HFK Expands to Mexico! (December 2022) - Service Trip Recap
Six years since our last expansion, HFK has finally expanded to a new country - Mexico!
In December of 2021, one of our staff members and two HFK alumni took a vision trip to Tijuana, Mexico to meet our potential partners and check out the facilities and ministry. One year later, the dream to expand to a new country became a reality as our team of 9 headed across the border to serve our new partners, the community of Parroquia Maria Inmaculada (Mary Immaculate Church)!
Below is a full recap of our historic trip:
Trip: Mexico Trip 2022
Dates: December 16-18, 2022
Location: Tijuana, Mexico
Day 1
Our team of 9 traveled from different parts of Northern and Southern California by car and plane to meet up in San Diego, CA before heading across the USA/Mexico border to our new partner site in Tijuana, Mexico. This is the first of our HFK trips where trip participants arrived by car, and participants shared about the culture shock they experienced as they began to drive the streets of Mexico. In a short 45 minute drive they were immersed into a new country and culture.
Upon arriving to our partner site, team participants settled into the dome shaped retreat center for their weekend stay. The rest of the day consisted of: a talk on the “Realities of Tijuana” with Father Jesse, a tour of the ministry (9 churches + schools + offices), presentations by the 10 ministry project leaders, and a special worship and prayer time in the chapel.
In the evening, the team helped get a head start on creating food bags for the community.
Day 2
After breakfast, our team began to prepare and assemble 300 food bags that would be distributed to the community later in the day. Thanks to our donors, each bag included 13 different food items to prepare a warm meal. Once assembled, the food bags were loaded into a truck and the team headed to a community called La Antorcha for the distribution. This community is amongst one of the areas most impacted by poverty in Tijuana, Mexico. Families have no running water, sparing electricity access, and no existence of a plumbing system. It was a humbling experience for our team to be greeted by over 200 families of the Antorcha community.
The team was able to hand deliver some food bags directly to homes of some families as they were not able to attend the distribution due to existing health complications. This also allowed for home visits where we prayed with them which each family really appreciated.
Later that evening, our team participated in a traditional Mexican posada which is a reenactment of preparations for the birth of baby Jesus. To start off the night, our team attended a gratitude mass where they were presented to the church community. The rest of the night was filled with a nativity play, song, dance, delicious tamales and pozole, a large group prayer, and an additional food bag distribution for the parish members and volunteers.
Enjoy this time lapse video of the team putting the food bags together!
Day 3
On the last day, our team had an early wake up call to catch the 7am World Cup Final between Argentina and France. As they loaded up the van, they prepared soccer gear for the clinic that the team hosted for the Antorcha youth after the game. At halftime, the team gifted jerseys to each of the kids that came to watch the final.
After an exhilarating 90 minutes + extra time + penalty kicks, Argentina was crowned the Champion of the World! The small rural chapel where the viewing party was hosted was filled with soccer loving hearts both young and old, and loud chants of “¡Queremos que Messi levante la copa!” (We want Messi to raise the cup!). Before the game, the team learned that some of the kids were not aware of who was playing in the final because their families didn’t have TV’s, so this was a unique experience for the community.
After the game, the team and 40+ children headed to the soccer field up on the hill that overlooked the entire Antorcha community. The children were excited to play in their new soccer jerseys. Ready to play, the children were split into age groups where our team members facilitated soccer drills that helped them prepare for the final match of the 3 different teams (Brazil, Las Chivas, and Argentina). As the team wrapped up the soccer clinic, everyone laughed and shared the excitement of getting to play the beautiful game after an exciting World Cup match.
The team headed back to the retreat center to pack their bags and say their goodbyes to the staff and young adults of Parroquia Maria Inmaculada. The team was treated to gift baskets with traditional Mexican sweet treats as they prepared for the drive home. After crossing the Mexico/USA border, the team headed back to San Diego where each trip participant then made their journey home. A weekend-long trip that not only made HFK history, but also many long-lasting memories were created.
