Standing under the familiar radiant heat, the gentle glow on my skin reminded me of the many summers I spent being complacent in Washington. However, surrounding me were kids from numerous families who knew nothing about complacency. They were always moving, always multitasking, and always working; I wondered how migrant farm worker families coped with such a restless lifestyle compared to mine. For the past four summers, I traveled with the St. Anthony Parish youth group on mission trips. Most recently, I spent the last two summers in Bellingham serving the migrant farm worker communities through the Agape Mission program. Analogous to other mission trips, Agape provided time for self-reflection, group prayers, and a great deal of manual labor.
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Bonding with the kids is my favorite part of the Agape mission trip where dodgeball was used as a playful icebreaker between the volunteers and the kids. However, the migrant farm worker kids were throwing dodge balls at full speed as if this were a battle between life and death. I guess that's how they always thought. Not five minutes had passed before I became surrounded by kids and pelted for what seemed like a million times. While standing amidst children celebrating their victory with laughter, I could not help but laugh alongside them. I knew their lives were not easy; the fact that they picked crops from dawn to dusk without getting to enjoy the fruits of their labor was an irony that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet, no amount of dust or dirt could taint the infectious pure smiles I saw in front of me. Internally I thought, "What if I was in their shoes? Could I live life to the fullest?" Quickly, I counted my blessings for the day and I decided to live . Armed with a dodgeball in hand and a newfound passion, I was ready to jump at every opportunity that came my …show more content…
However, the joy expressed from the children I played with erased any trace of their previous struggles. Upon returning from Bellingham, I felt anew and became motivated to take each child's passion and dream to new heights. Migrant farm workers may not have lots of opportunities available to them, but I do.
Before my Agape trips, I never dared to explore my true potential, afraid of what failures lurked beyond my comfort zone. At O'Dea High School, I remained complacent with my 4.0 grade point average and took honors to overcompensate for my lack of extracurricular activities. Now I continue to test the limits on what I can achieve. This senior year, I earned multiple leadership positions such as the O'Dea school vice-captain and the National Honors Society Secretary Officer. Also, to diversify my hobbies, I am currently experimenting with new clubs and sports such as chess club and tennis. I even secured my first job serving the elderly at a retirement home. Living in solidarity with the migrant community ignited a fiery passion hidden deep within myself and, just like the kids who chased each other until the sun went down, I was ready to pursue every opportunity that came my
Bonding with the kids is my favorite part of the Agape mission trip where dodgeball was used as a playful icebreaker between the volunteers and the kids. However, the migrant farm worker kids were throwing dodge balls at full speed as if this were a battle between life and death. I guess that's how they always thought. Not five minutes had passed before I became surrounded by kids and pelted for what seemed like a million times. While standing amidst children celebrating their victory with laughter, I could not help but laugh alongside them. I knew their lives were not easy; the fact that they picked crops from dawn to dusk without getting to enjoy the fruits of their labor was an irony that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet, no amount of dust or dirt could taint the infectious pure smiles I saw in front of me. Internally I thought, "What if I was in their shoes? Could I live life to the fullest?" Quickly, I counted my blessings for the day and I decided to live . Armed with a dodgeball in hand and a newfound passion, I was ready to jump at every opportunity that came my …show more content…
However, the joy expressed from the children I played with erased any trace of their previous struggles. Upon returning from Bellingham, I felt anew and became motivated to take each child's passion and dream to new heights. Migrant farm workers may not have lots of opportunities available to them, but I do.
Before my Agape trips, I never dared to explore my true potential, afraid of what failures lurked beyond my comfort zone. At O'Dea High School, I remained complacent with my 4.0 grade point average and took honors to overcompensate for my lack of extracurricular activities. Now I continue to test the limits on what I can achieve. This senior year, I earned multiple leadership positions such as the O'Dea school vice-captain and the National Honors Society Secretary Officer. Also, to diversify my hobbies, I am currently experimenting with new clubs and sports such as chess club and tennis. I even secured my first job serving the elderly at a retirement home. Living in solidarity with the migrant community ignited a fiery passion hidden deep within myself and, just like the kids who chased each other until the sun went down, I was ready to pursue every opportunity that came my