A Special Reflection

It is hard to put into words all of the emotions of the trip to El Salvador and to keep it brief. But, I will do my best...

One of the days that I cannot stop thinking about is the day that we went to visit the schools, homes, churches and communities of our students. We had already seen our students at the parties the days before and they all looked so amazing...shiny clean, happy and in their school uniforms or nice clothes. They were so happy and grateful and it felt so good to finally meet these beautiful children and put a real face to their names. However, when I saw where they lived and played and went to school and church, I was desperately unprepared for the poverty and conditions that I saw my new "friends" living in. You see, these were no longer people on paper or people that I prayed for but did not know. These were actual people now to me, people who had been so generous and kind to me and had offered me so much already. People that had already loved me, greeted me, hugged me and thanked me for coming. So to see that they had so little was very difficult. ...Keri continued below....

...While we were at one of the schools, a mom came with two of her sons. She carried precious water on her head for us to wash our hands off with after we ate watermelon that she had also brought and cut for us. Again, she has so little and her concern was for us. Walking with water to share with others, cutting up watermelon and giving it to us as a snack. After this experience, tell me how do you go back to living your life where you don't have this unconditional love for others? Or that you don't act on it?

This ability to give so much to others who already have more than you have? This woman is simply living out her faith with no politics, no agenda other than the command to "Love your neighbor as yourself." She was the one on the "mission" trip that day, I learned more from her than she ever did from me. I am so grateful to the Seeds of Hope program, not only for the way that it helps transforms the lives of our students, but also how it can transform us, if we let it.

Vaya con Dios,

Keri Buisman