It has been nineteen years since I boarded a plane with two of my best friends and flew across the world to fulfill a lifelong dream—volunteering in Ghana. That summer of 2010 forever changed me in ways I didn’t even realize I needed to or could change.
Living at the orphanage and teaching at the school was both heartbreaking and beautiful. Every day felt like stepping into a “save the children” commercial—only this time, it was real. The children had so little by material standards, yet their joy and gratitude overflowed. They taught us that happiness doesn’t come from possessions but from love, hope, and community.
I often felt helpless, wishing I could give more. But I realized that our presence—our hugs, our attention, our time—mattered. Their smiles were contagious, and their eagerness to learn was inspiring. They didn’t see their lives as hard; they saw opportunity and light in everything.
Those weeks shaped my heart forever. I cried more than I ever had before, but I also laughed harder. I came home more grateful—grateful for life, for people, and for the knowledge that we all have a Father in Heaven who knows and loves every one of us, including my children in Ghana.
“This place is amazing and terrifying, heart-wrenching and heart-warming all at once. Sometimes it’s so hard to be here—and yet it feels perfectly right.”
#ghana #foreversweating #ryvanzmiacharity #volunteerghana
Author: Kendra Haynie Walser (Volunteer, Summer 2010)