Hello and welcome to my blog! This is the place where I will give personal anecdotes and updates about my journey. I have already written a couple posts and you are welcome to read them. I want to thank each and everyone for supporting me on this mission trip and I am truly thankful for your support. Today I am sharing a little story that I hope will inspire you in your own life, enjoy!
Every week since the beginning of September, I have been meeting with the minister of my church, Pastor Johnathan, to discuss fundraising ideas and how to execute those plans. Often, we get carried away and just start talking about all sorts of topics, but one meaningful conversation we shared was about purpose.
I first shared with him an observation I made during my sophomore environmental class, when I recalled my teacher telling the class that every living thing on Earth has a niche, or the role a creature has in its ecosystem. He revealed that humans, unlike every other animal, does not have a niche. Then I asked Pastor Johnathan, “what is my niche? Where do I fit in the circle of life?”
He smiled and simply replied, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” He also elaborated that if there is anything Jesus calls us to do, it is to love our neighbor. This reminded me of the first meeting we had, when I first told Pastor Johnathan about my mission trip, and he told me how good it feels to help other people.
I thought about how this is exactly what I am doing on this mission trip: loving my neighbor by helping others. Helping special needs children, teaching English, building homes, simply sharing a piece of my time is what it means to be a missionary, a follower of God. At the end of our three month journey, I hope that my mission friends and I can sow seeds of hope into peoples lives so they may pass on the gift of love. This is the beauty of love, because it is unconditional, we ask for nothing in return, so by planting one seed a mighty forest can grow.
After our meeting, I realized that Pastor Johnathan had led me towards humanities niche: to love unconditionally by helping others. I also discovered this is what it means to treat others the way you want to be treated. Whether this is raising your children, volunteering or going to Central America on a mission trip, humanity demonstrates its best qualities when we help others.
