In Baja with Kaiizen

Baja California, Mexico

So this past weekend took me to Baja California, just north of Ensenada, to a little fishing village called El Sauzal. I went with the nonprofit organization Kaiizen (www.kaiizen.org) to do a little service in orphanages in Mexico. Well, my job for the weekend was to take pictures, I was the offical trip photographer. I had a blast. The things Kaiizen is doing is amazing, especially since this is a group run by a bunch of 20-something year olds. This trip had about 150 people on it, the biggest yet in Kaiizen history, and it went off without a hitch. I was somewhat skeptical of the organization of a group this big, I predicted chaos, but it went very well. I was very impressed.
A number of activities were performed this weekend, including painting of a nearby school, decorating of the orphanage for the christmas season, blankets and food being handed out to the nearby community, but probably the best thing we did was to bring christmas to the orphans. We were able to bring down a few gifts for each of the kids and Santa showed up for the whole deal. It really was quite an experience to watch the whole thing. We were all touched to watch these children light up.
Being of service to those who are less fortunate definately was the focus this trip, and the most rewarding part for sure, but we also had time to enjoy ourselves down here in beautiful Baja California. The wonderful weather here was a nice break from the cold. We spent time on the beach, and in nearby Ensenada. The best part of this whole trip however was the amazing people that came to participate. The calliber of people that Kaiizen draws is astounding. I met some very amazing people this last weekend, and I'm sad I only got to spend 2-3 days with them. Honestly, I miss the group we had down there. I enjoyed myself so much. These trips are great, and I encourage everyone to come along. If you're interested you can check out this and other programs Kaiizen has at www.kaiizen.org or send an email to baja@kaiizen.org and ask to be added to the Baja Project mailing list. The next trip is in February with dates TBA, it's probably over presidents day weekend. I hope to see you there!