Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
After returning from Mexico at the end of October, I had a short break before being asked back to the country. This time, though, I would be working with a new organization, Los Cabos Missions for Christ, an organization founded after Tropical Storm Lydia to help residents in need. We also worked with Feeding Los Cabos Kids, which provides meals to kids and families across las colonias.
On Wednesday, I worked with Feeding Los Cabos Kids. Our program was abbreviated, as we ran it in the streets, pausing every so often to let a car or motorcycle pass through. The kids were extremely patient, waiting for their turn to touch the ball. There were more than 50 participants.
We practiced basic ball techniques, including a passing drill. Like a carnival game, participants had to take a ball and pass it to a water bottle 10 paces away. If they were successful on the first try, they would win a soccer ball to take home. Even those who did not hit the bottle walked away with a new t-shirt from one of our partners Challenger Sports. Our drill session continued until 16 soccer balls were gifted and the food was ready to eat!
On Friday, I returned to the same area to work with Los Cabos Missions for Christ. Similar to the program a few days prior, I traveled along an unbeaten path, weaving in and out of the dirt roads before reaching a soup kitchen called Comedor Shalom where volunteers were hard at work preparing a meal for the seemingly endless line of patrons outside.
I started setting up our drills adjacent to the line of people. I worked with some of the kids and we played some competitive games to start. With every game, it seemed like more and more kids were joining in. A dozen quickly became two dozen and the next time I looked up, we had 50-60 kids playing. During the games, we ran contests for kids to win and take home soccer balls. The kids got even more energized!
My contact from the organization, Brian, quickly began live streaming the event to show their organization’s supporters from across the globe. It was a cool moment to see so many people appreciating our work.
I recall so many amazing people and moments from this trip; it is hard to narrow them down. Like many of our programs in the past, there are always a couple standouts.
A pair of girls helped each other through the drills, as the younger of the two could not jump high enough to clear the ball, so the older girl carried her over. They later joined hands to run through one of the relay races, always helping each other no matter what.
Later on, I recognized a boy from our program just two months prior with Por Los Niños de la Sierra. Their campus is just blocks from the kitchen and he had come by for a warm meal and 60-minutes of play. It is awesome to see familiar faces at our programs!
After a final game together, we gathered in a circle with a bag of prizes. The aforementioned winners picked out their choice of soccer balls, while others waited for t-shirts.
On the way back to the downtown area, Brian mentioned how successful our collaboration was and he couldn’t wait to bring this program to their other kitchen, joining together for a full length weekend program in the future on a proper football court.
Partners like these two organizations are some of the most important ones we have, especially now during the pandemic when issues like food insecurity have only been amplified as unemployment rates rise. I am excited to return and see some familiar faces in the near future.
