Whenever I think about a mission trip, three things come to mind: location, cause and effect. For me it is important to know because I realize that so much time can be spent traveling far from our own backyard with no real cause that will result in a positive effect.
My second trip to Belize began with the inspiration I received from two real special people that decided to step out on faith and become part of forming the Grateful Samaritans organization. Todd and Jamie Perrin organized this trip, which included dental care, veterinarian care, outreach to an orphanage, delivering food to less fortunate families and constructing a base camp for the Grateful Samaritans mobile dentistry operation. This was one of the most enjoyable and productive missions I have been on, and I could only have been disappointed if I had not attended this trip.
It began with a group of 12 people that were made up of the most diverse talents that one could experience. Most importantly everyone was faithful and thankful for being able to contribute some part of themselves to the mission effort. God worked through me by just allowing me the opportunity to share myself with others to obtain a common goal of giving of our talents to others in need. I am still on the path of understanding everything that God wants me to do with my life, but it's evident that I must continue to take time to give back where it is needed, like being involved with Grateful Samaritans, when the calling of opportunity comes around again.