We lived in Ciudad Juárez from June 2008 through September 2009. As we rebuild our organization, we are based in Colorado, traveling back and forth as much as possible, eager to return to our Mexican home.

Sharing life with the poor, being a friend and a neighbor to the outcast destitute has awakened us, opened our eyes to the stark reality of the daily struggle of life for a majority of the world that lives every day in poverty. Connecting with a community that is surviving within a devastated border town has crushed our misconceived worldview and theologies like a tank rolling over a tin can. We are beginning to see more clearly.

Ciudad Juárez has radically evolved over the past two years. Her story has been riddled with oppression, pain, brutality and fear. It is one of the most grim places on the planet. Unparalleled, in fact, and the story continues to unfold each day. But there is the forgotten other side of this distressing story that isn’t being told: the story of hope, of the disregarded ones who remain, the Most Important People – they are the hope of Juarez, the hope of Mexico.

While most of the articles and commentaries about Juárez are focused on the violence and death, which has not been helpful but instead has deepened the wounds of an already anguished society, we have chosen to stand alongside our brothers and sisters and tell the stories that few are willing to tell.

Although it is vital that we stay current and aware of the real-life oppression in Mexico, statistics and facts tend to muddle the authenticity of the lives behind the numbers. It is easy to gloss over a news article, to change the channel and ignore, but sharing life with someone in need illuminates reality and moves one to take action.

Our love for Juárez is a reflection of our hope for the healing of a devastated city by all of us investing in each others lives, which will restore and strengthen a powerful, growing community that will stand up against the waves of injustice, poverty and oppression, transforming Juárez into a city of light.