This post was submitted by Ivy Tech student and ASB participant Jenna M.

The last three days in Calnali have been amazing. I have never had such an
experience in all of my life. I am a single mother and a nurse living in
the United States and I did not realize that magnitude of the statement
that I should be grateful for what I have. Mark and I were talking as we
passed buckets of sand across a creek about the overwhelming reality that
these people in Mexico are living in poverty that Americans will never
understand. We have food stamps, welfare, medicaid, food kitchens, and
many other resources to help us when there is no other ways to make ends
meet. Also most of us have people that we can go to and stay with or get
food from. Yet these people in Mexico have no resources to help them when
there is no other means to survive.

The woman that we are laying concrete for is living in poverty. She has a
dirt floor with light shining through the walls of her one room home. She
has no bathroom or way to store food. She does not recieve any government
aide and she washes clothes for a living which pays her minimal income.
She has no husband because he left her for another woman. He is a police
officer and she is an outcast from the community because it is such a
macho culture. The women are supposed to serve the men and work in the
home. She is blamed for the fact that they are not together and treated
badly because he is a man of power in the communiy by working close to the
government.

Her daughter is five and her son is seven. I was able to talk with the
little girl and she reminded me of my own little girl. I gave her a hair
clip and I let her have some of my Bath and Body Works lotion. She loved
the lotion and she immediately put the clip in her hair. She is so cute.

We built her a cement floor by carrying the cement, sand, and rocks across
a creek and then mixing the cement by hand. It was an amazing experience
to be able to build her a floor and provide her with a dry place for her
and her children to sleep at night. We also were able to talk with her and
provide her with a way to vent her feelings. This is extremely therapuetic
for someone to be able to talk about their feelings.

The children are not able to socialize or go to school because they do to
have any uniforms or ways to pay for tuition. Their tuition and uniforms
are fifteen dollars a year and I think that there is a used clothing store
to buy them some uniforms for two dollars. This is such an extremely small
amount of money for someone like me in the United States. Yet she has no
money for food, let alone being able to pay for the children to go to
school. When we get back home, I am going to collect money for these kids
to be able to go to school. I want to collect enough to pay for their
uniforms and then for their whole career as students. This would be
amazing. I believe that this would be three hundred and sixty dollars. If
anyone would like to contribute to this cause please contact Mark Howard
at Ivy Tech.

The woman made a comment that really hit home for me and touched my heart.
She said that when her kids are sick, there is nothing for her to do for
them but cry. As a mother and a nurse, I want to help these people with
their lack of healthcare. I know that there are nurses out there that
would love to come and help these people.

I plan to come to live with Juana Watson, whichi is our host in Calnali,
this summer and be able to work in a hospital here in Mexico. I am
learning so much Spanish and I would love to continue to learn more. When
we went to the market on the square on Sunday, I was able to talk with
many people. I think that I learned more by talking with people than being
in a class. The market was so beautiful and I have never seen anything
like it before in my life. The smells of the foods and the people all
walking around buying items was a sight to see. All of the people talked
to us and were friendly.

Unlike in Indiana, people had the time to stop and talk with each other.
There is not a rush on time like there is in the United States. I really
like it that there is not a rush to get somewhere every second of the day.
We wake up with the sounds of a rooster crowing and the people walking
their children to school. There are cars here but many of the people walk.
I have so much to say and not enough time to say it. I learn, experience,
and enjoy something new every single second of the day here.

Before I left Indiana, I went to church and my minister told me that I
would be able to find my purpose in life this week.
I have truly found my purpose in life this week. God give me the strength
to serve others because that is what gives life purpose. Service learning
is about helping others, but is also is about finding a purpose for my
life. It has two sides to the experience. Being a nurse, there is no
better feeling than being able to help someone. That is why I chose my
career which I believe will help me to help these people.

I am so grateful that I was able to go on this alternative spring break.
This was an opportunity of a lifetime. The people that are on this trip
with me are truly a diverse group, yet we meshed within the first twenty
four hours that we were together. I love the group that we have taken this
journey with and I feel that I have made some friends that I will be able
to keep when we return to the United States.