Have you ever met a person that makes you feel so good you want to dance around your kitchen? The kind of person that makes your heart so full it feels like it might physically explode out of your chest? The kind of person you just have to smile when you think about them because they’re just a feel-good kind of person. OK, now imagine meeting 40 of those kind of people. Got the picture? Then you’ve met my mission trip team.

I’ve never met a more diverse group of people that I somehow clicked with so fast. In just seven days of being together, I gained a whole new set of best friends, all with different backgrounds and testimonies. Maybe it was their smiling faces every morning when we woke up, their encouragement throughout the extremely hot days, or just their love for Jesus in general that drew me near to them.

When you go on a mission trip, everyone tells you that you’re going to change the lives of the people of the place you go to. What people don’t tell you is that when you go on a mission trip, your life is changed.Your life is changed by the locals, the kindness they show you, and their immense generosity, despite having practically nothing. And then your life is changed by the people you go with.

I couldn’t tell you how these people changed my life, all I know is that they did. Each of them taught me something in their own way. I could type out their names and everything I learned from them, but then you’d be reading for hours. So I’ll tell you just a few.

Love is a verb.

Each of these people love big and love loudly. They not only show it in the way that they speak, but in the way that they act. They’re encouraging and kind, and they show it every day in everything they do.

Friendship is a blessing.

It’s funny how I met these people such a short time ago and now I’m not sure what my life was like before I knew them. If I ever needed anything, they would do it for me. They’ve found a way to weave themselves into my life and change me for the better.

Have faith.

Everyone I met has a different background, a different story. We’re all tied together through one thing: Our faith in Jesus. If my friends have taught me anything, it’s like the famous song by Hillsong says, “In Ocean’s Deep, my faith will stand.” The faith they show is incredible and a quality I hope to take from all of them.

As you can probably tell, I’m really thankful for my mission trip and the people it lead me to. I’m even more thankful for a God that leads us to the right people, especially in the times we need them the most.