In early October, my friend Cate and I were sitting in the stands at the Ensworth - MBA football game talking to our church youth directors, Matt and BJ. We began discussing what our spring break plans were and came to the conclusion that we both wanted to go to Tijuana.
From that point on, we became very excited about the trip ahead, but, the week before spring break I was beginning to feel a little uneasy about my trip. As I sat in the lobby at school, I listened as all my friends began to talk about their plans to relax on the beach or ski down the mountains. All I could think about was how I was going to be working all week in Mexico. The night before the trip I was terrified. I had convinced myself that the trip was not going to be enjoyable and that I had made a huge mistake, but this notion soon changed.
When we arrived in San Diego, I began to feel a little better about my decision. Even though we were on the plane for around four hours, I still had a lot of fun talking to my friends and playing the on-board trivia game. This was just the beginning.
Our adventure in San Diego began with a broken window in our van. After punching the window out and replacing it with numerous trash bags, we began the drive to Mexico. The whole way to the border we listened to loud, up- beat music and everyone in the car was rowdy and excited. This all changed when we crossed into Mexico.
As we drove across the border, we all stared out the window as we drove through the town of Tijuana. The mood of the van changed from excited and up-beat to mellow and shock. I had never seen anything like it. The van ride to the camp was quiet as we all took in Mexico.
The arrival at the campsite marked the beginning of the many amazing memories and friendships I would soon have. That week I learned more about myself than I ever thought I could. I built relationships with people that will last a life time, but most importantly, I build a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The following week, when I returned to school, all my friends were talking about their trips to the beach or the slopes. At that moment, I knew that I had made the right decision to go to Tijuana. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am so glad that I had the chance to go!
~ Ann Francis, Class of 2009 |
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