Learning to serve as an Armonia Volunteer

In September 2007, I packed my bags, boarded a train and headed to Gatwick airport for the long flight out to Mexico to start as an Armonia volunteer.  Many questions filled my head; What was I going to do?  Would it be safe?  Could I learn Spanish quickly?  Most importantly, would I like the food?  To be honest, I had very little idea what I would be involving myself with.  I was going “to serve the Mexican poor”.  But what did that mean?

Armonia is not so much an organisation as a learning space.  A community of people who together try to learn to answer the question: ‘What would Jesus do if he ministered in Mexico City?’  Founded on The Bible and a strong belief in practical loving Christianity combined with concepts such as ‘walking alongside the poor’ and ‘reflection in action’ (all of which I am sure will be expanded in this blog), the people of Armonia seek to serve their neighbours in practical, self-sacrificing love.  Through community centres, kids’ homework clubs, subsidised medical care, education schemes, nutrition programs and saturated with prayer and Bible study, Armonia tries together to transform poverty into full life.

The volunteer fits awkwardly into this.  On the one hand, they have to learn what it means to be a true Christian engaged in the evangelization of Mexico.  On the other, they are expected to throw themselves whole-heartedly into Armonia’s activities and serve.  For this reason the best description of a volunteer’s time in Mexico would be ‘learning to serve’.

I say it’s an awkward fit because I now see that I didn’t know how to serve when I arrived, though that was what was required of me.  I had prayed earnestly that God would send me somewhere where I could serve Him, but he didn’t answer my prayer quite as I expected.  He first showed me that my concept of service was skewed.  Yes I had done lots of stuff in church in the UK but it soon became clear to me that white, middle-class Englishman do not know much of life in Mexican poverty.  I didn’t know the slightest thing about Mexican language, style, social expectations, history or culture.

Much is expected of Armonia Volunteers.  Professionalism.  Discretion.  Patience.  Humility.  Not substituting local leadership.  Servant-hearted love.  Cultural sensitivity.  And unsurprisingly I underwent a rapid cultural experience, trying hard to avoid feeling isolated and learning even the most basic tasks from scratch.  But through errors, misunderstandings and guidance, I soon learnt what it meant to serve.  Whether it was checking communications for the Directors late at night, cooking 6am breakfasts in the students’ residences, co-ordinating foreign group visits, teaching English in the community centres or taking traditional Mexican dance lessons, I realised that service is not about doing but an attitude.  An attitude that is willing to put others first.  Read Galatians 2 to see it manifested in Jesus.

Seeing this modelled day-in and day-out in Mexico opened my eyes.  When people who have nothing are served by people who have much, a special bond of love is forged, opening hearts to the gospel – ‘why are you doing this?’, they ask.

So now, a year on, I have returned safely.  God was very faithful in answering many prayers throughout the year, but I marvel at how he took me away to teach me about service.  Maybe you are like me a year ago.  You are thinking of a time of service, perhaps in Armonia.  Don’t assume you already know how to serve.  Go in humility and perhaps God will surprise you.  Perhaps you will come back, like me, with new friends and great memories.  And you will have learnt a little more about Christian service.

If you are interested in volunteering for Armonia, please contact the UK Trust.  The best way to start to get involved is to work in Mexico on a short-term placement.  But have a good look around this blog (I hope to write more about my experiences soon) and our website so you are well informed about who we are and what we do.

Chris Rimmer