Reflections from the HOPE Volunteer Corps - Kaitlin

#1 Most challenging… Walking into the 9 mile clinic and being confronted with the standard of health care and seeing the community it was serving challenged me. It broke my heart to see the sheer poverty; the daily life of these people and yet the joy they pour out. The smiles on their faces, their eagerness to help out in the clinic. I came to serve but they challenged me with just their desire to see change in their own health care system.

#2. Most memorable… The most memorable moment was our ministry lessons after church on Sunday. The single sisters spent time one on one getting to know each other, their goals, their worries, what they are struggling with and what they are working on. This was just an amazing time to share. It is so great to know that across cultural and physical divides we all have the same issues. It was so encouraging to just open up to one another, be honest and then get to give all our dreams and concerns to God in prayer together.

#3. What you love… The people. Though they have very little they give all they can. They are so serving, opening their homes to us, feeding us and helping out in the clinics. They are also very serving to one another, it is such a great example and lesson to learn.

#4. Life changing decisions… So many!!! The biggest one is to just live a radically God reliant life. In Papua New Guinea, it was easy to see the need for a daily reliance on God in all that you do. Now coming back to a comfortable home and stable job, I can see that complete need for God disappearing so I am going to make radical changes to continue to depend on God everyway. Seeing and meeting the people of Port Moresby Church of Christ and HOPE has made me want to give more generously with my financial contributions, to change my career oath and to possibly go to university. I want to give these things fully over to God to allow him to shape and change my life and use me how he wants to, so I must daily rely on him for my direction and strength.

- Kaiti

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