Greetings,

I write to you at the wee hours of the morning as I finish up my last overnight shift at FM4. Only three workdays are ahead of me, then I’ll take some extra time to enjoy parts of Mexico I haven’t yet seen. As the end of this experience draws ever nearer, an all too familiar sensation of bittersweet pensiveness falls over me. In the strangest way, I’ll miss these sleepless nights and the awkwardness of waking up a dozen grown adults for work in the morning. I’ll miss the irritating sound of the doorbell past midnight, my sign that there’s a migrant in need on the street. I might not miss acting as an amateur security guard, handling illicit substances, expulsions, and the like, but I suppose I have learned a great deal from the discomfort.

This familiar feeling of leaving a city, experience, and people I’ve grown to love is just the tip of the emotional iceberg. I find myself with a heavy heart for my country as this political transition nears, longing to be closer to home so I don’t feel like a voice trapped on the outside. I worry about the nature of the work I’ve been doing under new leadership. I pray that refugees and immigrants will be treated with the respect and dignity all humans deserve and that harmful rhetoric and baseless rumors against them will be rejected. However disappointed I may be in this new status quo, I am now feeling even more empowered by the experience I’ve had. It gives me the chance to amplify the voices of those often misunderstood and to (hopefully) expand the perspectives of my family and neighbors upon my return. I’m hoping this newfound inspiration will continue amidst (what I see as) setbacks for migrants and refugees. I also trust that nothing is set in stone, and that no one can predict what this next era will truly look like. These past four months haven’t been at all like what I anticipated, which is a great reminder that God’s plan often goes unseen in the moment.

While I process these emotions, I am also brainstorming some ways to end my time here on a special note. It feels like I’m planning 100 despedidas, or farewells, so I can simultaneously trim down my Guadalajara bucket list and say goodbye to my peers and friends from every circle. I’m still in the ideas stage, but if all goes according to plan, I expect to enjoy an outing to the park with my migrant friends, see a lucha libre live with my fellow volunteers, and indulge in some good food and drinks with the FM4 crew! I’ll also be traveling to the neighboring state of Guanajuato for the International Balloon Festival, then taking a group trip to see the natural wonders of the Huasteca Potosina. Stay tuned for more pictures and updates!

While my time here has been nothing short of fantastic, I’m certainly ready to be home, reconnecting with family and friends. It’s been a whirlwind, and I’m so grateful for those that followed along with me. If you’re reading this and have any questions about my experience, feel free to leave a comment or get in touch with me. I’d love nothing more than to share what I have seen and learned.

Blessings,

Aaron Kleinschmidt

P.S. Sorry for depriving you of photos last month. To make it up to you, here’s a photo dump!

Enjoyed TWO free concerts and some awesome rides at the Fiestas de Octubre.

Making the most of every moment with my fellow full-time volunteers (before we spread out across the globe)!

Took a trip to La Paz, Baja California Sur to enjoy the change in terrain and some incredibly lonely beaches!

A simple shot from a one-night camping trip just out of the city. Jalisco is a beautiful state!

Couldn’t help but visit a field of cempasúchil, Mexico’s flower that is typically seen around Día de los Muertos.