Students from Saint Francis High School spend summer break with the community of Ndute Yoo, Oaxaca, Mexico

On June 4th, 2026, a group of 20 Saint Francis students and 3 incredible chaperones met at SFO, excited for what was to come but clueless as to how transformative the next week would be for all of them. We traveled for 12 hours on two red eye flights and finally reached Oaxaca City where we spent the night before driving the next day to the community of Ndute Yoo. During our time in Oaxaca city we attended Mass, shopped around local vendors, and attended an orientation for the week to come. With little to no knowledge of what was ahead of us, we went to bed eager for the next day.

After driving for around 5 hours through the windy Mixteca region of Oaxaca, we arrived in Ndute Yoo. The energy we were welcomed with was vibrant to say the least. The locals dressed in their beautiful traditional clothing and greeted us with balloons, signs, music, and dancing. We had only just arrived, but it felt like we were coming home to family. 

We formed connections with the children almost instantly and created unbreakable bonds by the end of the week. After coming back from our tiring hours of working on the court, we were greeted with excited voices screaming,"Hola!” or “Como estas?”, and contagious smiles that gave us the energy we needed. The children's warmth was inspiring, and we learned so much from them: patience when we didn’t have perfect Spanish, their talent in drawing, their favorite activities and sports, and what they liked to do together during their free time. We even taught them the phrase “Que paso?” in English and very roughly translated it to “What happened bro?”- a joke that would continue to make us laugh throughout the trip. 

Behind all these moments of connection, there was a lot of hard work and challenges to get past. The language barrier was hard at first but we made use of our native Spanish speakers and translators and adapted to find new ways to communicate with the community throughout our work. While the locals had the experience and worked the concrete mixer, we rotated stations both shoveling the gravel and sand, working the assembly line to bring the buckets to the mixer, and transporting empty buckets to ensure the process was efficient. We became faster each day and stayed on track by finishing the court in 3 days, despite many concerns with the heavy rain that we had throughout the week. Every time we thought we were working hard, we would look over at the members of Ndute Yoo and see them covered in cement, running to the mixer, and moving to get the court done with a sense of passion that was truly inspiring for all of us. 

After each of our work days the locals spent time teaching us about their culture, their ancient Mixteco language, how they harvest their agriculture, the ways they cultivate their meals, and the fun games the children play in their free time. These are the moments that helped Ndute Yoo become a second home for our group. The day after we finished the court, we gathered in the morning for a hike that we had planned for the day. The community of Ndute Yoo surprised us with an incredible dance party where they came up to the court in their traditional “Los Carnavales” dress with sirens, bells, ponchos, and music. We danced together and before we knew it we had spent two hours on the court dancing. The smiles were infectious and it was such an honor that they felt so comfortable to share their indigenous culture with us after only a few days of knowing us. Over the course of this week, we shared laughs, danced, and even cried with the people of Ndute Yoo that we had instantly become so close with. 

The people of Ndute Yoo are some of the most genuine, kind, and selfless people we have ever met. Whether it was walking us to our houses at night, reorganizing our shoes that we left outside our door, or helping us learn to bucket shower, the locals always wanted to make sure we were safe, comfortable, and enjoying our time. The men that worked side by side with us while building the court always made sure we were taking breaks and had plenty of water. The women worked tirelessly, waking up early and cleaning up late, to create delicious meals for us each day. The way this community comes together to support each other is inspiring and their selflessness opened the eyes of all of us to how a true community can thrive. To quote one of our chaperones, “If every community was like the community of Ndute Yoo, the world would be a much better place.” This statement truly embodies our opinion of the wonderful people we met in Ndute Yoo. 

We knew that our last night in Ndute Yoo would be sad, but we had no clue how profound our emotions would be at that very moment. After an emotional reflection where we shared about our highs, lows, and lessons learned, we stepped outside to the most marvelous sunset. It truly felt like a “God wink” moment because just as we had been pouring our hearts out on how impactful this trip had been, we stepped outside to the view of the orange, purple, and pink hues surrounding the mountains that we had admired the entire trip. At that moment, we all hugged and soon the local children came out to join us. If we weren’t crying when it was just us, the flood of tears truly began when the kids came out. They ran into our arms and we sobbed together for over half an hour over the thought that this could be the last time we ever see them again. The people of Ndute Yoo had become parts of us and at that moment, as the sun was setting on our time there we realized that this is what life is about. It is not coming into a community, getting the job done, and leaving; it is getting to know people you otherwise would have never met, connecting with children despite a language barrier, and living life in each present moment with the people you love. 

This trip, we didn’t just pour concrete, we poured our hearts into the community of Ndute Yoo and formed connections that none of us will ever forget.

~ Ellie Davidson and Sloane Swenson, Saint Francis High School Volunteers

Volunteer Quotes:

I learned that the community is INCREDIBLY hard working and the way that they mobilized to build the court was so inspiring. Everyone we met played a role in building the court and were some of the most tenacious people I have ever met. The passion behind this court was so evident and I am so proud to have been a part of a group that could have an impact on Ndute Yoo. They will forever be in my heart!!! ~ Sloane Swenson

I've had so many instances where I've taken a step back and realized I was having the most fun in my life.  I have genuinely bared so much of myself and received so much authenticity in return that I dread saying goodbye. Even the friendships I've formed with the interpreters are some I'll cherish. ~ Althea Tjahjadi

I learned that this is an incredible community and I believe that the world would be a better place if people work together like they do here. ~ Jose Alvarez

I feel like this trip really opened my eyes to not take things for granted, and to really focus on the present and not worry about what is gonna happen in the future. It changed my point of view on myself that I really can live simply. ~ Bentley McDougall

The hardest part of leaving is just accepting the fact that I already feel like the locals are my family. Who knows when I am going to see them again. It's going to be hard splitting up after the amount of memories. ~ Gael Gracia

I have learned to let go of the luxury we live in back at home and focus on the more important things, love and community. It feels so good to be without my phone and be present all the time so that I can live in the moment. ~ Maya Farias

My favorite memory was dancing with my classmates because it brought us closer in a way words can't. ~ Cathryn Hilker

One thing I learned about the community is their selflessness. They are constantly putting us first and making sure that we are safe and comfortable. They were so loving and kind and extremely patient with us and it really shows how this principle is built into their culture. Also their sense of family and welcoming have been so prominent. Their kids are so open and trusting, and when I was crying, they came to comfort me, which just shows how caring they are, even from such a young age, and how it's learned from their families. ~ Maryum Afify

Community Quotes:

The unforgettable moments shared on the court with the volunteers will live on in our hearts, as every day was filled with joy, energy, and constant dancing. ~ Roberto Rodriguez

I was moved by the way that our children connected with the CFK volunteers; it was beautiful to see. ~ Natailia Rodriguez Silva

The community had great communication in all the preparations and execution of the project. Also, we made a great team with the volunteers who came; they were very strong workers. I am grateful that there were no accidents. ~ Celerino Garcia Cruz

Courts for Kids provides great help to very remote communities where participation from the government is rare.
~ Brigido Rodriguez

We made our dream come true by finally having the court in our community. Also spending time with and learning from the volunteers was incredible. ~ Cecilio Damian

It was the first time that we had visitors from far away; everyone made memories in Ndute Yoo that will never be forgotten.
~ Benito Rodriguez