101037.jpg”>
My job takes me all over the world, I have the privilege of visiting many countries and making amazing friends everywhere I go. Mexico is no different. Eight months ago I was in Mexico City, not for work, but for a celebration. My good friend was getting married, and I was given the privilege of being his best man. The 2 weeks leading up to his big day was filled with adventure for me, seeing Mexico for the first time. We spent each night out, doing something, eating, drinking or just watching a movie together. The weekends were willed with visiting sights and spending more time together. The Mexico I saw that time, was the Mexico of the tourist. I had a splendid time, and could not wait to return.
And return I did, but this time for work. Two weeks of training sessions, but as always, I planned a little extra time in for visiting friends and seeing more of Mexico. I am spending the weekdays at the hotel, close to we’re I am working, the nights are spend out to dinner with friends, but the weekends, I am at my friends apartment, sharing there life with mine. Part of there life is there faith. They are both strong Christians, and Saturday’s are spent at a local orphanage, they sing songs with the kids, and teach them a bible lesson that always ends with a picture to color. This is we’re I come in, I speak no Spanish, so I cannot help with the songs or the lessons, but coloring is universal, and even I can do that. So I sit with some of the kids and try to keep them focused, not an easy task, these are young kids, 4 to 6 year olds. And like any 4 to 6 year olds, there attention span is non existence, and with me, the big American in the room, I am some what of a novelty, so I distract from the lesson. But coloring, ya, I can help with that.
So I sit at the small table, and try to communicate as best I can, witch means I point and grunt a lot. But they seem to get it, kids are some much smarter than we give them credit for. It just amazes me sometimes.
I have been twice so far, and not sure if I will make it. ET weekend, my last weekend in Mexico, but I hope I do. The kids enjoy the attention, and I am sure it does there souls good to see a kinder world than the ones they come from. Mot of the kids are removed from there homes by the government, and most have seen a hard life already, harder than most of us will ever see. One little boy, Poncho, is missing his nose, yep, it’s missing, his mother did it to him. So sad, but he is a happy boy, smiles a lot and wants to be loved. It breaks your heart, but at the same moments gives you hope, hope for the future.The hope I see is in there eyes, there smile and mostly in the laugh. Children have a lot to teach us, if only we would listen and learn.
My heart was changed, my thoughts altered and my faith restored. I did nothing, just sat and colored with them, they did everything, they trusted, the loved and they gave hope. As a Catholic we are told to become servants to others, that our faith depends upon this. And over the years I have, I spent over 15 years as a religious ed teacher for the church, developed a faith formation program and gave of my time when and were needed. And each and every day of those 15 years was and is a blessing. I would not trade them is for anything. I still speak to a lot of the young people I worked with, many now have kids of there own, and I treasure each one of them in my heart, as I will the orphans of Mexico I have had the privilege of meeting.
God has a funny way of waking you up, of getting your attention. If anyone would have told me that some of the best times I would spend in Mexico would be in a orphanage, I would have laughed. That’s not the normal type of Christian service I would choose. Give me a soup kitchen, or a clothing drive. Something were I do not have to face the inhumanity of the world directly, that’s better suited for me, but God, as always, has different plans than we do. So now I can say, with a humble heart and a little human pride, that visiting the orphanage in Mexico was one of my favorite things. That I have given to those most in need a few hours of my day, and they, in return, have given a life time of thanksgiving and praise. Yep, God has a funny way to remind you what is important in life.

God Bless
Paul Sposite
Guided Insight Life Coach

<a