Thank you to all of you. I really appreciate all of your support. This is going to be a pretty long post, and if you don't read all of it, I fully understand.
Saturday-7/29:
I woke up at 4:30 A.M. to leave from Richmond to Dallas/Ft. Worth en route to El Paso. The flight took off around 8:45 EST, and we arrived in El Paso around 12:30 MDT. We stayed in an inn for the evening, and toured El Paso.
Notes: It was basically a a normal day, other than the fact that we toured El Paso.
Sunday-7/30:
We checked out of the hotel around 10 A.M., but didn't leave for Juarez until 4 P.M. As we arrived in Juarez, I couldn't help but cringe at the the decrepit and hostile conditions that lay before my eyes (eg. houses made of mud, children walking around without any shoes on their feet, sick dogs everywhere, etc. When we arrived in Juarez (shortly fifteen minutes after crossing the border), we unpacked the luggage, and put it in the bunk rooms. Then, we went to the "comidor" to praise God, and be informed about the upcoming week.
Notes: I wasn't particularly ecstatic being in Juarez, although the weather was a lot cooler than anticipated (at a very cool and comfortable 75 degrees F). The bunks weren't nearly as bad as I thought they would be, either (there was plenty of cool air for everyone).
Monday-7/31:
Wake-up call was at 7:15, and 6:45 for people making breakfast. We ate, and then were split into four different work groups. The group that I was assigned to was sent to the Children's Club of Juarezn (Club de Nino). I must say that I was completely shocked when we arrived there. The children were were all wearing American clothing (I assume it was donated, or something along those lines), and very, very happy. We played soccer (futbol), did crafts, and I had to perform a skit of "Joseph and the Dream Coat."
Notes: I was extremely shocked by the appearance and attitude of the Mexican children. They were kind-spirited, filled with so much love and happiness, and ecsatic to have people to play with them. I met a kid named David (duh-veed), whom over the course of the week, drastically impacted my life.
Tuesday-8/1:
All hell broke loose on Tuesday, when Juarez was literally flooded with rain. The streets were deluged with water, and many homes were either severely damaged or destroyed. Unfortunately, we were unable to aid the people's needs because it poured all day.
Notes: Everyone got to know each other much better, after being stuck in the "comidor" for twelve hours.
Wednesday-8/2:
After debating on what and what not to do, we decided that we were going to remove water from the children's club. We headed over, and my bud, David, came along as well. The mud was probably two feet high, and the water inside the club came up to my waist. David, the group, and I worked on the site for an hour, but were crushed to hear that some of the water of the Juarez dam was going to be released because another storm was going to hit the city, the next day.
Notes: On the brighter side, I taught David a minimal amount of English, and made a song about him with the small amount of Spanish I knew.
Thursday-8/3:
We were all awakened at 2 AM in the morning because the rain had hit the city hard, and we needed my bunk to store all the luggage. So, therefore, I was forced to spoon with one of the 26 year-old, male counselors (:( ). I couldn't fall asleep, and laid awake in bed, the whole evening.
The rain tapered off around four, and the so-called "storm" wasn't terribly bad.
We went to the gymnasium of Juarez, which was harboring victims of the storm. The place was infested with disease, and we had been informed that quite a few people had died, as a result of the storm. I tried my very best to put these thoughts to rest, and guve the kids all of my attention and energy(although exhausted). So, I was pretty much forced to run off of adrenaline. We played soccer, volleyball, and basketball. Later on in the day, we painted a fairly big classroom, and then attended an incredibly uplifting Mexican church service. I wish I could go in to detail about how amazing it was, but words couldn't describe it. Lastly, we had a foot washing service with the members of our church at the "comidor." The whole event was completely overwhelming, and I couln't help, but break down.
Notes: Bar none, this day made the trip, worthwhile.
Friday-8/4:
At 9 AM, we shared our tearful goodbyes with David, and the other people we had come to love. Then, we headed back to El Paso, for a day of relaxation.
Notes: We saw Talladega Nights, which was pretty cool.
Saturday-8/5: We arrived back home in Richmond at 6 PM.
The whole trip was a life-changing experience. I have always considered myself a good Christian, especially for someone my age. But after going on this trip, I realized how truly ungrateful we all are, and that we've taken so many things for granted.
I developed many new friendships, and realized that great good can comoe out of even a small group of 68, helping out a large community.
Also, twists and turns came our way (the rain). It probably rains in Juarez twice a year. That number was defeated with three days of rain.
Whether you're a Christian or not, I ask you to keep in mind that we are the luckiest people on the face of the earth, and that doing a simple deed (helping the Mexican people for one week) may bring the people of Mexico one week closer to better days.
). 
