This past summer I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Hungary and serve on a mission trip team with twenty-one other teens and leaders from my church. I, along with the rest of the missions team, saw the sights of Budapest, feasted on Hungarian dishes, and revealed in the beauty of the Danube, but more importantly, we taught and loved on more than eighty kids for one week. For this trip, our mission was to run an English camp at a nearby school. In the mornings we taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to a variety of beginning and advanced classes. In the afternoon, out team split into several groups assigned with teaching different aspects of American culture: sports, music, art, etc. to six different groups of kids organized by
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It took about an hour on the first day to create a comfortable, comprehensive atmosphere in which all the kids could relax, have fun, and be competitive, and understand what I was explaining through the translator. But once we all got into the swing of things, it was smooth sailing. Throughout the rest of the week we played basketball, flag football, volleyball, baseball, and finally, their area of expertise, soccer. Even though I sprained my ankle playing basketball on the first day, the whole experience was so indescribably amazing, that it hardy mattered. I can still hear shouts of, “Laura! Laura! Laura!” when they would run down the court, waiting for me to pass the football or basketball. I can still see their faces shining in the excitement of victory. I loved every second, and now that I’m back, hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of those moments. Throughout the entire experience, I gave my time, energy, and love, but I gained inspiration. I discovered that I loved teaching, both in the classroom and in the gym, and became inspired to pursue a career in that area. I’m not exactly sure where that road will take me, but I do know that I love working with kids: helping them, loving them, and teaching them. And that’s what I want to do with my own life. I want to encourage and inspire the generations to come: I want to
It took about an hour on the first day to create a comfortable, comprehensive atmosphere in which all the kids could relax, have fun, and be competitive, and understand what I was explaining through the translator. But once we all got into the swing of things, it was smooth sailing. Throughout the rest of the week we played basketball, flag football, volleyball, baseball, and finally, their area of expertise, soccer. Even though I sprained my ankle playing basketball on the first day, the whole experience was so indescribably amazing, that it hardy mattered. I can still hear shouts of, “Laura! Laura! Laura!” when they would run down the court, waiting for me to pass the football or basketball. I can still see their faces shining in the excitement of victory. I loved every second, and now that I’m back, hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of those moments. Throughout the entire experience, I gave my time, energy, and love, but I gained inspiration. I discovered that I loved teaching, both in the classroom and in the gym, and became inspired to pursue a career in that area. I’m not exactly sure where that road will take me, but I do know that I love working with kids: helping them, loving them, and teaching them. And that’s what I want to do with my own life. I want to encourage and inspire the generations to come: I want to