Written By: Anna Mueller, HFNT Volunteer

Being the daughter of missionaries, I’ve done a lot of volunteering over time.  I’ve played cards in nursing homes, handed lunches to underprivileged people, given free car washes, and much more. After all of the things I have done, if there is one thing that I have learned is that attitude is crucial to how much of an impact you have and how good of a time you can have.

According to Dictionary.com, a volunteer is a person who voluntarily offers him/herself for a service. Another way they put it was that volunteers are people who perform services willingly and without pay. So basically volunteering means doing something because you want to, not because your mom dragged you there. I have had some volunteering jobs that didn’t go so well because I wasn’t willing to be there. You have a way better time if you have a willing heart and are hungry to pour out but also to take something away from the experience.

I take volunteering opportunities to be thankful for what I have. When you see people lying to you because they want another sack lunch, it can give you a wake up call of just how lucky you are. Even though I choose not to, I could run over to Wendy’s and grab lunch, but they might not necessarily be able to. We can all get caught into the trap of not being happy with what we have and wanting everything bigger and better. We act like being a middle to upper class citizen, who was born in the US, and whose father has a job is not good enough. When you see people who have a lot less than you, it can change your perspective, but that’s pretty hard to realize if you are focused on everything that’s going on without you.

Last week I went to go help with a camp that was for children who needed a little attention on their reading. To be honest, I wasn’t the most excited about being there, but I tried extra hard to look for the best in the opportunity.  It turned out to be really cool. For some reason, the little kids loved the other teenagers and I a lot. All I did was try hard to smile and after a while, I wasn’t faking it. Even though it was hard at first to have a good attitude, I still came expecting something good to come out of it. Now I can’t wait to go again and see those cute little kids’ faces’ light up when they walk into the room.

Its fun to volunteer, but some of the jobs I’ve been assigned, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about. It is important to keep a remaining good attitude and smile on your face even when it seems hard. Sooner than you know it, the job will become fun and you’ll be having a good time. There is so much more in store for you if you try to take something good away with you. If you keep a positive attitude, other great things will fall in place afterwards.

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