Law of Life Essay
(This story is fictional)
As a volunteer in a humanities mission group at my church I got the chance to travel around the world helping others. Through my travels I discovered a law of life; always help others in need, and you shall be blessed. I discovered this law of life during my first group mission. Our group was sent to several rural islands in Indonesia to help the survivors of a recent tsunami in the area. I will never forget my experiences there.
As we flew towards and over a few islands I could see wreckage everywhere. I could see people walking aimlessly, not knowing where to begin rebuilding their lives. There were still people crying, people still looking for lost loved ones. These rural islands were in utter despair. It was a twisted paradise with sandy beaches but bodies were floating in the water. I cringed at the sight of all these atrocities. I could see we had our work cut out for us. So, for the next few weeks, we spent every hour helping the locals in any way we could.
One particular experience really stood out in my mind. We were helping a large family whose house, or more accurately hut, had been completely demolished and blown hundreds of yards away. The family was made up of a grandmother, a mother, and five children. The mother told us that her husband and oldest son were missing. Apparently the two had been working somewhere on the beach when the tsunami hit. She said that she still had not told her children that their father and older brother would never come back. Without their father and older brother, it would be very difficult for them to rebuild a suitable shelter, so that became our main focus helping the family. During breaks from building a shelter the mother told us about all that the family had been through. She told us that they had once lived in decent, clean, and sturdy house. But when her husband lost his job because of an injury, they were forced to move into the lowdown, small shack that now lay in bits some distance away. She said that each day was a struggle to survive. There was not enough food for her children, and they were constantly fighting off sickness and disease because of a lack of medical care. Not to mention they were all crammed in that small and unsanitary hut. I could see they had been through so many trials and tribulations, and yet they had survived it all. Such a strong family bond that existed there! After we learned of all the trials they had gone through we worked twice as hard building and shortly finished a sturdy shelter.
That family was not the only people we got to help. We traveled around the islands helping many people with similar stories as the first family. Most were poor and did not have sufficient living conditions even before the tsunami hit. Each day we helped people with heart-wrenching stories. We did not just build shelters; we also helped pass out food, hygiene kits, and other supplies.
The food that we passed out was neither extremely fancy nor that tasty. In fact the only food we passed out were just loaves of bread, fruit, rice, and jugs of water. The people that I saw were so grateful for the meager supplies. Even though most could not speak English, their faces spoke their feelings plainly enough. What we took for granted in the States was gold on these rural islands. I was just amazed.
On the plane flight back home I reflected on my experiences. I realized what a major difference I had made in the lives of those with whom I had come in contact. I had such a warm, glowing feeling inside I thought I was going to explode with joy. I felt so humbled. Seeing and helping those who were less fortunate than I made me see how blessed I was. It made me even more grateful for everything in my life. I would go on many more humanity missions, but I will always remember that Indonesian trip.
JP receiving the award
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