Personal Narrative

Unexpected Change

When people think of Mexico they usually think about beaches and beer, but they don't think about the side of Mexico that only the lucky ones see. Juarez, Mexico; most people associate the city with a poverty stricken area and a blazing hot desert, but what those people don't realize is that most people who live there possess a gift that not many Americans have. Every spring break I get the opportunity to travel to Juarez, Mexico on a mission trip with my church. Although I have been twice my most recent time to go created a memory that will not only stay in my mind forever but change who I am because of it.

We loaded the vans for the long twelve hour drive across the state of Texas and barely into Mexico. As I loaded the van I grew more and more anxious to start to build houses for underprivileged families and to build relationships with friends. I had been a 'Christian' my entire life but I hardly ever went to church and I knew nothing about what it really meant to be a Christian. As soon as the vans were loaded we climbed into the hot and congested saunas and waited for our driver to come turn on the AC. Our driver was the fun and spunky youth minister so as she climbed into the captain's chair she cranked up the music to set the mood. Finally we drove off and started to head for the nights stop

in Midland. About six long and painfully boring hours later we arrived in Midland, Texas tired and ready for some sleep. We slept on a churches hard and uncomfortable gym floor and woke early the next morning to complete the long drive. The rest of the drive was a lot of fun because the guys in my van had already begun to bond which created a convivial environment. Before we knew it we had crossed the boarder into a horrid looking city. Dead dogs littered the roadsides, and the air smelled like an overused port-a-potty. On top of the smell you could feel the pollution in the air and the only thing I could taste was sand that inhabited every nook and cranny of my body. We drove into a gated area packed with tents from other churches from around the US; this place would be my home for the next week. We set up our campsite and then gathered for a hearty dinner for we would need the food for the next day's rigorous work. I woke early the next morning to find a cool breeze blowing, and my youth group preparing to go to the site where we would give two families a new house. We drove to an area on the outskirts of the city filled with trash and a bunch of houses that were built out of cardboard and shipping pallets. We were introduced to the family