This past summer, Global Youth Mission (GYM) of the Admission Masters went to Tijuana, Mexico, to volunteer for the second time this year. About 50 GYM members from Brea, Irvine, and Los Angeles branches went on this trip.

After a four-hour bus ride to Tijuana, the students visited the rehab center that treats people with physical injuries and drug addictions. Students worked together to hand out the supplies that were collected prior to the event. They also got a chance to give a firm handshake to all of them. After the rehab center, the GYM members went to the local orphanage center at Tijuana. Students were divided into different groups to do various activities beneficial for the center. One group would build a soccer goalpost and played soccer with the children, another group painted murals, and some students prepared lunch.

GYM members also performed a science experiment with soda and Mentos to give a real life illustration of what will happen if these two substances mix. These kinds of activities are managed to offer a new field of study for the students. Some students who were preparing for the dance performance also had a chance to perform after lunch. As the visit slowly came to an end, the GYM members donated different kind of toys for the children to play with. This unique opportunity gave GYM members to support a foreign community as well as giving members a chance to immerse themselves in a foreign environment.

The best part: GYM gets to do it again this month, as they will go back to Mexico at the end of October for another mission trip. GYM will do many of the same things, such as helping at the rehab center and visiting the orphanage. A new activity, however, will be the addition of an oral reading, in Spanish, of a children’s book. The reader will then translate the story in English so all students can understand and follow along.

<Julia NaWon Yoon University High School 10th Grade>