Personal Narrative: My Life In Nicaragua

This summer I went to Mexico with my family to visit some relatives. Usually every morning would go the same, I would wake up and my hair was a fiasco, just such a disaster. This usually explains why we were late to everything because we were just lollygagging while getting ready so we would never make it on time anywhere. And while I was in Mexico at a dance some guys were coming towards my cousin and I. Eventually they walked up and they had the chutzpa to ask us to dance with them right after they had made some rude comments to one of our friends. At first they were very nice about asking but after a while they got a bit more annoying and we decided to leave. Something I realized was that girls have to be very discreet

My grandmother was born in Guatemala into a struggling family of seven. In Guatemala, kids are often forced to leave school and start working to help provide for their family´s food and shelter. Similarly, my grandmother was not able to complete her education. Instead, she had to take care of her siblings, providing for their basic needs. As she grew up, she had three kids, including my father, and needed to find a way to give them a better life.

The day has finally come to go on vacation. My family and I departed promptly from our house at 4:30 in the morning. Our flight was scheduled for 7 in the morning at Pittsburgh International Airport. We had to arrive their early because all people flying international had to be their two hours before the flight would leave. We boarded the flight out to Punta Cana, which is located in the Dominican Republic. I can remember that I was so excited to go, that I was the first on the flight. I am pretty sure that it took about three hours to get to the Dominican Republic from Pittsburgh. It was a really long flight to me because I could not wait to get there and I just wanted to land. Finally, the moment has come and we landed. When we departed

Each house-- painted a very vibrant, dazzling color, purple, orange, yellow, green, and pink. I had never seen houses like that in the United States the usual house colors are gray, white, tan, blue, very dull colors. The sight of these vivid houses was just a small glimpse of this beautiful country. As I nervously traveled without my family for the first time the lush terrain of Costa Rica dotted with colorful houses welcomed me.

One grand adventure that I went on this summer was a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. It was probably the best two weeks of my life and not a day goes by that I don’t think about it and want so badly to go back. I didn’t always have those feelings though… The first couple days were pretty rough from lack of sleep, being in a totally new environment in a country I have never been before, being way out of comfort zone and being slightly home sick. The first full day at our site I nearly had a panic attack because I just couldn't get over the language barrier and that was the first time I have ever worked with kids. I just felt so helpless and that I was’t showing these kids God’s love. But I was because just being there for them showed them God’s love.

I was born in dominican republic santiago in May 21, 1997. I'm 19 years old. My weight is 132 pound and my height is 5.9 feet. My skin color is dark and my eyes color are black. My favorite color is yellow and my favorite singer is Daddy Yankee. I'm a student from Bronx Community College. My major is Liberal Arts & Biology because I want something related with medicine. Now I was thinking about become a physical therapy or doctor with a specialization in pediatric.

What was the process of my conversion like? I’ll begin with this year, all the way back to my trip in Guatemala. I struggled to understand what belief was and what being a follower of Christ really was. I was trying to understand the faith with my own intelligence, which constantly failed me. On top of that I was living without morals, saying, doing, and thinking whatever I pleased. This all, plus sickness, made my trip to Guatemala very challenging. As the year went on I still tried to live in Christ on my own will, which isn’t living in Christ at all. I would read his word but only some days instead of every day. What I didn’t realize is that I need his word every day. Because this world is evil and unclear, but his word gives ultimate clarity.

Early that morning I got up and got my things ready and headed to the airport. I met my new classmates from UCO and learn a little bit about them. We all shared what we would want to experience on this trip. I shared that I would want to be away from the tourist spots. The reason for that is that I feel I would see the real Nicaragua. I can talk to the people in the streets and learn their stories. And also eat authentic Nicaraguan food in smaller local

I have been praying for God to give me an opportunity to go on a mission trip this summer. Many opportunities have gone by but I did not feel God calling me to those places except for Africa but I talked to you guys and you said no, you would rather keep me alive lol. But anyways, about a week ago I was scrolling through Instagram and one of the summer mentors at First Baptist Woodstock, Natalie Priest, had posted a picture with a caption saying that her church Zion Hill Baptist Church is going on a mission trip this summer to Guatemala. When I first read this I thought to myself, oh my goodness that is so exciting!! Well, that entire night I could not stop thinking about this trip. So I started pouring myself out to God asking Him over and

It is the balmy months of summer in Pennsylvania as I return home from a long day as a lifeguard at the local YMCA. I feel tired, and somewhat uncomfortable as my stomach protests with a series of groans. I am hungry having not eaten since lunchtime, just a few hours earlier. My phone abruptly rings and my mother is on the line."I am going to be home from work late tonight, so I ordered a pizza it should be at the door any minute now." Five minutes later, a feel a sense of anticipation as the doorbell rings. The pizza had finally arrived. My two siblings and I immediately swarm towards the pizza box gorging ourselves until only two slices remain. No one could eat any more, our stomachs filled to the brink with stringy cheese and warm zesty tomato sauce. My brother picks up the last few slices and throws them into the trashcan nonchalantly . No one stopped him, my sister and I went on with our evening routines, ignoring the fact that considerable quantities of food had just been unceremoniously disposed of.

"I can't go on the service trip to Dominican Republic," I reluctantly explained to my teacher. "I don't receive health insurance," I confessed to my doctor. "I don't have federal financial aid, so I can't finish college," I tried to explain to my friends why I was leaving Oakwood University. On my college applications, I chose the best fit to describe my citizenship status from the limited drop down list, "I don't currently hold a valid U.S. visa." As an undocumented student, my life's themes have been "I can't" and "I don't.” I experienced a eureka moment when I read Invictus: “My head is bloody, but unbowed…/It matters not how strait the gate, /How charged with punishments the scroll, /…I am the captain of my soul.” I aimed to change my

Brian stood up and while gazing at me told Mr. Smith, “I like her idea. I wish for Isabel to accompany David and me to the Dominican Republic today. I want my baby sister home as soon as possible.” Mr. Smith replied, “Mr. Ross, Mr. Johnson is one of our best criminal lawyers and more than capable to handle this case on his own. Isabel is a brilliant attorney, but she is inexperienced.”

Is it possible for someone to impact your life if you don’t even speak the same language? This was a major question I had to answer this summer. I found myself on a mission trip in Nicaragua with around thirty people I had met less than a month earlier. We were doing a vacation bible school at an after school/feeding program for kids from preschool age through high school. Of course I loved all of the children at Los Brasiles but I naturally picked favorites and those favorites taught me more than I could have ever imagined possible.

All throughout my life I felt as though I was lacking knowledge on the outside world. Outside world meaning, the world that surrounds me outside of the county or “the bubble” as I like to call it, of Westchester N.Y. Now don’t get me wrong, I love living here, I always find that I have something to do, there is a lot of great places to eat, and a lot of great people here, and I love that…I feel safe here. But I’ve always felt as though Westchester being known as one of the richest counties in the nation, deceives ones view of the rest of the world… maybe I don’t want to always feel safe. Living here, you never see things such as people having a shortage of food, no place to live, children going a Christmas without any gifts. You pretty much have everything you need right at your fingertips living here.

The first 17 years of my life were spent in the most beautiful place, Caracas, Venezuela. I was happy with my life over there. I had all my family and friends who made me happy and I knew I could depend on them, for any situation in my life. Everything changed when I graduated high school in 2014 and my parents decided to bring me and my older sister, who is only two years older than me, to Miami for a better education. On December 16 of 2014, I got on a plane and left my family and friends behind. I can still remember that day. If you asked me, I thought the world was coming to a blazing end.