Katie Lincoln: 3

Choice
I grew up in a Presbyterian church where fellowship was a big deal. I went on my share of youth retreats, from Massanetta and Paddy Run to Mexico. In my personal experience, these trips combined spirituality and nature through the practice of using God-given resources to thank the transcendent for all we are provided with. In Mexico especially, we were provided with the minor accommodations that come with staying in a Knights of Columbus. Laying amongst cockroaches and spiders, we had no choice but the commune with the creatures with which we share the earth. Although for some of the time this caused tremendous distraction from praising Him, once we were in a more comfortable setting and could focus on the task at hand, it became less of a burden to do so. We traveled to the most unfortunate parts of Mexico, right on the border of Texas, in order to build a home for a poor family with a massive number of residents previously residing in a shack that didn't even accommodate two comfortably. We worked in the immense heat and arid weather with an insufficient source of water to give this family the means to live a live that wouldn't even compare to that which the majority of us are fortunate enough to be provided with. The weather served the purpose of keeping us motivated to be complete, but also with the empathy that I find to be an integral part in helping others. For the two years I went on the trip, and continuing into my adult years, my heart and mind have been opened to the power of community and worship in dire circumstances, and the ability to be thankful for everything I have, whether earned or inherited!