?Over my seven years in youth group, I have been on so many mission trips and retreats that I have lost count of how many I ventured out on. This trip, however, was quite different from all the rest. Firstly, it was my first international mission trip, not to mention it was my first time out of the country. I have been introduced to a very different but very unique culture here that i would not have experienced if I stayed in Virginia all summer. The idea of traveling the world to build relationships and make connections with people of all ages and races is a mindset of a servant of the church. We are here to strengthen our own faith by bringing a little sunshine into other's lives. ??Twice this week we visited St. Ann's infirmary, a home to those who are elderly, disabled, or both. It is sort of like a "last stop" for people in their lives, which is a depressing reality. On the outside, it looked like we were a bunch of teenagers walking around the facility, waving hello and reading the bible to the residents, which does not sound like much. But in reality, it was much deeper and much more spiritual than that. I formed a connection with one of the residents, "Eicee." When I first saw her, she made eye contact with me from across the room and motioned for me to come to her. The thing I noticed right off about this woman was that her eyes were the most beautiful blue eyes I had seen. Even though she couldn't remember my name, she spoke beautifully about her faith and how God has led her this far in her life. It is not until now as I am writing this that I realize that those blue eyes were the eyes of God. I saw before me pure joy and serenity from a 70 year old woman in a infirmary in a small town in Jamaica. That's crazy. ??Everyday this week, we visited at a primary school in Duncans. I must say these are the most wild, insane, and at times annoying group of kids I have ever meet in my life. But, they were also the most loving and heart warming children I have ever seen as well. I got so many hugs from so many kids that it is a little bit ridiculous. After four days of coloring and singing camp songs, my favorite two things in the world, I ended up with two new favorite things. Two girls in the classroom I was in wrote my notes saying, "I love you Amanda and you are my best friend." I don't think I need to say more. ??That is just a few stories from the amazing week I had here, and I will tell more when I come back. I am going back with a different mindset about new cultures and countries. More importantly, I will go back wanting to change the way other people around treat each other, with love and kindness, or with the faith of God. Some might say that its just a millenial perception, but it is the way God wants us to perceive our world.