Have you ever been called to do something? These feelings of determination and aspiration fill your mind as you long to dramatically change not only your life, but others lives also. I encountered this incredible journey that took some unfortunate people’s lives and changed them for the better.

    June 9--the day my eyes were opened to the realization of this wonderful world. One week surrounded in the sky-high green hills and rocky roads abled me to be at peace and capture the beauty of God’s creation. I attended a mission trip in Louisa, a small, poor, town in need of some help. I spent a week there fulfilling my vocation beside a group of remarkable people. Each person was assigned to a small group and brought to a worksite to start and finish a specific job. My group’s responsibility consisted of raising the roof on an old man’s house. The job came fairly easy and only took the majority of the day. Seeing the smile on the man’s face brought me delight for the remainder of the day. I realized I only did one simple thing, but that one thing meant everything to that man. The impact you can have on people by doing favors is amazing.

    During this trip I came out of my shell. Being shy has always been a major part of my personality. Despite not knowing anyone on this trip, I made some great friends right from the start. Everyone treated each other like family and I think that is a crucial part of making friends. Not knowing anyone doesn’t matter because if you’re friendly, then you’re almost 100% guaranteed to make friends. I even lectured myself to not be shy; to make friends. If I didn’t talk or try to involve myself then I wouldn’t have a fun time on the trip. Thankfully, I surrounded myself with a phenomenal group of people and making friends became quite easy.

    On the second day of the mission trip my group and I had a different worksite to attend. The job appeared to be more difficult than the previous one. The job consisted of putting up drywall in three rooms. Super excited, I traveled to the house along with my group and met the family of the house we were working on. The parents informed us of the situation and how they were struggling with their lives at this time.

    “My husband had to take on two jobs since I lost mine a while back,” the wife stated.

“Our kids have had to stay at their grandparents’ since it’s been harder to provide food for them.”

As I entered the house, I found only one tiny bedroom to accommodate the parents. As for the three kids, they all had to share a mattress in the living room. Seeing this, I could not fathom what it would be like to be those three kids. The problem of having to share a bed with your two other siblings and being torn away from your parents because they couldn’t afford to feed you is heartbreaking.

    “I just can’t thank you enough for coming out and helping us with our house. God bless you all” the wife beamed.

Putting up the drywall in three different rooms became quite the challenge with only a limited amount of time to complete it. I had my heart set on completing the task because I couldn’t bear seeing the tears in the wife’s eyes as she softly told me her struggles about her house and kids. Right away my group and I split up into the rooms and began working. First, we tore the ceiling out and put up the studs (easiest part). Next, we lifted up the heavy drywall onto the ceiling and nailed it to the studs. I had to hold the drywall up while my partner, Danny, put the nails in. The rate my group worked made us finish about one room in two days. The task got increasingly harder as days carried on. Lifting up and holding a tremendously heavy piece of drywall continuously made my arms feel as if they were going to fall off any minute. Despite those difficulties, my group and I pressed on with a strong mindset and determination. The week flew by and Friday came; our last day. We had one last room to drywall before the end of the day. Once again I stood and held up numerous pieces of drywall, while my partners quickly drilled in the screws. My hands struggled to hold up the drywall as it pressed against the sore blisters on my fingers and the heat of mid June spread through the windows barely providing a slight breeze. The reassuring feeling of knowing this family will have a stable house dwelled in my mind as I drilled in the last screw. Sighs of relief were exchanged around the room as we all hugged and congratulated each other on our successful work. The wife stood outside the bedroom door eyeing the newly finished walls with an affectionate look in her eyes. She gradually walked into the middle of the room, staring at the white walls before gathering each of us into a warm hug.

    “This is just amazing, I can’t tell you how thankful we are,”  She praised.

    “It’s our pleasure.” Danny replied.

    The wife and husband gathered with my group and I outside, the sun shining radiantly on this beautiful day. God looked down on us as we prayed, thanking Him for allowing us to be in the presence of such an awe-inspiring family. We gathered our materials and packed the car ready to leave. I talked with the wife a bit before I left, sharing my favorite bible verse with her.

    “God will never leave you or abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

    “My religious education teacher taught me this verse and it’s always been my favorite” I smiled.

    “Thank you, I really appreciate everything you have done for my family. I will always be grateful for people like you and the rest of your group” She replied.

By that time, our group piled into the car waving goodbye to the wife and husband who stood by the porch, smiling. Seeing this, my heart fluttered and I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my week. I saw the daylight in even the darkest moments when I became tired and flustered when the jobs remained difficult, but I pushed through with God by my side. Each person I served showed vast happiness which is the paramount moment of helping someone. The exquisite scenery surrounding me gave me great inspiration to make the world even more beautiful. This experience opened my eyes to all the obstacles people are faced with and I’m willing to give everything I have to help the less fortunate. I’m extremely blessed to be where I am in my life and I’m delighted that I had this opportunity to serve God by helping people. This experience changed me for the better and will continue to inspire me to do good.