My Junior year My junior year was one of my most exciting years in high school. I was preparing for the ACT and College, participating in Junior Varsity volleyball and preparing for a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I was part of a team of twelve students and four leaders from Willow Creek Community Church, Eight days to serve a local community church. We spent months preparing for this trip. We worked on team building and becoming a tight group, slowly developing into a family. We knew what was going on in each others lives; And knew that this trip would test each of us in a difficult way. Departure day had finally arrived. Throughout the flight to Miami we talked about what it would be like when we arrived and how the people would respond to us. After landing in Miami We waited a few hours for a small plane that would connect us to Santa Domingo. This flight was very different. By now we were all on edge; feelings of impatience and anxiousness set in. Our unexcpeting group arived in Santa Domingo durring a typical power outage, the first of many throughout the coming week. Each day was a new adventure, filled with fun, friendship, and humbling experiences. The people were full of love and life. I met two men Rowel and Josueph, who have changed my life forever. They acted like brothers, showing me their hobbies and talents, and their every day lives. Each day with them gave me a rush of joy and a sense of accomplishment. I felt loved like a family member. I traveled to help build a gym for their church. But at the end of the trip, they were the ones who changed my life forever. They impacted me in a way that no one has ever done in my life. It was so overwhelming to go on a trip to improve the lives of these people when really they took my life and turned it upside down.