So last Friday and Saturday I was in Tijuana, Mexico. I was there visiting a friend who is a Jesuit Novice, and as part of his training was there on experiment working for the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Peace at the "Casa de Los Pobres", or house of the poor.This place has a medical clinic, a chapel, a food kitchen, and some other rooms that change depending on what is being offered, e.g. clothes, education, etc.
So on the Friday I helped out in the kitchen preparing the several hundred meals for that day. The kitchen is run by some volunteers, who are old ladies, some of whom have given over twenty years volunteering to help out there. Needless to say they spoke only Spanish, and my Spanish is not at a level to converse with. Luckily there were also two other Jesuit Novices there helping out, so I had someone to translate the Spanish and speak English with :)We (the Jesuit Novices and me), cut probably about 1000 zucchinis for the soup that was being made. At around twelve o'clock, the men, women and children started arriving and we began serving meals. I was placed on tortilla and spoon duty. My task was to hand out tortillas and plastic spoons, as well as give them extra tortillas. I spoke enough Spanish to handle this with ease. Was cute having little kids come up saying "Una tortilla por favor" and being able to understand them..
After serving probably about 600 meals, we went for a walk around Tijuana. Saturday was also spent walking about and getting some culture in (both metaphorically and literally). It really is a stark contrast to what lies north of the border. It's dirty, ill kept, and pretty much a rough looking place. However there are pockets of culture and nice looking areas. For instance there is a cultural centre where I learnt about the history of Baja California, and saw a photo exhibition on the trials of getting into the United States illegally. There were some very powerful photos I thought.
In Tijuana, there is definitely some bad stuff happening. Masked federali police in flak jackets, with M-16s and humvees driving round with mounted machine guns, obviously says that there is something lurking just beneath the surface. However I did not see anything indicating that. We didn't stay out past eight in the evening, as the nuns were clear that they want us in the compound then. There were lots of sirens going night and day, so I'm glad I didn't encounter anything bad.
Apart from learning about the hardships of living in Tijuana, I also learnt about the Jesuit order. These men who consecrate their lives are all very learned men. Most of them go on to hold teaching positions at Universities and High Schools. It's common for them to hold Masters if not PhDs in Philosophy and a degree in another subject. It takes something like ten years for their formation and they get a lot of world experience during this time. They get posted on experiments, e.g. placed at a mental hospital, a food kitchen, an old person's home, a high school, hitch hiking on $35, etc., where they get to experience first hand the disadvantaged of this world. This helps them to grow, figure out if this is for them, and show them what these people need. I commend these guys for what they're doing and wish them all the best.
