Lake Highland Preparatory School is known for its various mission trips, but how many of us truly know what these expeditions entail? Lake Highland’s mission trip happens every summer with a focus on fostering relationships in a group of people and making a difference in the world. This year, the mission trip consisted of students who decided to participate in building and providing a house for one of the families in the Village of Algodón. This village is a batey, or a settlement for sugarcane plantation workers is categorized by extreme poverty and severe lack of resources, in the Dominican Republic. Over the course of a week, students built a house for a family of 10 and utilized the community’s help with the building process. Many emotions, experiences, and changes came out of this trip, and it was more than just a basic trip. It was a journey.
When preparing for the mission trip, students had to pack for a one-week stay in the Dominican Republic and be prepared to be away from their homes in a community that they had not seen before. There was a lot of anticipation building up due to the element of the unknown. Students who participated in this trip not only received a chance to be a part of and be welcomed into a society full of people who are less fortunate and have fewer resources, but they were also able to interact with the children of the village. Ms. Katie Gallagher described how the most inspirational moment of the trip for her was, “Watching [the] LHP students interact, play, and connect with the children of the village,” who did not have any toys and could not speak the same language. She also loved watching the students “Build relationships over the week naturally.” Ms. Gallagher believes the students gained appreciation for, and awareness of, what they have by seeing how the people of the village were still happy and grateful with less. Ms. Gallagher stated how, “[This experience] humbles you and reminds you of the blessings you have.”
The experience of the mission trip was life-altering for the students present and changed their perspective on the way they viewed life and the struggles they experienced. It is a reminder that one may be struggling, but there are always others in worse situations and fighting different battles that are still difficult. When asked if Ms. Gallagher was to do anything different on the trip, she said she would not and that “Everyone should experience a mission trip and a trip like the one that the students and she went on.”
Despite the positives of the trip, there were many struggles involved. Building the house for the community was hard work and required bounds of effort, grit, and perseverance. One could not just sit by and have fun playing with the kids while doing nothing. Actual effort was required, and that is part of what made the experience so memorable. Additionally, there was a language barrier between the people of the village and the students who decided to go on the trip. This made communication a struggle, and the procedures for building the house became arduous and complicated. Luckily, the Children of the Nations staff were able to assist in translating and connecting the people of the Village of Algodón with Lake Highland. Children of the Nations is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising orphans and impoverished children in developing nations to become leaders that can make a change in the world.
The Lake Highland mission trip over the summer was way more than just an excursion that volunteers could do anywhere and anytime. It was a voyage that brilliantly shed a light on how eye-opening doing good for the community can be and how little acts of kindness, like building a single house, can have a large impact on a place. The students learned numerous life skills and made such an incredible impact on the Village of Algodón and the villagers’ lives. Students left with a newfound respect for what they have. They will carry this experience with them throughout their lives, forever remembering their mission trip of Summer 2025.
