These past 5 days have forever changed our lives. We had no idea that there was so much poverty in the world, and it made us realize what we take for granted. We realized that we should enjoy what we have and be grateful for it, because there are many people out there with nothing.

This trip was for me one of the best experiences of my life. Seeing everything that we saw and doing what we did has just been so moving. Thinking about what I had seen throughout the week, especially in the girls home, brought the tears. It really made me realize that this was what I should be doing and that I would like to be able to come back next year and continue.

This trip was a great awakening for me. When I first heard about this trip I really didn’t know were El Salvador was. You always see those commercials on TV and always want to help the people on them but you never get to and forget about it.  Well this is a trip I will never forget.  The people there had so little but were so grateful for what they had, and when we came to their villages or orphanages they always welcomed us and put on presentations.  We never left somewhere without some sort of gift.  For me to have this experience made available for me was a gift from God and I thank him for it.

This week has been about being loving and open and doing everything in our power to help others.  We rode around in the back of pick up trucks, and played soccer, and sang, and a bunch of other things that I never could have imagined myself doing just a few days ago.  And this week, I’ve learned to see so much good in everyone I’ve met. I’ve seen such strong faith in people that have so little and so much love in people who have been hurt, and I’ve seen all the people that I came here with grow and change and take care of each other and help others.

I never thought that one’s perspective could change so dramatically in a mere five days. Mine has.  Before my trip in El Salvador I had never been exposed to real poverty.  Sure, I did my fair share of food kitchens now and then, but all of the people I had encountered had access to basic necessities.  Many Salvadorians I’ve met have not.  This experience really opened my eyes and made me so much more grateful for everything I have. So much in America is taken for granted. Something as crucial and fundamental as a pure water supply for instance. After seeing the faith and hope of the Salvadorans regardless of their poverty, I cannot believe I used to complain about my situation. I’ve always known that other parts of the world were less fortunate, but I think I had to see it to believe it. Now that I fully understand all I’ve been blessed with I feel empowered and inspired to work harder at everything I do because I’ve been given so many opportunities. Now that I realize all of my blessings I feel more driven than ever to share them.

I am so grateful for all the hard work and difficult things we encountered because I know that I will never be the same again. It helped me realize I take so many things for granted. And I have a really great life. This mission also made me really believe in faith because before this I really didn’t have any. But after seeing all those people and the things they went through and still being happy--that just did it for me I guess.

This has truly been the best experience of my life.  I never imagined the conditions that we saw.  I really felt what it was like to be poor and how much I really do take for granted. I have to say that the best time was when we went to the girls orphanage.  I could not believe how I affected the two girls I hung out with.  Even though I couldn’t understand everything they were saying,  the twinkle in their eyes said it all.