A Columban-led effort to provide medical services to a poor Mexican town renews the faith of a youth minister.
By Lawrence Park

As a youth minister, I was with my Los Angeles youth group when we went to Rosarito, Mexico, to help Columban Father Tony Mortell with his medical mission to the poorest parts of this resort town along Mexico’s west coast.

Before our trip, I had never set foot in Mexico nor had I led my Korean-American teens in service work beyond the familiar greater Los Angeles area. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this group of students, who seemed to be typical teenagers—preoccupied with the daily distractions of life, oblivious to concerns other than who would be voted off next on their favorite reality show, American Idol.

So, in the early-morning hours of April 8, I arrived, bleary eyed and anxious, at the Columban House in Los Angeles along with a handful of youth group members, their parents, and other adult volunteers. Fr. Mortell, our spiritual director, lead us in prayer, asking for guidance from our Heavenly Father, and we were off. This was the 25th medical mission to Rosarito led by Fr. Mortell, with the first taking place in April 2002.

After a five-hour drive into Mexico, we met up with several doctors, dentists and an acupuncturist, who were also volunteering their time—and who had bought their own medicines—and set up worksites at two churches in Rosarito.

Youth minister Lawrence Park needed a little assistance from a young mother to take the temperature of her son.

My doubt was soon eliminated as I watched the young people engage each individual with care and concern, eager to assist in any way they could. Their eyes lit up with the realization that they could indeed help improve another person’s quality of life, even if it is just one small step at a time.

Seeing the youths in action, I realized just how foolish I was for not appreciating the true worth of these missions. All the preparation sessions and youth group meetings we had could not come close to the value of one moment these youths had working with each other to help those less fortunate.

I thanked our Lord for providing these youths with the opportunity to truly experience the grace of charity and engage in acts of unconditional love. I also thanked Him for letting me be part of this joyous experience and renewing my faith in the youth of today.

I was able to see that all it takes is one special moment for them to begin removing themselves from the distractions of our society’s materialism and greed to take a step closer to realizing the true elation of following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

During our return trip home, all signs of fatigue and exhaustion were masked by smiles and laughter and other signs of gratification from a job well done.