The People of Puerto Rico

I traveled to Puerto Rico for my first major mission trip with my youth group during the summer of 2016. I remember feeling like I was prepared and ready to face whatever PR had to throw at me, but boy was I wrong.

While I began my journey with the mindset that I would somehow bless the people of San Juan, I left feeling so blessed by all the people that I met.The week consisted of good food, great sights, and the opportunity to serve those living in need - both in their physical and spiritual needs.

While I thought that I was going to be working at a children's camp throughout the week, I learned upon arrival that I was going to be doing manual labor to help clean out the local people's yards.

This wasn't the typical grass cutting you would expect - it was overgrown weeds to my waist with only a machete to chop it down. It was strenuous work and a task that was foreign to me, yet I had the best time alongside the work crew I was paired with.

I made lasting friendships with people who came from all over the country, along with growing my relationships with those that came on the trip with me.

While this excursion did entail a lot of sweat and tears, it was also filled with an abundance of beautiful sights and sounds that I will never forget.