Nosotros construimos una casa (We built a house)

While many Saratoga teens spent their spring breaks vacationing in Hawaii or Europe, 14 SHS students participated in Saratoga Federated Church’s (SFC) annual house-building trip to Tijuana, Mexico, over their break.

The students spent their week building small houses from the ground up for families who previously lived in shacks with only the barest of accommodations. Each family supplied the land and supplies to build their new home. The trip included about 150 people from children to senior citizens, who were divided into teams of 15 to build each house.

“This was my first time going on the trip, and it was really fun because it was a whole new experience for me,” junior Yasmin Kakkar said. “I met a lot of new people and saw a different side of living that taught me a lot.”

While on the trip, the workers stayed in the Amor Ministries campground and participated in activities such as singing and small group discussions. Each day, they took vans to their worksite to build. Each team completed an 11-by-22-foot house in four days. This included creating a concrete foundation, framing, putting tar paper on the roof, and stuccoing the walls.

“The manual labor was actually fun; at times it seemed never-ending but because of the support of the team it always went well and [was] successful,” junior Julia Lee said. “Compared to Saratoga, we have a lot of things given to us so it was nice to be the one giving.”

The trip focused on serving the Mexican people, as opposed to being the “heroes” flying in to save them.

“We were told that we came as learners and not teachers, and I think I really learned a lot about just how privileged we are in Saratoga,” Kakkar said. “Working there made me feel productive because my actions could make an impact on these families’ lives, and I was doing something instead of sitting at home.”

Although most people who go on the annual trip are regular attendees of SFC, Kakkar was among the teenagers who had never been to the church.

“Even though I don’t attend SFC, I still had a lot of fun on the trip because I was able to meet new people and everyone was welcome and kind,” she said.

The service trip was a memorable experience for all who went.

“Being able to go independently to a new country and make bonds with new people while impacting the community was a really humbling experience,” Kakkar said. “I would recommend other people going because you really have a lot of fun on this trip, and it doesn’t seem as much like work as it does a vacation.”

Anyone interested in spending their break on a service trip is encouraged to participate.

“The trip is not extremely hard labor or only meant for Christians,” Lee said. “It's for anyone with a big heart who wants to spend their time doing good works.”