Growing Up In El Salvador

Growing up in El Salvador, I would have never imagined my life would be filled with so many adventures. However, due to my dad’s work we moved around a lot. In the past seven years, I have lived in three different countries, and each of them has taught me something different.
For my fifteenth birthday, unlike most hispanics, I did not get a big party, but instead, an airplane ticket to Mexico. Moving to Mexico was thrilling and terrifying at the same time; for the first time, I was leaving my comfort zone, leaving my friends and everything I had grew up with. Nonetheless, it became one of the most amazing two years of my life; not only did I get to eat tacos every Friday, but I was also given many opportunities to excel in school. I was top of my class, which taught me how to be a leader among my classmates. I also found my passion for running, and even won a regional championship as part of the track team.
It was during this years that I was able to reconnect with my religion. I was no longer in church as an obligation and I was not hiding the fact that I was a christian. It was then that I realized how easily I compromised my beliefs to fit in, mainly because I had no idea who I was. As I found my identity, I was able to mentor a group of girls who were also struggling. I also began working as a translator for missionaries and I witnessed first hand the power of God’s love. I saw the sick being healed and families restored through prayer. When it was time to leave to the United States, I was afraid to leave all of this behind, but I also knew God had greater things in store for