Service

            During my service experience one of the most significant things that I learned is patience. I did a lot of work for nursing homes and food ministries. Dealing with other people, especially older people, requires an immense amount of patience. In addition I also heard many stories about other people’s experiences as in their every day life from which a variety of life lessons came from.

            I think that the lessons, such as patience and enthusiasm, are the key ways to look at our faith. This is the way I “tackled” the tasks that they had given me. In terms of growth in the motto “Man for Others”, it is simply doing and living in the time when I performed tasks for the people who need it the most. These lessons that I have learned through my experiences with service may be easily applied to my work and long term goals as a businessman. I hope to grow more throughout my service hours for Strake Jesuit.

            The impact that the service had on my values and morals could be described as a small but significant change. It helped me realize how blessed I am to truly have a healthy body and a loving family with countless opportunities in life. Of course the service alone did not bring this revelation to me, but I have additionally acknowledged that giving back to the community or to the people who are less blessed is very important. Knowing this, I am sure that God will bless me and is aware that I have fulfilled my duties as a Christian.

            In the matter of understanding and building a stronger connection with my faith, all I really learned was patience. Perhaps I was not fully open spiritually during my active service but the way that I approach tasks and people alike has changed. I have discovered a little more about my family during this experience and vice versa. However overall, we are generally very close so it wasn’t anything significant in my eyes. I hope to grow more in my faith and experiences throughout my Jesuit journey of service.