Reporter's Notebook: Faces tell the story
Little can match the feeling of watching the face of someone who has never seen true poverty.
Listening to the teens as we crossed into Mexico on Sunday afternoon was an entertaining experience, to say the least.
While I've seen worse in the slums and countrysides of Nicaragua, the transition between the United States and Mexico can be staggering for anyone.
"You never see people selling food on our freeways," said one teen, in shock of the men and women hocking churros and other fried foods near the border crossing.
Our passage into Mexico was easy, with the exception of the border patrol confiscating about 20 percent of the eyeglasses brought down for the optometry clinic. We are told they will be returned, but no guarantee.
The students' delight in the bright colors of the Mexican houses quickly turned to sad interest as the quality of the homes deteriorated from large formations of wood and stucco to scrappy compilations of tin, cardboard and dented garage doors.
As jaws dropped and noses pressed to windows and hands dug frantically for cameras, the newcomers to Mexico struggled to wrap their minds about what they were seeing.
The vans rolled along a surprisingly well-maintained highway, and we all gazed at the countryside. It is actually quite beautiful, with green, rolling hills and a few jagged mountains.
We arrived at the campsite more quickly than most of us imagined, and I smiled because it seems nothing can dim the spirits of these eager carpenters-to-be.
Our home for the week is a large expanse of dirt and weeds, bordered by a drainage ditch and trees on one side and the roadway on the other.
The teens quickly got to work unpacking, looking somewhat like a cheerful chain gang. Rakes and shovels soon were clanging into the dirt and dust, hacking at the weeds to make a smooth place to sleep.
Hours later, a small tent city was built, as well as a large area for the volunteers to congregate for meals and program.
It will be interesting to see how long their energy lasts, although right now, it seems pleasingly endless.
