Matt's
Story
When I went on my first service trip to a small poor
community in the Appalachian Mountains as a junior in high school, I was
largely unaware of the profound impact the one-week trip would have on my life.
It was a tremendously eye-opening and humbling experience to witness first-hand
the poverty in our own country. Living in the sheltered suburbs of Chicago,
this is clearly something I am not able to see on a daily basis, and it has
helped me to develop a great appreciation for the fortunate life I live. Since
then, I have been on four more service trips, on which I have done a variety of
work, including helping to teach English to refugees, ecological restoration on
the gulf coast after the BP oil spill, and working at a low-income housing
complex, each of which have fueled my desire to dedicate myself to a purpose
greater than myself.
Now as a sophomore in college, I feel as if I am ready
and mature enough to broaden my perspective even further. Although I recognize
that there are a great number of people in need within our own country—as I
have seen on my previous trips—it is rather evident that there are many people
in other countries, such as Nicaragua, that are in much greater need. I want to
go to Nicaragua so I can help these people and hopefully leave a lasting
impact. I am not naïve enough to think that this 10-day trip will change the
world; however, I do wholeheartedly believe that I will be forever impacted by the
people living in this small rural mountain village in Central America, and vice
versa. I hope to come home with a new outlook on life, a stronger faith, and
hopefully the inspiration to continue to make positive change.
Please prayerfully consider donating to help fund our
service trip to help the people of the village of Cusmapa, Nicaragua. Truly,
every little bit helps and will be greatly appreciated.