Volunteer Families Find Ways to Connect in Lomas de la Cuesta, Oaxaca, Mexico

Through Courts for Kids, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Mexico and build a basketball court for a school in need of a place for children to run around and play. At first, I thought it would just be about construction and endurance, but what I didn’t expect was how much the experience would teach me about culture, community, and what it means to truly connect with others. 

From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms and welcoming signs in Spanish. Even though the language barrier proved to be difficult at times, it never stopped the efforts to communicate and connect. We found other ways to connect through games such as Uno, basketball, and arm wrestling, while learning how to speak Spanish. Not only did we work side by side pouring cement and carrying rocks and sand, but we built friendships and deep connections. While getting to know the community, we were immersed in culture and learned many new things about the community we knew nothing about before the trip. Through the food the kitchen ladies made for us, we learned about signature dishes and mannerisms in their culture. We learned cultural dances and traditions and got to partake in many of these things. We were put outside of our comfort zone in trying new things and being unplugged, fully immersed in the culture around us. 

The community was unlike anything or type of love I have ever experienced or witnessed. Not only is the community tight-knit and loving of each other, but they were extremely welcoming to us and accepting of everything we had to offer as people who spoke little Spanish and knew barely how to communicate. The community worked tirelessly every day with us to build the court with no compensation, just the knowledge that their kids would have somewhere to run around and play during the day. Not only did adults help us, but every day, there were children carrying buckets of rocks and sand filled by a team of strong women who showed up day after day. The work day never felt overbearing as the community and volunteers talked and got to know one another more and more. The community is full of love for everyone. During the pachanga, the community talked for over an hour, expressing gratitude for the work everyone put in. The children became our close friends very quickly. 

Through this trip, I learned how to make deeper connections with everyone around me and appreciate the present moment. I learned to appreciate what is special about everyone and learn it through more than their words. Through our language barrier, I learned so much more about the children in the community than I ever thought I would. I learned the importance of communication and how deeply humans crave connection and will try their best to communicate and connect with others. I learned the children's personalities and that every one of them are different and special in their ways. I learned to love getting to know people and learn their depth, even when it is hard to communicate.  

Visiting Mexico to build this court changed not only my perspective on other people, but changed me in all the best ways. I learned how to accept others for everything they are, how to work hard, and how to create deep connections with people. I learned that there is so much more to people than words can say. I was taught that no matter where we come from, we are all more alike than different, and that when we come together, we can create and maintain amazing relationships and things. This was truly an experience I will never forget, and I doubt the people of Lomas de la Cuesta will forget us either. 
~ by Kamryn Lindsey, Volunteer

Volunteer Quotes:

“My favorite memory was probably connecting with my family more, without the distraction of devices. We would talk at night as a family, and in the morning, we talked and connected. I loved watching my family work hard and not complain. They made friends both with the families we came with and the people of Lomas de la Cuesta.” ~ Brett Steed

“I learned how important community is to the people of Lomas de la Cuesta. A fairly new colonia, but everyone is a part of each other's lives and shows up for one another. So willing to share what they have and take care of each other's needs, so different from how it is at home when everyone just stays inside and doesn't even interact with the neighbors on their own streets.”
~ Mireille Steed

“Giving and serving others fills me up and takes focus off any 'problems' I may be going through.” ~ Ashley Rybar

“I learned a lot while interacting with the community. With everyone looking for and helping one another. This can best be seen through their holidays and traditions. An example of this being when our group showed up unannounced to a party and instead of being kicked out, we were soon dancing along and having a great time with them.” ~ Evan Steed

“It is so beautiful to see people get out of their comfort zone to serve others.” ~ Sean Rybar

“This community isn’t just a group of people that live in the same area, it’s a family that shares the land.” ~ Tristan Roulet

“When you come home from your millionth trip from the beach, you will most likely never remember in 5 years what happened. Unlike Courts for Kids, this program is so special and you will look back at it after years.” ~ Gia Steed

“It brought me so much joy seeing the kids eagerness to interact despite the language barriers and the excitement that was mutually shared when they engaged in an activity together. The kids remind us about the natural desires we all have to be connected to others.” ~ Tracy Roulet

Community Quotes:

“Throughout history, there have been handfuls of people who talk about doing good for society, but many of the words have been left in the wind, without any purpose. But I still believe that men, women, youth, and children are out there, not shouting into the wind, but acting daily with their hands so that others have a better place. 

This season I met many of them, Courts for Kids; a great handful of those human beings who with every action worked for the good of the other; it didn't matter that we were thousands of kilometres away, it didn't matter that we were from another country, it didn't matter that their comfort was totally different from what they were used to, it only mattered the good of a whole community of students, who with a big smile, surprise and enthusiasm saw how from nothing a place that would bring joy every day was raised. 

It was a great satisfaction to be able to share dreams with the team, especially to know that there will always be many hearts by our side that share our dreams and yearnings for others.” ~ David Hernandez

“It is an honour to have shared this week with all the volunteers and to see that with effort and joy dreams come true. It was an incredible stage to see how there are kind-hearted people who are willing to support and add their grain of sand to achieve the dreams and that the children of our school now have their own multi-sports court. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for having fulfilled this dream for our children more than anything else and for us as parents who see this school grow even more now with the court. With the help of God and the good people like the volunteers and organisations that support us, new projects will come.” ~ Maira Santiago

“This was a great experience about the project because being a school that is just being formed is a joy that all the parents were present in the process and I also feel grateful for having been part of this project hoping that the projects for the improvement of the school will also continue. I am very grateful and may god bless you always .” ~ Valentina Jimenez

“I am very happy with the playing field. Thanks to all your team workers who came to help in large part to our children have a proper space. You came to leave such a wonderful project for the children of tele secundaria lomas de la cuesta. Greetings to all of you and a big hug. God bless you always wherever you are.” ~ Pedro Melvin Jimenez