For many the mission trip to El Higo, Mexico, was another notch in their mission-trip belt. For some, like me, it was a new and exciting experience.

When the idea was first suggested that my senior class go on a mission trip instead of a regular class trip, I was hesitant. I wasn't sure I wanted to spend my class trip working. It sounded like a very non-fun class trip. I thought a trip to Florida sounded like a much better idea. But after listening to some of my classmates describe their experiences from previous mission trips, and the class officers lay out their plan for our trip, I finally came to the conclusion that a mission trip could be all right. As long as our class was together, it could be a great way to spend ten days.*

The portion of the trip from Texas to El Higo turned out to be very long and tiresome. Once we arrived in El Higo, I found my schedule there was much the same as when I worked on summer construction jobs at home—wake up early, work all day, take a shower and eat dinner. It was a routine I was used to, but our work in Mexico put a new twist on construction. Unlike what I was used to, our concrete and mortar had to be mixed by hand. It was a very labor-intensive job, and the afternoons were scorching.

A few of the local church members helped with the work. Though there was a language barrier, I was able to see how grateful and enthusiastic they were. You could see they were excited to do God's work.

Two of the local members were brothers. They made an enormous sacrifice for the construction of their church. Before our group arrived, the brothers sold their van to help pay for the construction material. The van was how they got to and from work to make a living, traveling into town to pick up supplies. With the van, the brothers also picked up many people to bring them to church. Our mission group felt it was a burden the brothers did not need to bear. To help them, an offering was collected. By God's grace, we raised more than enough money to buy a new van for the brothers.

Building the church from the ground up was a much bigger blessing than I anticipated. I felt like I was a part of something with real meaning. It is a very hard emotion to describe. Packing up our things to go home was a bittersweet experience. On one hand, I was leaving the bug bites and the mud; but on the other hand, I was leaving a place where, in reality, I felt closer to God than I ever had before.

Tyler Yasa was a senior at Indiana Academy when he wrote this article. He now attends Andrews University.

*Some Indiana Academy seniors opted for a hurricane clean-up mission experience in Texas, but the class reunited in San Antonio, Texas, after their mission trips where they enjoyed a few days of sightseeing and recreation.To learn more about Indiana Academy, visit http://indianasdaacademy.org.