Leave You Forever Changed, Long

¶ … leave you forever changed, long after they have ended. Sometimes, when I lie in my bed at night, I find myself dreaming of Brazil.

The summer of my junior year, I came as a cultural ambassador to my school's sister institution in the Campinas of Brazil. My accommodations were not comfortable, and were far different from my snug bed at home. I slept in the school's gym. For the first time in my life, I was in a country where I could not speak the language. I came to help, but I found others often helping me -- helping me to communicate basic information, since I had little command of Portuguese. Yet despite the initial adjustment difficulties, I quickly came to feel at home, because of the warm and welcoming spirit of the Brazilian people. Often, it is the small things that we remember best, and these small acts of generosity -- like interpreting a casual phrase, or sharing a meal -- will stay with me forever.

I was privileged to be able to meet with children at the school, teach them about America, and also talk with teens my own age. As well as acting as cultural ambassadors, my fellow students and I helped rebuild the infrastructure of the school, and engaged in other charitable efforts. We painted and nailed until our fingers ached, but it was empowering to see how our efforts were making people's lives better, and that the structures we built would stand strong long after we had returned to the United States.

In Brazil, another of my charitable missions was talking with people infected with AIDS. Even people receiving support and treatment struggled with the side effects of the medications they were forced to take to survive, as well as the symptoms of the illness itself. Many found themselves isolated from family and loved ones who blamed them for contracting AIDS. However, thanks to their faith and the support of the volunteer workers, the patients' spirits were strong. I felt privileged to talk with these individuals, as well as happy to show them that someone cared through my presence.

My time in Brazil was brief, but it solidified my determination to always make volunteerism an integral part of my life. I consider it a religious and human duty. The power of charity is an important part of my personal system of belief. Ever since my freshman year of college, when I acted as a retreat leader, I have always understood that it is necessary to view one's life in a larger context. Yes, I may become obsessed with day-to-day troubles. But being part of a community of faith has sustained me through many difficult times. Seeing my faith manifested in another culture solidified my belief that faith can unite and ground the human spirit. This idea, which has buoyed me through high school, was truly put to the test when I met people whose faith sustained them through sickness and social exclusion.