Early in June 2015, freshman Brianna Kulfan left on a mission trip for Haiti. Although Kulfan was mostly just along for the ride with her parents, the trip did come with some challenges and ultimately had an impact on her worldview.
“What made it really hard was the distance,” Kulfan said.
Middle school is difficult for any budding teenager, but imagine going through that “awkward phase”
in a different country without your friends for support. With no close friends around, Kulfan’s sister became her greatest ally.
“We’ve grown a lot closer because we could only relate to each other in Haiti,” Kulfan said.
As most siblings do, Kulfan and her sister fought a lot before they left, but the experience brought them together.
Kulfan’s father is a paramedic and was offered the opportunity to provide American medical services in Haiti. Although she was too young to help provide medical services, she helped out around the island with the community garden and distributing water filters.
Throughout the whole experience, Kulfan noticed the difference between the two cultures. Americans tend to focus on what they don’t have and they always want the next best thing.
Kulfan discovered that it’s a lot different in Haiti. They focus on family and what they already have, they’re joyful and happy with just that. “I feel like [the people of Haiti] influenced me more than I influenced them. They had such a positive impact on my life,” Kulfan said.
Haiti was by far the longest mission trip for Kulfan, at about a year and six months. She has participated in other missions trips through programs such as Starfysh and Adventures in Missions where she gave to the homeless, making small gift bags with socks, hygiene products, and healthy food. She also helped to clean the streets of trash in cities like Washington DC, Chicago, and Grand Rapids.
Through all of this, Kulfan has learned that while she might not have everything she could want, she should still be thankful for her family and that her needs are met.
