Riverside, Calif., April, 2000--"This blister proves that I was working hard," said Oscar Olivarria, pointing to his hand.

A senior anthropology and sociology major and OLE Club vice president, Olivarria went with other members of the Organizaci÷n Latino-americana Estudiantil (otherwise known as OLE) to visit tropical Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, from March 24 to 31. It wasn't all sun tanning and snorkeling, though. These 15 La Sierra students were on a mission to help others - and to have an unforgettable Spring Break.

The first assignment was getting there. Upon arriving in the Mexican border town of Tecate, the students joined other passengers for a 26-hour trip in a Mexican transport bus. Before them was 1,018 miles of Baja's Transpeninsular Highway. More than a day later, the weary travelers arrived in La Paz. From there they traveled two more hours to Cabo San Lucas, a resort town on the peninsula's southern tip.

Their task was to help give the Cabo San Lucas Seventh-day Adventist Church a much-needed paint job. On the longest of their workdays, the students painted from morning and didn't get the paintbrushes washed and dried until evening.

La Sierra students, along with seniors from Mesa Grande Academy, assisted in construction of a 4-unit apartment complex that will house the pastor, associate pastor and two teachers - once a church school is constructed. The students from the Calimesa, Calif., Academy were in Cabo for a senior-class project.

Cabo's strategic location - with beaches that front both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez - has meant for a steady influx of tourists and year-round residents. And along with the region, the town's only Adventist church has grown, as well.

After a full day of traveling and three grueling days of painting and building, the La Sierra group enjoyed two days of a more traditional collegiate Spring Break activity - beachcombing. The Sea of Cortez waters were warm and relatively wave-free while the Pacific (belying its name) had huge, intimidating waves. But any beach will do after days of hard work and a long winter quarter, students said. "After all the work, it was great to just focus on having fun," said Susie Galaviz, a sophomore business pre-med student. "And the water wasn't even that cold."

While the scenery was world class, their Cabo accomodations weren't the most commodious. "We stayed in the church, slept on the floor and took showers with a bucket," remembered Olivarria. Not exactly resort-like, but a great way to bring OLE club members together. Bonding in Baja? The club vice president said it sure happened on this trip.

The whole trip was so memorable, OLE members now say they'll return for more projects. Future plans include helping the same church to build an orphanage, a health clinic and an elementary school. "We always try to have an annual mission trip, but it's usually something close by," said Olivarria. "We've gone down to Tijuana and taken toys to Mexicalli, but Baja topped it all."

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Story by Bonnie Carter, La Sierra Public Relations.