William Penn Life, 2011 (46. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2011-08-01 / 8. szám
Moneywise with Jeff DeSantes WPA’s support helped to make this a NORMALLY, I USE THIS COLUMN to discuss ways William Penn Association can help you and your family meet your financial needs and reach your goals. This month, however, I'd like to share a personal experience that reflects the fraternal aspect of our Association. Recently, with financial support from William Penn Association, my family and I traveled to the Dominican Republic to participate in a short-term mission trip. We traveled with Meeting God in Missions (MGM), a non-denominational, non-profit organization supported solely by voluntary contributions. MGM has been sending missionaries to the DR since 1994. When we left Pittsburgh on July 11,1 did not know what to expect, but what a wonderful experience it was for my entire family. The trip was exhausting and deeply satisfying for every member of my family. Each day started with morning devotions followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we would pack ourselves onto a work truck (cattle truck) and journey to various villages located near the city of Hato Mayor. The people in these villages worked mostly in the sugar cane fields. The owners of the sugar cane fields would pay them $3 a day for their work. We served the people in many different ways throughout the week. We had different teams with each team focusing on fulfilling a different need. We had a construction team, a vacation Bible school team, a sports camp team, a hygiene team and a discovery team. Many of us served on several different teams throughout the week and, in some cases, in the same day. One of our major projects was repairing a support beam in a church. We also fixed the church's cement floor and painted the outside of the church and its benches. We also were able to distribute food and clothing to many of the people who lived in villages. The satisfaction and fulfillment that we felt from helping others with a genuine need was overwhelming to say the least. It was a joy to see adults, teens and children serving others, all the while being out of our comfort zone. This trip was designed to take us away from the phones, computers, work, family obligations and other stuff that we get involved in on a daily basis. Getting away from these distractions helped us focus on the needs of these wonderful people who have limited resources. I really like how my priorities started to change as the week went on and how my focus changed from my needs to the needs of the people who live in such poverty on a daily basis. They are such wonderful people who have an abundance of gratitude for the things that we did for them. On our long rides home, my fellow volunteers and I would recall the highlights of the day and share stories of how the people touched our lives and how we would be changed people because of this experience. We were deeply united by locking our arms together as we served. There was some deep stirring in our hearts for sure, and our hearts were opened with greater compassion for the poor. We are so grateful to William Penn Association for supporting our participation in this mission. This was just one of the many ways that WPA shows its great fraternal compassion and support for the less fortunate. Even though there were only six William Penn members on this trip, it was as if our entire membership participated because, after all, we are one family trying to make a difference in people's lives. □ It was easy to see the need for help In this village near Hato Mayor (above). But, the smiling faces of the village children, including those of my new friend Roberto (right) and those with volunteer Rebecca King (below) made all our hard work more than worthwhile. 6 0 August 2011 ° William Penn Life
