Nov 2, 2015 By Reilly Walsh 3 min read

Paz y Bien. Translation: Peace and Goodness. These words are not only emblazoned on the backs of the jackets that students at San Bernardino school wear, but on their hearts as well. This past July, I visited the small town of Patzún, Guatemala, on a mission trip for a week with my classmates from Oakland Catholic High School. During my time there, I volunteered with the children of San Bernardino School and at the local orphanage where we stayed. Even though we came to help these children, I would dare to say that they helped us more than they can ever imagine.

Every morning, we walked a mile to the school where we would spend most of our day. The walk was filled with smiles and enthusiastic greetings from almost all of the people we encountered on the streets. All of the native Guatemalans were kind and welcoming to us, and when we arrived at the school, we quickly ate the delicious breakfast the religious sisters cooked for us.

On the first day that we spent at the school, we broke off into small groups to help with different age groups of students. Several friends and I made our way to the first-grade classroom. With 12 years of Spanish under my belt, I felt fairly confident that I had the basic skills necessary to converse with these young children, but as they quickly rattled off sentences and questions, I caught words and phrases at best. I would ask them to repeat what they had said multiple times, and when I could tell I was not going to comprehend what they were saying anytime soon, I would just nod and say, “yes” in Spanish. That reply often caused giggles, which made me even more self-conscious.

Despite those initial struggles to assimilate to the language, I formed incredibly strong bonds with the children. My Spanish did improve while I was there, but it was time that brought us together. The saying “actions speak louder than words” was appropriate for the situation. The hugs and smiles we exchanged and the games we played together helped form lasting bonds.

After days at the school, we traveled back to the orphanage, where we helped the orphans with homework and played with them until their bedtime. Many of the children were reluctant to go to sleep for the night. They cherished the attention and love that we gave them, and hated to part with us for the night. We didn’t like the time apart, either. On our last night that we spent with them, they performed a song for us, which prompted many of them, and us, to tear up. We could truly see in that moment how much they cared for us, even the ones who were generally quiet or too independent to spend much time with us.

When I look back on the mission trip, I could not be more grateful that I had this opportunity. Seeing people who have so little, yet so much joy inside their hearts, made me realize how blessed I am and how important it is to remain positive and happy. Though I only got to be with these children for a week, they will always remain in my heart.

School.