You always want every summer to be your best yet. You finally get to see your friends and family members from home that you have not had the chance to see in awhile. But sometimes it’s a time to really do something out of the ordinary. I truly believe that the best way to find yourself by is doing something for someone who can never repay you. So, I was extremely lucky to have the amazing opportunity to spend ten days in Haiti volunteering on a mission trip for the second time! Haiti is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Even when surrounded by destruction and sadness, all of the people I have been blessed to meet were always smiling and spreading their contagious happiness.
Our mission group traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti for a 10-day trip with Foundation for Peace and the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township. Ten days was definitely not enough time for me. It’s always nerve-wracking leaving home and traveling to a third world country. Living in a completely different world with very few resources that I was used to – like hot, clean running water – was just one thing that I had to adjust to. This mission group was made up of mostly girls, two moms, and two older fathers. So, there was a lot of girl power on this trip. From the minute I got off the plane, the beauty of the country left me utterly speechless. The Haitian people were surrounded by so much devastation and yet I never met one person who did not have a smile on their face. Every single person I met in Haiti was always happy and had a beautiful outlook on life. The Haitian people I met and the Foundation for Peace members that I lived with for those incredible ten days truly changed my life.
While in Haiti, we traveled to Men nan Men school to continue building the school complex. In English, Men nan Men translates to hand in hand. That is how the Haitians do everything. They always work together and that is exactly what we all did at the school. The school was for young and older adults, who wanted to learn English. The Haitian people told us that knowing how to speak English was one of the greatest skills to have in order to get a successful job. In the States, knowing the English language is usually taken for granted since we just assume and expect others to know our language.
We helped cement an entire wall that surrounded the front area of the complex. The next few hot days were spent carrying 100 pound bags of cement, sifting cement, and carrying buckets. Each day I woke up more and more sore, but then I remembered the people need our help there, which gave me strength. No matter how tired we all were, the workers who were there earlier than the rest of us and barely stopped for lunch kept us motivated. I also had the privilege to assist one of the teachers in her class. It was so rewarding being able to interact with the students and really see them overcome the challenges that they faced. All of the students wrote out thank you notes for me after I visited their class. The notes were so genuine and still bring tears to my eyes. The Haitian people will never understand how thankful I am for getting the chance to meet them.
We also traveled to one of the most remote, destitute villages in Haiti. The village of Despizo was filled with families starving for help. The families lived in small cement huts with tin roofs. The children barely had any clothes and were extremely malnourished. It was sad realizing how much I had back home that I could have given to these children. These people still remained optimistic and were filled with joy. Some of us decided to take some pictures of the village and the children that we met. Once we showed the children what the pictures looked like, the kids were just ecstatic. There were so many kids surrounding each person taking pictures because they wanted to see their picture. We realized that the children do not have mirrors, so this is the first time they really saw what they looked like. We delivered gallons of water and hygiene kits to each house. We helped build new latrines (bathrooms) for the village as well. My best friend Chelsea, another Marist Red Fox, gave away all of her old Beanie Babies to all of the children in Despizo. The children barely had any clothes, let alone toys. I have never seen so many purely happy children in my life. The smiles on these children’s faces were so genuine and definitely contagious.
Having the amazing opportunity to go on a mission trip really changes you as a person. Even though donations do go along way, being able to really put in hard work and change a community makes you grow. It really puts the world in a different perspective. On my last day in Haiti, I really did not want to leave. I am still counting down the days until I can go back. The Haitians and other people I had the honor to meet really inspired me. I left Haiti with its people’s spirit, happiness, and overall passion for life. Most organizations just ask for a donation to poor areas of the world. It is a completely different experience going to another country and seeing exactly where your money is going. Even though the improvements made were small, they were extremely important to the community, and the people I have met will never realize how much they have truly given back to me. Having this opportunity to travel to one of the most beautiful countries really changed my life.
So, take that step out of your comfort zone. Do something different, something you never thought you would do. Maybe even if it is a leap of faith, just embrace the changes that are coming your way. Change can be a really good thing. Every time you take that one small step out of your comfort zone you can learn many different life lessons and meet so many amazing people. Instead of usual summer plans, think outside the box and get involved in something that you thought you would never do before. The new experiences you will encounter can leave you with a completely new perspective and outlook on life.
Photo credit: Cat Vaccaro