Wow! Here I stand with three days between me and heading to Jamaica, the place that changed my life forever. By the time you are reading this I will most likely be there. I wish I could just take everyone with me and they could share the same experience. A service trip really changes who you are and the way you look at life.
Growing up, I was always engaged in service activities within my church and I even went to Mexico to build a house for a family. It was a very powerful experience, but I feel like at the time I was still too young to understand the complexity of it all. When I started college, and became involved in Campus Ministry, I knew I wanted to participate in an Alternative Spring Break trip, Jamaica to be specific. At the time, I just thought it would be nice to get away and experience a new place and culture. Little did I know, my life would be changed forever.
As a freshman in college I came in as a nursing major. I knew I loved helping people, and what better way then when they are sick. That same year I ventured off to Jamaica for spring break in an effort to comfort the mentally ill, work in a school, and spend a little bit of time at a children's home. I had no idea what was going to be handed to me, but I went in with an open heart and mind and decided I was going to let the Lord take control and work in and through me. The first day of work was a success. I had the ability to read the bible to a blind man, paint nails, and sing to some mentally ill women who could barely speak. Though they could not talk, they managed to get my name and call to me whenever I would walk away and kiss me before I left for the day. I also worked at a school in Jamaica and formed a deep connection with a first grade class. There was one little girl in the class that would not speak. She would only nod if I asked her a question. My goal was going to be to make her smile and speak to me before the end of the week. Little did I know that by the end of the day we would form a deep connection with one another even when she wouldn't talk to anyone else. It was in that moment that I realized I no longer felt called to become a nurse, but a teacher. I went to Jamaica feeling stressed out with school and life, but I returned with a change of heart and mind. I was no longer the person I had once been. I felt so renewed.
The following year, last year, I decided to go on another trip for spring break. This time I went to the Dominican Republic and helped dig giant holes for several families so that they could have an out house. This trip was a lot more manual labor, but it was so rewarding to see how what we were doing was changing the lives of several families. I learned a lot from the families as well. They have so little, but they have one another and so much happiness. They are living proof that money doesn't buy happiness.
As I get older, I really want to focus on dedicating my life to service. Now that I'm going to be a teacher I want to spend my summers serving in third world countries. If you haven't had a chance to go on a service or mission trip, you really should think about it. You'll go as one person and come back another with a change of heart. You can give me all the things in the world, but I will not truly be fulfilled until I have served. I hope everyone can experience that same feeling and fulfillment.
