A mission trip is a once in a lifetime experience, and nothing can compare to one. I believe that all young people should go on a mission trip as soon as they can. A mission trip can change a person's life, or at least I know it did to me.

My sophomore year of high school, I went on my first mission trip through my school. A group of students and parents from my school, and our priest went to Guatemala. This was by far the best time of my life. Our group did various projects; these projects were all focused on the community's church because the church was the center of the community. It was like a refuge.

The people that we helped had very little, but they were very grateful with the little that they had. They realized that they could have it even worse than they already do. They realized that at any given time, their little possessions could be taken away. The only thing that actually matters is the people in our lives. Everyone in our life is there for a reason, may it be a good or bad reason. Most of us overlook this. We are too busy with our own lives, jobs, school, and with owning things. We over look what really matters, people.

One thing that my mission trip taught me was to look over the unimportant things like possessions and look at what really matters. I'm by no means saying that we should not have or want nice things. I am very guilty of this. I have nice things, but I always seem to be wanting better and nicer than what I already have. But then i realize that i could have it much worse. At any given moment, my things could be taken away from me. What I am trying to get across is that we can be compassionate and empathetic without suffering too much. We can do as little as giving a couple dollars a month to a charity. Giving up one cup of coffee a month and giving the money we would spend on it to someone who actually needs it will not hurt. If we someone standing on the side of the road or in front of the store, will it really hurt to give them a couple of dollars?

It feels great to help others. Even after just donating a dollar to a person in need, I feel great. I feel like a good person. A person does not have to go on a mission trip or travel far away in order to be a good person or give back to the world. There are so many things we can do. I personally recommend going on a mission trip because no feeling compares. But being able to experience how other people live generally makes it easier to to be appreciative. My mission trip was the best experience in my life, and I look forward to my next one.