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Literature review children in poverty
Children in poverty, poverty and the effects on children
Children in poverty, poverty and the effects on children
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April 1st, 2016 was my first ever mission trip. A group of high school kids, including myself, were given the life changing experience of going to Nicaragua. This was my first time leaving the country, I was nervous, but I knew I wanted to help people. The village that we went to was poor and run down. The houses, if you could even call them that, were made of 4 sheets of tin for the walls and one for the roof. During our one week mission, my church would be tasked with assisting the people of the Heroes and Martyrs Village. We had to spend months preparing for this task, but we had to be ready for the busy week ahead of us. Our mission consisted of building a small house that would be the shelter for anywhere between 2 and 8 people. We also
held vacation bible school which consisted of learning about Jesus and other fun, hands on activities, like painting. With a few others in our church group, I assisted in women’s ministries, which helped women with basic hygiene needs to help clean them up. Lastly, we went door to door preaching the gospel and showing people the love of Jesus. That week was one of the most challenging, unexpectedly, rewarding weeks of my life. Although I have taken several Spanish classes, there was still a language barrier. We found ourselves struggling to communicate with the children of the village. That didn’t stop them, they were eager to play charades to communicate. Probably the biggest challenge for me was stepping outside my comfort zone. It was difficult for me to simply go into a stranger’s home, and clean them up or talk about Jesus. It was hard, I didn’t feel like we practiced for this. I knew that I couldn’t just stand there. I had to dig deep and move forward. What I found that week was that there is a whole side of me that I didn’t know. I did what I would ordinarily stick my nose up at and call crazy. Yet, that trip has left me with wanting to give back more to others in need. The smiles on their faces made me realize what I have to offer others. It was then that I told myself “I am never going to experience something new and amazing if I always stay in my neat little box.” Since then, I have been determined to stay out of my comfort zone to see where it will lead me to next.
It was back in the summer of 2004 when all was calm. The trees filled w/ dry green leaves, the grass barely green as patches of yellowness overcame its dried burned look, dandelions arose in monstrous amounts as the white cotton-like blooms of a dandelion flutter in the midst of an arid breeze, and visions of heat waves could clearly be noticed along a paved street on a clear afternoon. Yep, this truly was mid summer. But I do prefer summer over winter any day of the year. Around the hottest time of the year, a.k.a. middle of July, my church travels on a mission trip over to the Appalachia Mountains to help people in poverty rebuild their homes. I, among 14 other youths and leaders enjoy this yearly mission trip. Only to leave one week after my birthday the ASP (Appalachia Service Project) crew fled the town of Glen Ellyn and headed east towards the mountainous Appalachia Mountains. The mission had not only been to help people in distress but to also give an insight on personal faith, life, love, friendship, and a better understanding on why we are really here and why we have chosen to come here, as certain personality traits that we possess are revealed throughout the trip. I do remember last year's trip very clearly, and we've had just a few major dilemmas, but this year just clearly out does last year in every way, shape and form.
I was born in Guatemala in a city called, called Guatemala City. Life in Guatemala is hard which is why my parents brought me into the United States when I was eight months old. Some of the things that makes life in Guatemala hard is the violence. However, Guatemala has plenty of hard working men, women, and children who usually get forced to begin working as soon as they are able to walk. However, unlike many other countries, Guatemala has a huge crime rate. I care about the innocent hard working people that live in Guatemala and receive letters, threatening to be killed if they do not pay a certain amount of money at a certain amount of time.
I spent every spring and summer in middle school doing mission work and community service. I loved the opportunity that it gave me to build relationships and share my beliefs with people I didn’t know. Little did I know that this would pave the way for a life-changing experience that I would encounter one day. Each spring my church would host a missionary event called “The Ignite Project.” I felt an urge to join the group, recognizing that it was a calling to profess my faith in Jesus. These mission trips helped me to go out
If someone was to ask me two years ago what I wanted to be I would have greeted them with silence. Before I was a very anti-social person and I didn’t really like speaking much in front of a public, audience, or even my small group of friends. I was the type of girl who preferred staying home in the weekends and watch Netflix instead of going out. But everything changed when I went on a missionary trip with my church to Mexicali. The church I attend has a group of volunteers who go every 2-3 months on the weekends to Mexicali. In these trips we distribute clothes, food, essentials, toys, and candies for all the kids and people in Mexico that live in poverty. Many people who live there live in harsh conditions and are struggling to provide a home for their families. My first trip was a life changing experience because it changed the person who I was. I became an active and outgoing person. I became to appreciate and value the possessions I have at home. Every time I see the kids at Mexicali content when they receive a pair of shoes or a piece sandwich it makes me pleased of myself because I’m able to help them with what I can. Throughout these series of trips I discover my passion and how I have a soft spot for kids. Since Mexicali and where I live have a very large driving distance and I can’t go every day I also volunteer to help kids and adults around my community also. I have help
Food is one of human beings favorite addiction. From the arepas, to arroz con coco (coconut rice) there are many different platters from my cultural background. Being Colombian and eating Colombian almost every day brings me closer to these aspects from my culture. The way I feel connected to my Colombian culture is through its food. Many of the meals that I have eaten in my life come from my Colombian culture. Whether I’m home, at my aunt’s house or a family party something that is being made connects me back to my food roots.
