"Aren't shingles a skin disease?" This was the first question I decided to ask a group of strangers on our first day at a work camp. I learned that shingles are indeed a skin infection, but also the name for pieces put on a roof as a shield from nature. I didn't know it then, but knowing the different forms of shingles would be the first of countless things I would learn throughout my week at mission trip.

I know it is cheesy to say, but my experience at mission trip was probably the best, life-changing week I've ever had. I'm proud to say that it has made me a better person and has greatly enhanced my relationship with God and the Christian community.

Throughout the week, I spent around 35 hours placing shingles (not the skin disease) on an elderly woman's roof. We started out the week barely talking to one another and mainly focusing on placing the shingles straight. But, by the end of the week, we were running around the local Wal-Mart, acting like fools and laughing till our stomachs hurt. The people I was randomly matched with to build that elderly women's roof were some of the best people I've met in my life. It's sad to consider that we may never cross paths again since I felt incredibly close to them, but in reality, I was just beginning to know them.

I saw God working in so many ways through the week and I realized how much He does for each and every person, despite what you do, what you believe, and what you give Him in return. I got the chance to completely open up and be myself with no string attached, something that was scary to do in my reality, and as a result, I got complete love from these people.

In the final days, my crew told me that my dumb questions and deep stories made it easier for them to open up, and was the reason we got so close. It made me realize how amazing just being yourself is and how it does good for the right people.

Those final days also reminded me of how negative I was at the beginning of the trip due to being so homesick. My reflection of my growth throughout the week taught me to always try new things, even if I have hesitations because something unforgettable can come out of it.

I came into the week on the mission trip with no expectations and I came out with a heart full of faith, love, and thanks. I never thought that people who were complete strangers just days before could make me feel so wanted, appreciated, and thankful. I'm usually not a crier, but when I came home from Bullock Creek that week and my mom asked me "How was it?", I broke down with tears of joy with the most amazing things to tell her.

If I wrote down everything I learned and experienced, this article would be never-ending. It's unbelievable to think that I received all this for myself and on top of it all, a woman got her roof redone.

She was a retired dog agility trainer. She lost almost everyone she loved in her life to cancer. She taught me that you can't take things for granted and the little things you do for people can make worlds of a difference. The amount of gratitude she showed us was one of the most rewarding gifts I've ever received.

The moral of the story is that you gain so much from giving. I guarantee that you will have more fulfillment and gratitude when you exert your time and energy for the good of others as opposed to yourself.

It is sometimes hard to give up a week of your life, drop everything, and go on a mission trip. But that shouldn't restrict you from giving. There are several things you can do around your own community, even your own household, to help you grow as a person while helping someone else out in ways that you won't even begin to understand.

Being selfish can be a good thing if you're smart about it. Be selfish about being selfless and gain from giving. You won't regret it.