My name is Lindsey Glick and I went to Helene for a week, with a group from my school, and here are some of the ways that I was impacted. Something that I have been dealing with for a couple years is chronic headaches that stem from a concussion that I had. I have tried many things to figure out how to stop the headaches, but nothing has worked. Lately, I have been struggling to trust that God is going to work it for good. It has been going on for so long and no matter how hard I pray, nothing changes. Another thing that I was thinking a lot about before the trip was what I am planning to do after high school. I was thinking about going to college for medical sonography, but I wasn’t entirely sure. 

Going into this trip, I was praying that God would reveal himself to me in ways that I could not imagine. To start the week, I was not feeling good. More than just my head, I was sick in my stomach. Because of this, it was recommended that I help in the medical clinic because I would not be walking in the heat and it was cooler in the clinic. Already God was working even though I could not see. I absolutely loved watching the people interact with Todd, who was the doctor and our team leader. Every single patient that we saw, we prayed with and it was amazing. I got to pray with some people and share 3 circles with them. The part that really spoke to me was that everyday, we got to listen to an unborn baby’s heartbeat. I did not expect this but it was so cool. The third baby that we listened to brought tears to my eyes and I realized that God was already showing me His plan. The more I thought and prayed about what I saw and heard in the clinic, I realized that the pain and discomfort allowed me to see these things and God revealed his plan through it. 

The other thing that impacted me was the children. Of course I fell in love with them, but one girl in particular grabbed my heart. The day that I met her she hugged me for close to an hour. We stood there and watched the other kids play. She did not need me to entertain her, she just wanted to be held. This was true of many of the kids. I realized that it is easy for me to be “stingy” with the way that I love. If I haven’t known them for a long time, if they haven’t treated me well, whatever it is, it is easy for me to treat them differently or love them less. The kids showed me that they will love anyone. They didn’t need to know you very long before they had you wrapped around their finger. They tell you how beautiful you are and that they love you. It reminded me a little of Jesus. We do not deserve the unconditional love of Jesus. And yet he continues to pour it out. The way that the kids loved me changed the way that I love others. I didn’t hold back from loving them, and I don’t want to do that with anyone. I want to love because Jesus loves. Through this trip, God showed himself, He gave me strength, and He worked every detail out so beautifully. I am still processing everything that happened and God is still revealing more to me. I cannot wait to continue to walk in His plan, to love others better, and to see the good things that He has in store for me.