For a press release about the 2007 Glenmary Home Mission Essay Contest

'To Be Christ for One Another'

By Lauren Head, St. Ursula Academy

Lauren Head

These words are the first to pass through my mind each day as this quote embodies the way I strive to live my life. Each day I try to make a small difference in a person’s life whether it be through my words, actions, or smiles. I believe that each one of us has a purpose to life. Though the way to achieve this purpose may vary, I believe everyone’s mission in life is to “be Christ for one another.”

Starting high school, I quickly became involved in community service. It didn’t take long for me to notice how small, simple actions can make the difference in a person’s life and how much potential I had to change the world. This inspiration developed me into a confident young woman and taught me who I was and who I could and would become.

I instantly stepped up to fulfill the service leadership roles in my high school. At my school, I am the senior service captain, founder and leader of Prayer Club, a campus ministry board member, and the student mission-collection coordinator. I am an advocate for social justice issues and am leading my school in creating a LIFE group to promote pro-life issues not just in our school but also in our nation. I tutor inner-city children, prepare breakfasts at the Ronald McDonald house, and volunteer at St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen. I am confident that Jesus’ example towards the most rejected and most needy in society has been the main contributing factor that has influenced me to become heavily involved in Christian leadership and community service.

Over the past summer, I traveled to Managua, Nicaragua, on a mission trip. From my first hour in Nicaragua to the last, I was constantly overwhelmed with the amount of spirit and faith the Nicaraguans had despite their lack of proper living conditions. Being immersed into a culture that is plagued with severe poverty has opened my eyes to the economic and social injustices that people in our world face. It is impossible to witness such plight and be able to walk away unaffected. It is unimaginable to forget the faces that stared at me with hunger that I have never known but with more faith than I have ever seen. It is when I do mission work for developing nations that I feel like I am doing what God has called me to do.

It is my dream to ease the humanitarian suffering of people in developing nations. For many years, I have wanted to become a doctor and practice in a country submerged in poverty. I want to be able to save and improve the lives of those most in need. I know this is God’s special mission for me and I have already begun through the service work God has beckoned me to do.

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