News & Events
Ask and it shall be Given to you
Posted in News
By: Jennifer Salinas, Atlanta, Georgia
Since December of 2013, I had this outrageous dream: to attend my first mission trip to the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP). The more I talked about it to my friends and family, the more my desire grew. My parents knew that this was what I wanted in life – to help others in need. However, my circumstances due to obligations to attend college and getting a car stopped me from pursing my desire to go on this mission trip. But I knew that “money” wasn’t going to stop me. I was determined, and not going wasn’t an option.
I’ll never forget the day when contacted Brian, who was in charge of the mission trip. The first thing I asked was, “How much is it?” This whole time I was under the impression that it was around $350, but I wasn’t even close! I found out it was $850. When he told me the price, my heart shattered! I knew my parents didn’t have that kind of money but I wasn’t going to give up on my dream just yet. I had absolutely no idea how I was going to come up with that money, but I was determined!
I’d recently started a new job and training was going great. I thanked the Lord every morning as I drove to work. Four days into my training a group of my high school teachers walked in for lunch. I spotted my high school principal. I ran up to him and exchanged a few words. I then brought up the matter of the mission trip and! How I was looking for sponsors. I asked him if he could send out my sponsor letter to all the teachers. He agreed to do it. However, I felt like he wasn’t going to.
I walked away hopeless and that’s when I realized this wasn’t going to be easy but I knew I couldn’t give up just yet. As I walked back to refill everyone’s drinks two teachers who had overheard my conversation asked me about my dream. They seemed so intrigued. After talking to these ladies I felt so much joy and I had hope again. When they left, between both of them, they gave me $150 towards my mission trip. I couldn’t believe it! I wanted to cry! I knew the Lord had sent me these angels to encourage me and not lose hope. This was definitely one of the Lord’s signs.
Just as I thought things were going great, things started to get rough with my dad. It seemed like we would argue a lot. He promised to give me $200 for my mission trip. Of course I was counting on that money all along. As the day got closer he seemed more and more hesitant to give me the money.
Finally, one morning before he left to work, he wrote me a check for $80. I was very appreciative with what he had given me. Later on that day he got home from work and asked me where I had left the check he had written me. I told him and he went to go grab the check… and ripped it up.
I was devastated! No words can express how I felt at that moment. I stayed up that whole night crying and praying to the Lord. I shook it off the next day and went to work.
About three days later I was fired from my job. I was $250 away. And it was only a week before it was time to leave. I felt like all my hard work was falling apart. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I did know that not going wasn’t an option. In that week I learned a life lesson: the Lord provides. He sent two angels my way who gave me the remainder of the money.
I am proud to say that the Lord has blessed me in so many ways throughout this journey. The Lord sent me 12 angels, who allowed me to accomplish my goal. Words will never be enough to express how thankful I am that I met them.
The last day in Kingston, Jamaica at the Sunday Mass, Father Brian was saying lovely words of appreciation to the group of volunteers that had gone from Atlanta. As he finished up a little girl approached me – and I’ll never forget what she said to me – “Thank You!” It was then and there that I realized the significance, value, and appreciation of those words. At that moment I felt as if it was the Lord talking to me. I was more than satisfied and positive that I had completed my mission. I am a strong believer that “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it:’ All it takes is hope, faith, passion and commitment. I believe dreams do come true!
