Juarez, Mexico: Part IX

The end of the week came in almost a blink of an eye. We had our final day of work projects and VBS and dragged ourselves back to the dorm, feeling tired and hungry. Our final evening was to be spent at an extreme sports park in the main part of the city before we headed back for the last small group of the trip.

I spent most of that night talking with Delfina, the pastor's wife and playing with one of their daughters, Melody. The little girl played on the "big" playground and asked me to swing beside her on the creaky swing set. We swung higher and higher and as we did, her grin grew bigger and bigger.

I pointed to the large ants crawling beneath our seats as we finally slowed down to a stop. "Como se dice?" I asked the girl (literal translation: what does one call this?)

"Hormegas," she said, and I continued to our conversation on that note.

I took in that moment in the park, realizing there were likely only a few more left for the week. Here I was in Mexico, building incredible relationships and just enjoying my time with them. No cleaning, no cooking, no formal job to get up and go to. Just simply loving on the families and children. Bliss.

After our time at the park, we headed back to the dorm covered in dirt and grime, as usual. It was 9 p.m. and time for the final activity of the week that all of the leaders knew about: feet washing.

I wondered how all of it would go, considering my recent conversations with several girls in the group. While chatting about a past pedicure, I had several girls tell me about how much they hated for people to touch their feet.

Boy, were they in for a treat tonight, I thought.

We all sat in the circle as the California pastor talked about the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet. The one thing that stuck with me is that he used the story to illustrate the fact that Jesus served those with whom he was closest. Yes, he served others outside of this group, but his most intimate gesture, the most humble gesture he gave was for his close friends and companions.

So the leaders began the foot washing. We removed each others dirty shoes and socks and washed each others' feet in a white, plastic basin and dried them with a hand towel. When our feet had been washed, we went back to our seats. As one person finished, another from the group would walk up and assume the foot washer position.

It was an amazing sight to see---big, burly football players washing the feet of guys they'd probably not speak to in the normal high school setting. Girls washing the feet of others whom they hadn't even spent time with during the week.

It's an activity that makes you more introspective about your life, how you treat others, and more importantly, fellow believers. Do you humble yourself and serve them or complain that they're not pulling their weight at the church? Do you forgive them even though they've wronged you? Do you give them a chance even though they seem like they have a polar opposite personality to yours?

The foot washing activity was supposed to happen in the middle of the week, and I know those who put it on were disappointed that it didn't happen at the time they had originally anticipated, but it was obvious to me that God had saved it last for a reason.

We were to leave there with this message: Yes, to love is to serve. We're called to love others and serve others, but how much more should we serve our fellow brother or sister in Christ?