Page 28 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2018 - Online Magazine
P. 28
HONORING SENIORS
2 2
Senior Senior
The
Trip of a
Lifetime
by Mary Grace Cude
ise, caring, selfless, others around the world as well. My
compassionate, and driven grandmother encouraged me to join
Ware just a few words to her on a mission trip to Haiti, an
characterize my grandmother, impoverished part of the world that
Ann Cude. Although she is not my had recently been devastated by a
biological grandmother, you would massive earthquake.
never know that I wasn’t her own
flesh and blood. She always offers My grandmother and I went on
me unconditional love and has our first mission trip to Haiti in
never once treated me like I wasn’t the summer of 2012 and returned people in Haiti faced. Watching
her own. again in the summer of 2013. Our individuals with meager possessions
time was spent doing manual invite you into their homes with
My grandmother is very involved labor, spiritual labor, and running open arms put my life into a new
in her church and genuinely a Vacation Bible School for the perspective.
exemplifies what it means to be a children in surrounding villages.
Christian through her charitable We painted houses, built fences, Each trip had its own unique
service. Through Christ, she feels and cleared fields. My team walked experiences, but the consistent
led to serve others and encourage from door to door to see if the theme in both of our trips was
people to cultivate their faith. She people living there needed prayer, Hope. On our first trip to Haiti,
has spent her life caring for those medical care, or food. During my grandmother and I decided to
in need, not only in our community Vacation Bible School, a small team visit a community center during
but also around the world. She is of people created crafts, played our time in the village. That day I
motivated by Christ to spread His games, and fed children. Working experienced something that will stay
word through mission trips. For closely with the Haitian people with me forever.
over 20 years she has traveled as far was a very humbling experience. I
as India, Bosnia, Russia, Guatemala, saw first-hand the daily struggles As we walked into the center, I was
Jordan, Haiti, and Israel. By the time of these brave people and their overwhelmed by the sight of people
I was in the 5th grade and becoming amazing resilience through extreme in such need. My grandmother and
more aware of my own relationship adversity. Any problems I faced I immediately saw two siblings,
with Christ, hearing about my back in the United States were about 2 and 3 years old - little ones
grandmother’s experiences led me mere inconveniences compared to with no shoes, tattered clothes,
to become interested in helping the struggle for survival that many distended bellies, and orange tipped
hair - all signs of malnutrition. I
28 Lubbock Senior Link
