Paul S.

My life has been designed in such a way that the answers and fullness I need appear while I am serving others. I believe this is the way life is set up for everyone. Unfortunately so much of our time is invested in ourselves. As young college students we wonder what to study, how to make a living, and who to spend our time with. Rarely do we make time to put others first. Once the flip is switched to selfless mode, the light truly turns on and the brightness is encouraging. We gain confidence and clarity the longer we keep that switch in the on position. However, one needs to experience this lesson in a personal way for it to be significant.

Halfway around the world in the Himalayas of northern India, 26 amazing little girls are giving me pieces to the happiness puzzle. I am so sad that our journey with these girls comes to an end tomorrow, but I have savored every moment as best as I could. We have 30 minutes of journal time with the girls before they go back to their orphanage and we write about what we learned that day. We were all sitting peacefully in the room reflecting on the knowledge we gained together when the song from Toy Story, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” started playing. I sat and smiled for the duration of the song just thinking how I really do have 26 sincere friends in India that are loyal, loving, and selfless. They have nothing, yet are more willing to give than any friend I have ever had. Their English is limited, but there was a mutual feeling of joy in the room that was refreshing. The goodbyes are inevitable, but they will be in my heart, always. I have had a wonderful experience and expect to see my beautiful friends again soon.