As I reflect on my life I can see how troublesome it has been; yet, I know blessings have also filled my life. I never would have expected to be one of the millions who have been separated from his parents at fourteen years of age. Then again, how could I have been able to expect such a thing when I was only a child? I did not understand why I had to navigate through life on my own as a teenager. Back then I thought I was alone, but now at 26 years old, I realized I was never alone. Looking back, the more I became involved with the church ministries that reached out to me, the more I was actually building my family.
It has been a long time coming, and after a few years of working on the book, Left In America, I know I have a purpose. Some friends from my Church family, Trinity C3 in Dallas truly believed God had a plan for my life, and they took the steps in building “Left In America.” It has been difficult living without my parents after my father was deported in December 2004. God took me on a journey through those years and led me to specific people who would embrace me as their own. Many times I wanted to give up, but I kept moving forward. Now, I hope my life will spark change in people to not give up no matter what. I believe we are each created for greatness.
This coming September, I will be speaking at El Centro Community College on the 22nd, and the following day I will be at Richland Community College. Furthermore, I am returning on October 25th to share at Eastfield. I am excited about these opportunities, and I want to touch on some key points I believe helped me overcome the challenges of living as a Mexican Immigrant in the USA. A few of the things that helped me face adversity were building relationships with various people, taking the focus off myself by serving others, changing my mindset, and pursuing an education.
I’m excited to share my story and hope to see you at one of these schools this fall!