Story of the trip and transformation with AMEXTRA Semillas

AMEXTRA Semillas is a program that offers experiences of immersion in Mexico that allow the participants to learn new perspectives by approaching realities that are foreign to ours. Within these experiences of coexisting fraternally with local families, we learn and enjoy the cultural and natural richness of the region, always promoting spaces for dialogue, exchange, reflection and introspection.

In the nineties, Partners in Hope (PIH) was created by Pastor Frank Alton to groups of Christian churches, with a missionary intention, to the projects that AMEXTRA developed in different regions of the country. During this period, we received groups from churches in California, such as Laguna Beach Presbyterian, St. Andrews Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Bel Air Presbyterian, and Berkeley University.

Years later, AMEXTRA inherited this project and Seeds of Transformation, a community immersion program that offers experiences based on AMEXTRA’s philosophy of Integral Transformation, seeking to sow the seed of transformation in the participants of these experiences.

Story of Amextra Semillas

2011 – 2016

Bethany Ulrich, in charge of Seeds of Transformation in this period, receives the first groups of Medical Teams in Oaxaca, with whom we reflect on paternalism and assistance versus the philosophy of Integral Transformation. Subsequently, Medical Teams International mission groups from the state of Oregon were received.

In 2015, the community of Nuevo Paraíso in Chiapas was visited, learning about the philosophy of Integral Transformation and the methodology of Amextra. In the same year, a group of 30 people from the BethlehemLutheran Minneapolis church visited the regions of Palenque, Chiapas and Tultitlán, State of Mexico.

2016 – 2019

Wendy Alcántara, now in charge of Seeds of Transformation, welcomes the first youth group, from the Focus group, from the Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, with whom a strong partnership was formed that allowed other groups to return in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic caused by Covid-19, the 2020 and 2021 trips could not take place. This relationship was a product of the promotional trip that took place in 2015. In this same year, work began with Mexican universities such as the Universidad Anáhuac, whose students visited Palenque, Chiapas.

In 2017, a strong alliance was finalized with Concordia University, St.Paul, which requested thematic trips focused on Mexican art. This alliance was created through Keith Williams, professor of art at Concordia University who thanks to Gary Peterson, learned about Amextra’s work and has traveled with two groups consecutively in 2017 and 2019, visiting Amextra’s community center in Tultitlan, State of Mexico.

This year, we also had the visit of a choral group from Chirst the King Church, which allowed us to explore the possibility of making incursions into thematic trips for church choirs.

2019 – current

Ingrid Villagrán took on this project and changed the corporate identity from Seeds of Transformation to AMEXTRA Semillas with the slogan: “Travel, Discover, Transform.” In addition, we had the first group of U.S. women leaders in immigration issues from the National Immigration Forum and the Women Of Welcome community, thanks to the recommendation of Fundación Linda Vista. An experience was developed around the migratory movement from Central American countries to the United States of America, with the city of Oaxaca as its headquarters. During this trip, the documentary Who is Welcome Here.

In 2020, the first immersion trip for AMEXTRA corporate employees was held in Los Altos de Chiapas, allowing them to learn about the work of other regional teams in the south of the country. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, two trips were canceled, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley and Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Due to the pandemic, two Short Experiences were carried out to provide spaces for dialogue and learning, first in alliance with the Casa Pepe Boutique Hotel in person and later virtually: “Basic principles of Mexican herbal medicine” by the artisans of the Xanat Tlapatli collective of Lomas de San Isidro, State of Mexico and “My first urban vegetable garden” with the support of the promoter of the Environment in Tultitlán, Mariana Romero

In 2021, the “Pasión Textil” trip was well received and achieved great allies such as the Research Center for Sustainable Development (CIDES), Kinal Antsetik A.C., Colectivo Kuxul Pok with the world-renowned designer Alberto López Gómez, and Casa Textil. Finally, in 2022, the trip “Ruta Dorada: The fascinating World of Bees”, to learn about the importance and work of beekeeping in Mexico.

AMEXTRA Semillas, after 11 years of its creation, continues with its objective connecting people with new realities and learning together how we can broaden our vision of the world; because we firmly believe that if we change our way of thinking, we will also change our way of living.