Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing reflections from the students who went on the mission trip to New York City last month.
This week, we hear from Whit.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
“My favorite part of the trip was definitely the sightseeing, but that’s probably not the answer you’re looking for. In regards to the mission activities, my favorite part was actually making friends with the other small group that worked alongside us. I’m not huge on meeting new people (even more so when it’s a lot of people at once), but I learned I had a lot in common with these people and I eventually ended up becoming friends with some of them. It helped that they were around my age, that they were a smaller group (as opposed to lots of other groups), and that they were similar to the types of people I generally surround myself with in my day to day life.”
What was challenging about it?
“The most challenging thing about the trip was that it was the first time in my life where I have been in a demographic minority. While it’s not a bad thing to be in a minority, being around people who look similar to you almost provides a sense of comfort, and that’s something I’d not like to take for granted. I don’t want to say I felt uneasy seeing most (if not all) of the people around me be of a different demographic, but it was definitely a weird feeling I had to learn to overcome, as other people live in minorities throughout their day-to-day lives.”
What did you learn?
“Something I learned throughout the trip was that the Salvation Army is first and foremost a church. Before arriving, the Salvation Army to me was an organization that provided for the less fortunate, but I was not aware that it started as a church, and still continues to operate as a church to this day. The fact that a single church was able to make such an impact on homeless communities worldwide is beyond impressive in my eyes.”
How did you see God?
“When we were working at the Broadway Community Center (a non-profit food pantry for the homeless), I felt as though everything around me was happening so quickly. So much needed to be completed, and it was kinda overwhelming for me. However, the person in charge (a woman named Lisa), was constantly moving. She knew how to do everything, and whenever something needed to get done, she was on top of assigning roles for people to fulfill. She was running around the place completing a myriad of tasks, while also making an attempt to get to know each and every single person in the room. Her determination, selflessness, and overall kind character was admirably perceived by myself and others, and I definitely believe I saw God in her.”
