Never the same again
by Ruby Odell

What a thrill it was, when I was a young girl, to listen to Pastor Leo Hallowell tell stories about the people living in the thick forests along the Amazon river! I dreamed of visiting those people and helping them learn about Jesus.

It wasn't too many years later when I had opportunity to cook for the crew who were building a mission launch (like a floating clinic) to serve on the Amazon. One of the things I learned right away is that you're never the same again after returning from a mission trip. It changes your life. It changed mine and helped me see the world in a way that I had never imagined.

One of the most touching memories I have from Africa is waking up one morning to see two little girls sorting through the trash we had discarded the night before. They had found some empty hot chocolate packets and were licking the inside of the wrappers to get whatever powder was left.

And I'll never forget the day we visited the leper colony and listened to a dear old man with advanced leprosy who was teaching them the Sabbath School lesson. Do you know what the lesson was about that day? The pool of Bethesda! They were so quiet as they listened to the story of how Jesus healed people and learned how they could trust Him as their Lord and Savior.

At one of the churches we visited, we saw the most beautiful carvings on the church doors, lovingly done by a leper. Because he no longer had fingers, his friends would strap the carving tool to his wrist. He had dedicated his talent to God, and even without fingers, he gave a gift of exquisite beauty.

My husband, Jess, and I shared many wonderful memories of our evangelism and mission trips with The Quiet Hour, the Carter Report, and Maranatha, so it was hard when he passed away in 2004. Once we went on these service trips, we just wanted to go again and again. I've been on 37 trips so far! Before Jess died, he made sure to leave a gift with The Quiet Hour so others could know Jesus, too. Our mission trips were such a blessing to us, and I'm thankful to have been able to serve the Lord in such a rewarding way.

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Ruby Odell lives in Loma Linda, California.