“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a live around.” This quote from Leo Buscaglia perfectly describes how service and caring for others can completely change your life. Service is seen as a selfless act because you are giving of yourself and asking for nothing in return. While that is mostly true I have found you get more in return than you give. I found this out while I was serving in Guatemala. The people of Guatemala made me realize how blessed I am and I don't think I could ever thank them enough for that.
When I first started traveling to Guatemala, I thought the whole purpose was to help others. This is true, though there's also more to service then just doing things for other people. When you partake in service, you are given the opportunity to develop relationships. Putting time aside to get to know the people you serve is so important. The stories they tell are life changing. Listening to what they have to say about life was so inspiring. They are the happiest people I’ve ever met and they taught me how to be happy again. I have been forever touched by the people I met and the relationships I made. Through these relationships, I have grown tremendously in my faith and my daily life. It has shown me to never take anything for granted.
Before, I was always caught up in the material aspects of life. Growing up in America we are surrounded by people who believe money is equivalent to happiness. This is where we have it all wrong. We need to learn to take the time we have here and spend it with people we love and stop worrying so much about money. We should be happy to be alive and with our family and friends. If the people of Guatemala can be this happy without all these material goods then so can we. When everyone is gone those material items will mean absolutely nothing. They have this mind set and that’s why they are such happy people. They are just happy to be alive and healthy and we should be too. Being surround by friends and family is when I am most happy. I will never take a single family dinner or a night hanging out with my friends for granted again. We are so blessed to have these opportunities and we need to keep that in mind.
Coming back to the United States after my trip I was forever changed. I was no longer worried about what people would think of me if I didn't have the newest iPhone or the nicest car. All these things meant nothing to me I was just happy to be alive and healthy. I was excited to see my family and friends and share all the amazing stories I heard. My world was completely changed by these people and they have no idea. They were so thankful for everything we did for them but they will never know what they did for me. They taught me something I would have never learned in the US. I am beyond blessed to have gotten the opportunity to serve in Guatemala and I can’t wait to go back again. God tells us to give thanks and to be joyful in everything we do. No matter where I go in life, I will always carry the memories I made while doing service in Guatemala.
