As the semester draws to a close, and I reflect back on my Global Brigade trip to Ghana and all that it taught me, I am forced to realize, truly realize, what an impact it left on my heart.  It not only opened my eyes to the world and gently forced me to step out of my comfort zone, but it also opened my heart in a way I never thought possible.  It allowed me to love a group of people in a foreign place in a big, big way.  It showed me how powerful love is, whether it was love for the children we played with, the adults we cared for, or our fellow Loyola group members that we barely even knew.   

And that love is an amazing thing.  It allows you to do things you didn’t originally believe possible.  It allows you to prioritize what you want now and what you will want in the future.  And it allows you to take a leap of faith and do something you are not entirely sure you are capable of doing.  So, with that in mind, I have taken the next step in my Global Brigade experience, and I have decided and been chosen to lead next summer’s Medical/Dental brigade to Ghana!

I am both frightened and thrilled to undertake this leadership opportunity.  I am frightened because of the responsibility it entails; not only to raise the funds to pay for another brigade, but to help all of my brigaders to get to Ghana both safely and successfully as well.  And I am thrilled because I get to go back to the beautiful country where I left my heart!  I did not think I would ever see it again, and now I know that I will.  My heart is filled with happiness at the prospect of returning, and because of that, all of the hard work planning and organizing the trip will be well worth it. 

Furthermore, I hope to continue the service work I do here in Chicago with the same spirit and enthusiasm in my heart and mind that I had while in Ghana.  I will continue leading a tutoring group at Jordan Elementary School with the organization Loyola4Chicago.  I will finish out my role as Individual Volunteer Coordinator for the third annual Christmas on Campus, where we will have one day to serve over two hundred needy children.  And I will continue serving on the executive board for UNICEF in order to decrease the number of children around the world dying of preventable causes. 

All in all, I pray and I hope for my heart to continue to be opened throughout my entire life.  I pray that I continue to have my eyes opened and my comfort zone dismantled.  I pray that I give more love than I ever thought possible.  And I pray that I always follow these beautiful words from Mother Teresa, “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love”.