“For you were called to
freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the
flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in
one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Galatians 5:13-14
As Spring break 2014 was
approaching, I had a sense that God was calling me to reach out to those in
need. Through attending Veritas every Wednesday and mass on Sundays, I was
continuously reminded of two possible alternative spring break service trips
(one to Cincinnati & the other to Immokalee, FL). Throughout this time,
there was something pushing me to sign up.
The first time I actually
went to the St. Tom’s website, I looked at the application for the trip but
then left it without signing up. I did this a second time with the same result.
I was so hesitant because of all the work I still had to do for grad school,
and everything else going on in my life. I wanted to be able to relax and get
some homework done, but for the most part do nothing. But then I realized just
how boring doing nothing can be. So with the deadline approaching, I was guided
to the application a third time, and this time I filled it out. About a week or so later, I was notified that I would be going on a service trip with thirteen
others to Immokalee, Florida!
Leading up to the trip, I
was very skeptical of how things would turn out. I consistently found myself
wondering if I made the right decision. For one, knowing that we would be in a
van for 20 hours was hard to think about. After all, the longest drive I’ve
ever experienced was 14 hours. In addition, of the thirteen others going on the
trip, I didn’t know a single one. Not being the most outgoing person myself,
this was leading me to again question things. As we met to go over the
specifics of the trip, I was certainly excited, but also timid and unsure of
the trip and how things would turn out.
One thing was certain
however: anytime I have given my time to serve God, I have felt so much joy by
the end of it. This trip would not only solidify that, but would help me deepen
my relationship with Him.
As we took the 20-hour trek
on I-75 to the sunshine state, it was interesting to get to know and interact
with others. But one thing that stood out to me was toward the end of the
drive, when I got some great advice from the leader of the trip. He was giving
his story about how he became a campus minister at BG. There was so much I took
from it, but in particular was this: In this world, we are constantly trying to
fix our past. If we make mistakes, we let it stick with us for such a long
time. Furthermore, we are always worrying about the future. Are we going to be
able to pay our bills, are we going to find a job, what are we supposed to be
doing in this life? As a result, we never just stop and take time to live in
the present. This life is way too short to always be worrying or reflecting.
God tells us not to worry, and that he has a plan for us throughout the Bible
(Matthew 6:25 for example). He puts us on this earth for a reason. Therefore,
we need to trust in Him that He will lead us to do His will.
That leads me to my highlights of this trip! There were so many, and I am thankful for everyone, but these in particular stood out.
Highlights of the Trip
The feeling of family. From day one, I felt like I knew the 13 others on the trip my entire life. I can't remember a week where I have laughed so much. We had dinner together every night, and the laughter and stories were abundant. Sitting at a table, it just felt like we were truly a family. And in a sense we were, as we came together for a common purpose (in this case serving those in need). I found it great to bond with one another and be ourselves throughout the entire trip. We brought out the best in one another and lead each other to a deeper relationship with God.
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| ASB 2014 Immokalee, Florida group! |
The beach! Our last day was spent visiting the beach. Believe it or not I had never been to the ocean in my life, let alone Florida. So to see this was fascinating. And although I got severe sunburn, it was totally worth it. We not only got to run on the beach, swim in the ocean, but we also got to build this neat display in the sand.
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| Together, the three bros made a St. Thomas More (STM) Bowling Green (BG) display out of sand |
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| The beautiful ocean |
Volunteering! Our first day was spent volunteering
with Catholic Charities, helping with the local food bank/pantry. Each of us
helped in different ways. It was so amazing to see the amount of volunteers
that give of their time on a weekly/daily basis. These volunteers could be
doing other things, but instead choose to serve the least of these. On the
other hand, it was also tough to see the immigrants and the less fortunate that
were waiting in line for what we would consider a simple bag of food. What was
even tougher was realizing that many of them don’t have places to stay. We learned
that many families stayed in the woods. And for those that did have shelter,
they were sharing a trailer or a simple run down complex. Overall, just
extremely poor conditions. These people would do anything for one meal a day,
clean clothes to wear regularly, clean water to drink and shower in, shelter to
live under. All these things I find myself taking for granted on a daily basis
are things these people would do anything for. So as I stepped back, I realized
just how blessed and thankful I am for my life and these "simple" essentials.
With that being said, even
with these conditions, the amount of grace that pours from these people’s faces
and actions is incredible!
The following day, we went
to a Creole mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Immokalee. I
didn’t understand a single word the entire mass, but the entire process was the
same as our traditional mass, so it was neat to make the connections. It
reaffirmed that the Catholic Church truly is universal. When it was time to
grant the sign of peace to one another, I’ll never forget this immaculate smile
on an older lady’s face. The entire time she was shaking others hands, she had
the biggest smile on her face. The same could be said for the others, but not
to the extent of hers. It really just made me smile and realize how awesome
these people are. I took away that these people don’t want us to have pity on
them. They are so grateful for the opportunity of life and the ability to
worship God, and they exemplify it to the fullest extent. When they sing, it’s
truly breathtaking. When they interact with us, they are so humble and joyful. In
all, experiencing this mass was absolutely beautiful.
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| Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Immokalee, Florida |
Tuesday through
Thursday, we worked with Habitat for Humanity in Naples, Florida. It was about
an hour trip from our destination in Immokalee. As a result, another highlight
of my trip came on one of these early trips to Naples. One thing to note is
that throughout the trip I made it a challenge to focus on the little things in
life. One morning, we got up at 6am, so it was still dark out. About halfway
through driving to Naples, the sun started to rise. From that point on I made
it a point to watch the process of the sunrise. I found it so fascinating how
fast the darkness turned into light. How many times do we take daytime or even
nighttime for granted? It’s something so simple yet so remarkable. Each day is
a gift from God, and we should be blessed to be a part of every single day granted
to us.
Of the six days we were in Florida, it didn't rain once! Everyday was sunny and 75 to 85 degrees.
That leads me to
the moment that truly hit me during this trip. It was Thursday night, and we
attended Adoration, which was in Spanish. I found myself so distracted
throughout and was getting frustrated trying to figure out what the people were
saying. I just could not find a moment of peace. In fact, there were these two
younger kids in the pew in front of me who were playing around and hitting each
other with a rice box. So my attention shifted to them and to those people
moving in and out of the Church. But then as I was sitting there surveying the
people and just praying to Our Lord, I noticed this young kid walk through one
of the doors. He was wearing a Nike shirt that read “You Don’t Know”. I don’t know
what the kid’s intentions of wearing it was, but it definitely struck me. It
hit me that we don’t know what these
people go through on a daily basis, and yet they are so joyous in celebrating
and worshiping God. There’s no doubt the conditions of the lives they live are
rough, but that doesn't stop them from giving praise to Our Lord. Throughout
the entire week, I could just sense how much passion they give to God on a
daily basis. To have essentially nothing, or very little, and to offer up
everything they have to God, was so eye-opening and inspirational. It is a
moment I’ll take with me forever, especially when I worship God.
In a time of uncertainty,
this service trip gave me everything I needed and more. God leads us in
magnificent ways, and I am so grateful for being given this opportunity to
serve the least of these. Throughout the entire trip I felt the presence of Christ in a way I've never experienced. And I'll tell you that the amount of gratification I had by giving my time to others is the best feeling in the world. In all, God puts each of us on this earth for a reason. If we follow His will, He will lead us and give us all we need!
It's the simple things in life that make it remarkable!
And above all, I
realized this:
Money ... Temporary
Jobs …… Temporary
Luxuries … Temporary
Pleasures…Temporary
Life … Temporary
Jesus Christ Our
Savior …ETERNAL!
