Personal Narrative: My Life In High School

Throughout most of high school I was focused on trying to be like the people around me. When the real question was, what could I do to figure out who I am in this life. What is my purpose here? Growing up as one of the few Hispanic kids in my neighborhood and being the only Nicaraguan kid I know made me feel very different around people. Even though I went through most of Glenbrook South High School with friends, family, girlfriends, parties, sports, and all the advantages I had living in this town, I still had this deep hole in my heart. It was as if I were heartbroken all the time but didn't know why. A sense of loneliness knocked me off my feet and held me there. I started to lose my motivation. It was because I never felt a love that

I was introduced to an evangelical Christian youth group called Impact by my best friend Malik Lee. Impact is the youth group of Willow Creek Community Church located around the suburbs of Chicago. I never really acknowledged how Impact actually left an impact on me until I traveled with my youth group on a mission trip this past Summer. We were sent to the mountains of Cartago, Costa Rica an hour away from the capital, San Jose, to hold a Christian summer camp for the youth there. From playing soccer with the Costa Ricans, ziplining in the jungle, and many more activities made it a crazy trip. I was one of the only kids that was actually able to talk and translate in Spanish for my mission group. I could call myself a leader on this

Christianity turned my life around. God filled in the hole in my heart. Only God could create a miracle like that. during the last service of our trip it hit me. My mind was all over the place like a roller coaster. My heart was thundering against my ribcage, steadily getting faster and faster. I learned at that moment that God offers a never ending love for all of us, that he gave his own son Jesus Christ to be sent to the cross to die, so that we could be forgiven. I saw this God change so many people on this trip. I was finally given the motivation that every teenager needs before they venture out into their own life. I felt I was given a second chance. I gave myself to God that same