It was the summer of 2013 when I was living with my grandparents and they told me about volunteering at the church. I didn’t know what they were talking about, so I took the initiative to go find out for myself that following Sunday. I was in the balcony on Sunday, when I heard the announcements saying we can volunteer for their hope food pantry. I was excited because it was going to be a chance where I can help other and get community service hours. Volunteering I began to think positive thoughts and telling myself “ I am doing a good deed”.
Throughout the world, missions are taking place, changing lives forever and for the better. As people serve in various places of the world, they can learn a lot, not only about themselves but also about how one person can truly make a difference in another person’s life. There are many groups and organizations out there that travel together and share their stories with the world. All God’s Children is a group that travels to various third-world countries to help children in orphanages. They stay with the children in, generally, worn-down buildings or huts, with no indoor pluming or running water. Sharing how their experiences have impacted their lives, express the hardships of the children and suffering they go through, and sharing the Word of the gospel are only a few of the things most organizations do among many others such as branching out into local communities.
I would like to travel Nicaragua to spend time with my Family and go visit the beach and beautiful and wonderful different places, I would like to eat food from my country, is very delicious and different kinds.
This past summer, I was privileged enough to travel to the Dominican Republic through the Global Glimpse program, which has eminently impacted the person I am today. I have to confess that this trip was by far the most challenging, yet extraordinary I have ever experienced. Before going on this trip I always had an idea of what poverty is like, but I didn’t intentionally know how I would feel about it. Through this trip, I was fortunate enough to speak to different communities who were facing poverty and was given the chance to personally talk to the community of the Bejuco Aplastado, where I worked on a Community Action Project. Regardless of the struggles the orphans and locals have to unfortunately face, they never fail to put a smile on their face.
I never understood the American Dream until my mom took me away to the Dominican Republic. I was 7 years old when my life changed completely. I would have to live In a new country, new house, and attend a new school. Everything was different from what I was used to. And although my mom spoke Spanish, when I arrived to the DR I barely knew any. I was In second grade and I was the only one In my class who did not know how to write In spanish, or In script. It was a process for me to adjust to the new life I was given. However since the moment I arrived In the Dominican Republic I wanted to come back to the States. I missed everything, from my friends, to the city, to McDonald's happy meals.
I can remember leaving my home in Haiti with only my favorite stuffed bunny in hand as we drove to the airport. As I sat next to my sister I could see the plane leaving the only place I’ve ever known, take off across the Caribbean Sea. My dad brought his family to the United States to give us a better chance at succeeding in life. My parents have always instilled that we could not take this opportunity for granted and that no one in this country would give you handouts. As I grew up, I’ve seen my parents struggle and face many hardships that I work hard to not have to deal with in the future.
It happened around the time families are home sitting around the table together, laughing together, making memories together in the warmth and comfort of their own home. This is something my family would be doing at home too, but on this evening we decided to go out to eat, so Sizzlers it was! As we sat there stuffing our faces I was thinking about how much food we consume, how much food we waste, just how much of everything we had. It was in that moment when I got the memory of a mission trip I went on a couple years ago...
I desperately attempted to free myself from the relentless grasp of boredom. I looked out the window, but like the thousand times before, I saw nothing but farmland hugging the earth for miles. I was visiting my dad's home country, the Dominican Republic, for the first time in my life. The night before I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes the thoughts of all the enjoyable activities I would be doing flooded my mind. I couldn’t wait to go out to sea on my Uncle's small fishing boat, swimming in the crystal clear waters surrounding Punta Cana, and kayaking to a small nearby island with my parents. But first, I would have to experience a 3 hour long drive to go to the quinceanera of a cousin that I had never even met.
On July 17, 2012 I woke up to my alarm buzzing letting me know today is the day I go to Compton, California for a mission trip. I was full of emotions because it was my first mission trip, my first time away from my parents, but I was also going to one of America’s most dangerous cities. I went to church to meet up with the other students, and eventually we were off to
On Feb 23, 2016 I left for the airport to catch a plane to Toronto. From Toronto I flew to Panama City, then to Santa Cruz, and then finally to Cochabamba. I was going to be in Cochabamba, Bolivia for almost two weeks on a missions trip with twenty- some other people. Some of the people were from my church, some were from another church, and the rest were from NBBI. Our group was going down to Bolivia to work with a Bolivian couple, Jamie and Sandra, and their two daughters, Kendra and Cassandra. We were going to be working in the poorest section of Cochabamba, the brick yards. Our goal was to build a 90 foot brick wall and to install a running bath and shower house.