Mission trip brings fulfillment and joy to Destin resident

Special to The Log

Life here in the USA is easy.

I know what you must be thinking.

Times are tough. The falling housing market. The biggest government bailout in our history. Businesses are in trouble and optimism is in short supply.

But did you have to think about where you got water today? Or do you make that cup or pot of coffee on autopilot each morning?

Do we ever think about having to forgo that shower or bath? Probably not. We simply turn on the tap and pour, fill or drench ourselves with abandon.

You might choose to skip breakfast tomorrow. But do you wonder if you will eat at all?

Americans go through so many motions each day without realizing how blessed we truly are — each and every day.

In March, I met families who think of clean water and food as luxuries. I was fortunate to join Mission Love Seeds on their annual trip to the Philippines. For several years now, they have reached out to help families in rural villages who live in tiny huts with corrugated or tarp roofs, no plumbing and dirt floors that turn to mud in the rainy months.

I witnessed firsthand the tremendous improvements that have occurred over the last couple of years. Three villages that had no water source now have clean drinking water and also a school.

Through the Herculean efforts of John Hawbaker and Barbi Carroll here in Destin, and Fely Zapanta and other MLS helpers living in Antipolo City (near Manila), a church was constructed in less than one month! At the dedication service, I watched as men, women and children took communion, sang and prayed together.

The medical clinic this year provided 18 doctors and interns, and a pharmacy with vitamins, antibiotics, dental treatments and other medications. These doctors and interns volunteered their services from a nearby medical university. One young doctor was from Utah; another from Pennsylvania. Others represented small towns in Southern California, Maryland and Ohio. All were young Americans who were learning about practicing medicine in a foreign country. The ones I met spoke of how wonderful it was to give of themselves to the Filipino people — people so poor they would never be able to afford to see a doctor.

A mission trip gives a sense of fulfillment and joy nothing else compares to. There always seems to be a moment when something is revealed to you that was not part of your thinking before.

My moment came as I was looking to give away one last pair of pink flip-flops. I scanned the feet of the crowd, waiting to find some girl who was barefoot or had outgrown her shoes. Suddenly, I saw one foot, suspended several inches off the ground, click-clicking a broken flip-flop. When I saw the face of the young boy, my American “boys-don’t-want-pink” side of my brain stopped short.

Then I heard that voice from above telling me “I brought him right to you!”

And I realized, this boy could care less about pink — he just needed those new sandals! He gave me a smile that warms my heart even now. It taught me a new way to think about giving. What someone else needs versus what we want to give.

I know there are still families in the Philippines who need our help.

Nevertheless, thank you, Barbi and John, for allowing me to be a part of Mission Love Seeds and finding some optimism and joy in these tough times.

Robin Collins is a resident of Destin.