My faith never took off until this year, my sophomore year. I began to attend Oasis, my high school youth group, regularly, and I volunteer every Sunday at my church to teach kids ages Kingergarten-1st.
When I signed up for the Hilton Head mission’s trip, I did not know what I was in for. The experience was unlike any other, and I am so blessed that I was able to be a part of it. On the trip, I saw God not only through myself, but also throughout the leaders, other members, and the people I served as well.
One of the most enlightening moments on the trip was when I worked at a nursing home for Alzheimer’s patients, Bloom. This was a very nice facility, and the coordinator that led my group around was a very nice young woman. Entering the home was worrying for me however, as I usually cannot handle being around the elderly very well. I can get very emotional sometimes, as sickness such as Alzheimer’s has affected some of the dearest people in my life. I spoke to God a little bit walking into the home, asking him to give me strength to come out of my comfort zone and work well with these people.
I am so grateful that God answered my prayer, and helped me to reach out to some astonishing people. Throughout the few hours we were there, I felt God truly work through me, and it astounded me how kind these people can be. One lady, they call her Mickey, was such a doll, and would continually give me compliments on my teeth, hair, eyebrows, and eyes. She was a genuinely sweet woman with a beautiful heart, and that experience hit me deep.
I met another man, Clay, who I ended up talking to for the remaining few hours. We talked about our life stories, and he would say the most hilarious things. He told me his family was full of spies, and that he was a spy himself! At first I believed him, until he began to chuckle. He was such a sweetheart, and when my leader said we had to go, I didn’t want to leave him.
At the end of each day, the entire team would meet to have a talk and worship together. After worship, two “service belts” were given out to honor those who really worked hard throughout the day. There would be two winners, and two or three honorable mentions. Our leader, Jeremy, began to say the honorable mentions, and the first thing he said was something along the lines of “This girl showed amazing compassion and care throughout her work today, and that person was…” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, “Sophie Bates!”
God had truly answered my prayers that day, to help me step out of my comfort zone and work with the elderly. However, I was not expecting to be honored for my work with them. This was such an amazing moment for not only my esteem, but my faith as well.
Leaving this trip, I know that my personal faith has grown stronger than it’s ever been before, with all the work in the ministries I served in, and the people I grew close to. God taught me that whatever I set my mind to, I could do, as long as I believe in him and myself. I have begun to build a stronger bond with God after that week, and I am continuing to grow through him.
On our last day of devotional time, I was skimming through Psalms. I knew God was speaking to me when I flipped to verse 46:5, “God is within her, she will not fall,” because throughout that week, I finally had the feeling that God is within me, and with him, I can do things I never imagined. – Sophie Bates, age 16
