Assignment 3 Harris Hawkins

It's crazy to think how different people live from us, even in our own country. Every summer since 7th grade, Will Gregory and I attended a mission trip with our church youth group. Detroit, Washington D.C., New Orleans, and rural South Carolina all popped my bubble of living in Chevy Chase my whole life. Sometimes when I'm sitting at home watching the new I can't help but to feel helpless. The purpose of a mission trip is to abet people and impact their life positively. Honestly, the people I encountered touched me more than I touched them. Jessica White. I still remember the name of the women in Washington D.C. who shared her homelessness story with me. Jessica grew up in an upper class family. After high school, she went to medical school and became a nurse. She loved her job and lived a comfortable lifestyle. Except for the fact that her job included breaking the news of death to the families in the waiting room. She did this for years and slowly became depressed. One day she was so severely depressed she couldn't get out od bed and lost her job. One thing led to another and Jessica lost her house and car. Jessica's pride prevented her for asking her family for help and she was forced to the women's shelter. She was homeless for 2 years before getting her depression under control, sleeping on park benches and not eating for days at a time. She said the worst part about homelessness is ordinary people acting like she was invisible. Jessica's story shows that anyone can become homeless no matter what their back round. Her story has compelled be to count my blessings and taught me homeless people are just like us.