On August 29, 2005 my town and family was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. We lost everything to the mighty flood waters of the storm. There was no food or water for days because the supplies we had bought before the storm were destroyed or contaminated.
There was no power for weeks and my family and I spent multiple nights sleeping on our front porch. My mom and dad would take turns staying awake at night because of the looters. Needless to say, these were some hard times.
Luckily, we have rebuilt and are now living in our home again. On June 23, 2007 my church youth group took part in a mission trip to Saltillo, Mexico. There I saw so many things that reminded me of the aftermath of the storm I had experienced a couple of years ago. Our group had spent months collecting food and clothes to bring to these people.
They were so appreciative of all that we had brought. It reminded me of the days after the storm when church groups from all over the United States would walk up and down our street bringing blankets, clothes, and cleaning supplies. We too were very appreciative.
There were people living in the ranchos with no power or running water. They worked hard all day but did not have air conditioning to relax in at night. After Hurricane Katrina we knew we would eventually have power and water, we just did not know when.
Some of the people in Saltillo will never have power or running water. They have never had it. What made me appreciate all that I have and all that I have lost was that no matter how these people live, they have a strong faith in God and they live everyday to the fullest.The trip to Mexico was very rewarding and I am looking forward to going back this summer.
I learned to appreciate what I have but more importantly I learned that it does not matter how much you have, it’s what you do with what you have that counts.
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