It’s incredible to know that a short week would open my eyes to see the extreme poverty and homelessness that goes on in our own community. This spring break, a handful of people from my youth group went on a local mission trip. We didn’t just go downtown to “feed the homeless” we actually created real, authentic relationships with the people that we met. It warms my heart to know that a small group of teenagers made a huge impact on the individual lives and community that we were able to touch.

Weeks before we went on this trip, my youth pastor really instilled in us that the mission trip wasn’t just to help others know who Jesus is, but to create a higher and deeper relationship with Him as we serve others. That week, we did just that. Fifteen of us went into the week completely unaware of what would happen. After that week had ended, each and every one of us left with a completely different mindset and hearts that overflowed with the compassion to help others.

Our week was full of putting others first and meeting other people’s needs. Which really changes the way you look at life, because it makes you realize that when you reach out to help others, you are truly living out your life’s purpose. My youth group got together with a ministry that reaches out to the people in the community that need help getting back on their feet. The main ministry we worked with was Mobile Loaves and Fishes; and what they do is load multiple food trucks every day, and then they go out to downtown and south Austin areas to feed the homeless and those who have homes but are struggling. Working with this ministry was absolutely incredible. My heart was touched by the people we talked to and it was incredible to get to know them and let them tell us about their lives. Of course myself, being the most sensitive person, I cried a few times, but just because my heart hurt to see how completely normal people were living the way they were.

The last day our whole group had decided to just go out and find people to pray for, and give them food. That morning, before our crazy adventure began, we decided to take all the leftovers we had from that week and divide them up into individual containers so we could give them out to different homeless people. We drove around downtown and handed out food and prayed for homeless people. We broke up into groups and walked around until we would find some people to, and that experience was incredible. My group met this couple, Dorothy and Chris, and their dog Babes. It was so awesome to be able to talk to them, they were so down to earth and really loved that we took the time to pray for them, and get to know their story. The experience really opened my eyes.

Each and every one of us had been through a dramatic change, spiritually. It was so cool that one week would bring 15 people so very close together. The week really showed me that there are so many lost and hurting people in my own community, and for the longest time I didn’t doing anything about it. It was so awesome to have all my friends with me that week, because I know that their hearts were moving in the same direction as mine. Even though that incredible week had ended, our compassion to help others didn’t.