By Britt Camarillo

Contributor 

This summer I was given the opportunity to intern with YUGO Ministries in Rosarito, Mexico for ten weeks.

YUGO is a Christian organization that partners American and Canadian churches with local churches in the Tijuana/Rosarito area to provide the community with physical resources such as clothing, food, homes, as well as the intellectual and spiritual needs of women, children and teenagers.

My only experience with the Spanish language prior to this summer had taken place strictly in the classroom over the course of three years. During the first week of my arrival across the border, I made my meager abilities known to the staff, who then scheduled me to teach a lesson to a group of local women, based only on my ability to “kinda sorta” speak the language. My bilingual assistant was unable to accompany me at the last minute, which ushered me into the most frightening state of panic. Though speaking is sometimes an intimidating task, it’s far easier to present oneself and one’s ideas in a language that is native as opposed to one that is foreign; greater familiarity and stronger intuition allows one to readily select words that align more precisely with his or her intentions, which increases the accuracy and overall quality of communication.

Though I felt inept and utterly incapable, the job managed to get done. Without having had any prior experience, I acted as an interpreter in lessons and on construction sites for the rest of the summer. Every morning, I woke with a pit in my stomach, knowing that today I would be challenged, and it would not be comfortable.

By speaking Spanish, I relinquished my ability to comfortably represent myself in social situations. This, however, was a sacrifice I would willingly make because my purpose for being there was not to serve myself, nor to preserve my own comforts. Additionally, any success I managed was not won by the result of any sterling language ability I possess. Consequently, my pride could not be fed; all the glory went elsewhere, along with my gratitude. It’s incredibly humbling to be in a constant state of stumbling, making mistakes and relearning the whole world like a child seeing it all for the first time. Oh, that’s what a broom is? You mean you’re asking me to sweep?

Moreover, it’s a blessing to be embraced by a loving culture of people who gladly spend the extra time and effort it takes to understand a language learner. More often than not, I was met with encouragement and other kind gestures, such as the helpful finishing of my sentences, by both adults and children alike.

Though the United States may be a richer country monetarily, Mexico felt, to me, richer relationally. Generous and warm, in Mexico they seem more likely to drop everything they’re doing just to seize the opportunity to spend time with a person they love, an incredible display of the value of relationship over task in Mexican culture. Coming from a culture that allows language learners a very small margin of error and does not tolerate those who surpass that margin, I initially felt an unrealistic need to speak Spanish perfectly.

It wasn’t until I was having dinner one day with the pastor’s family when I finally let go of that need. Seated across from the pastor’s son, a student at the Technical University of Tijuana, I began conversing with him in English. I did so, not because I desired to be comfortable myself, but because I thought it would annoy him less to listen to my English than it would for him to decipher the meaning behind my butchered Spanish. He soon asked if we could switch languages. I was shocked that someone would suffer the nuisance of my insufficiency. I was stunned to discover that these insufficiencies, though undoubtedly existent, were not enough for him to consider me a nuisance at all— the conversation lasted for 45 minutes.

It is amazing to witness mutual love and care for one another disarm personal fears and foster a greater resolve to continue the cycle of love. I’d encourage anyone to seek out ways of serving others. You can be used for great things and you don’t have to cross the border to accomplish them.