Two Words

If I had to sum up this trip into two words, they would be: life changing. The experiences that I have had will forever shape the way that I live, for example, appreciating that I have clothes to wear, food to eat, clean, safe water to drink, and a home to live in.

Seeing children with no shoes or shirts, really made me appreciate the fact that I can just drive to the mall and choose the style that I like the best. Now, every time that I think about complaining that I wanted a shirt in a different color, I’ll stop and think to myself “There are children in other countries who may only own two shirts, if that, and I’m standing here complaining because I want to be picky.”

The children in the village that we visited when we delivered school supplies looked very thin. I am lucky enough to be able to go to the refrigerator and grab a snack. They do not always have the luxury of fresh, safe food to eat. The trip has taught me to be a lot less wasteful, and to appreciate what I have, not complain about what I don’t.

Seeing the jugs of water that the people in the Dominican Republic have to drink from made me stop and think about how much water I just let run down the drain, without a thought. Now, when I get a glass of water, I drink it all, when I brush my teeth, I turn the water off, and I appreciate it so much more.

The thing that opened my eyes the most was the houses that we saw. Most of them were no bigger than the average bedroom. They were made of pieces of metal, had no windows, and had only dirt floors. I was horrified to find that many people live like this all their lives, even though they work very hard. When I got home, I was very thankful to be provided with a multi-roomed home, with air-conditioning, windows, and carpet. Now, every time I walk into my home, I feel blessed to know that I have such a home to live in.

The things that I have seen and done on this trip will stay with me forever. I now appreciate everything that I once took for granted. I hope to return to the Dominican Republic soon, and see all of the children from day camp and the Dominican Republic teens. It was the experience of a life time.

I would like to thank everyone who helped to make this amazing trip possible. It was truly life changing.

Contributed by Heather Landes, Shenandoah County