When Mike Edge, Wisconsin Conference youth director, came to Wisconsin Academy to talk about his trip to Bass Academy to assist Hurricane Katrina victims, I never really thought that it was something I’d be able to do. Even though I wanted to, I didn’t really see myself there. But I see now that God saw me there way before the hurricane started. I truly believe God called me there.

The first night at Bass Academy would have been very miserable, had everyone not been so excited. The gym we were supposed to sleep in had a big, gaping hole in the wall and roof, and the roof was so soggy with rain it dripped on the floor. It was pretty bad, but it’s not like we were expecting grand hotel suites. Instead of sleeping in the gym, we decided to sleep outside under the stars in the warm Mississippi air.

The next day we headed out to a town called Waveland. About an hour into the car ride, we could really start to see some damage. Houses were totally ruined, with boards and wood strewn everywhere.

When we finally arrived at the work site, the instructor told us what needed to be done, and we started working right away. We gave out food, hygiene products, diapers, water, and other such necessities to people who drove up in cars. I worked in food distribution most of the time.

One thing I found truly amazing was that even though these people needed food so badly, they never wanted to take too much so other people would be able to have some, too. Whenever I told them we were from Wisconsin, they were so grateful we would come all the way down just to help them.

It was just heartbreaking to hear how these people had lost their homes and family members, and to see how their whole lives were just scattered across the coast. All that was left of some people’s houses was the floor. All the walls were completely ripped out.

The best part of all was that these people got to see the Lord’s love in every smile we gave them. One day a group of us were sitting at a table before supper and a volunteer from another denomination came up and started talking to us. He was really interested in our religion and asked what we believed about salvation. It was really neat because we got to share our faith with someone else. We had a really nice conversation and before he left, we all prayed together. That was a real blessing for me. I’m really thankful for all the opportunities God gave us to witness that week.

Now, back at school, I know what it means to truly thank God for what I have. I have a bed, showers, a roof over my head, and I know every night when I go to bed I’ll have breakfast in the morning.

Lisa Cunningham is a sophomore at Wisconsin Academy. She traveled to Mississippi with 20 other students and their sponsors during home leave in September.