Day 1- Progreso, Mexico: Las Colonias

Michelle Bonner
Today was the first official day of our trip. The morning started with church at the San Juan Basilica. The mass was incredible. It was different from anything that I was used to. The choir was made up of a 12-member Mariachi band. They played trumpets, violins, and guitar. The music that they played was awesome. It had a great touch of Mexican flavor. They had coordinating uniforms, played wonderfully and even sounded wonderful. I was completely in awe at how many people filled the church, and how they did it so quickly. The worshipers themselves even had a ritualistic vibe. Everything done was in sync. The service was in both Spanish and English. Which is really neat because it adds something to the service…it adds culture and Mexican flavor to the mass as well.

The service was neat for several reasons: It immersed us into the culture. It was very ritualistic, everything had a purpose. The church itself is amazing from the outside statues, and paintings to the inside setup. The sermon (homily, in Catholic terms) was perfect. The father spoke of forgiveness and being on a mission from God. He also talked about the devil and his interferences. He told us that nothing and no one should get between the person and their relationship to God.

After church, all seven of us drove over the border into Mexico, after purchasing our rental car with Mexican insurance. Then we all traveled into Mexico by crossing the border. We met up with Sr. Maureen, Vicky, and Ken at the Canada store and went to a little café to eat lunch. As soon as we finished, we all got into our cars and followed Sr. Maureen throughout Las Colonias. The biggest thing that affected me and hit me like a brick was the hospitality of the people. These people have very little and yet they want to give all of their being and all of their food to you. They don’t care if they are left with no money, they just want to be hospitable and welcome their guests.

The children would surround us as we pulled up to their house. They all shook our hands and said ‘Good afternoon’ or ‘Buenos Tardes’ to all of us. The families were pretty big for the most part and most of them lived close to each other. They all wanted us to sit and talk to them. One of the little girls even danced for us. I was surprised when one of the girls actually gave me a picture that she had drawn. It touched me in a way I never expected. It let me know how much it meant to them that we were there. It also let me know that we were truly making some difference in their lives. The children were definitely the highlight of my day.

One thing that I did learn today that was quite interesting was the fact that the workers are seriously underpaid. There are some new greenhouses and all they give the workers is less than $1 an hour. They work 12-hour shifts and are lucky to live with what they have. I heard that and I immediately understood why the immigrants decided to cross the border, whether it is legal or illegal. They are very crafty and go overlooked. They have a lot of land, used for farming, and they do a lot of hard work. It’s sad how the workers get treated there. They are a poor country but they are not so poor that they can’t live in houses. They have houses but there worn quite a bit from being so old. Some of the Mexicans in Las Colonies actually have brand new additions added onto their house so that they can fit everyone in the house more comfortably. While the men work the women are usually at home doing all the chores. Most people don’t have working plumbing, nor do they have electricity. A few fortunate families do have electricity or solar power.

It just really amazed me how nice they were. They were all smiles and loved the fact that we were just there. I have never seen such hospitality. These people have very little and yet they are grateful for everything in their life. They are very religious and seem on the whole very happy. Each family has its trouble but it never shows. The trip today was amazing and so were the people.

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