Island Returns & Unlikely Connections

by Kira Ogburn

Puerto Rico is a beautiful place, and I have been fortunate enough to visit it twice within this past year.

My first experience of the island was with the Youth Group at First Presbyterian, and it was a wonderful trip that I will never forget. The relationships we were able to build there both with our leaders and fellow youth from other churches as well as with the community, are connections that I will never forget. It was amazing seeing the impact that this kind of service could have. Despite language barriers, we were able to form friendships and share experiences with the people we worked with. Seeing the strong faith of many of the people we met as well as their constant gratitude for every opportunity and amenity afforded them really put things in perspective for me and made me appreciate everything I have even more, especially my family.

One of the main places I worked while in Puerto Rico was at a transitional home for orphans. We played different games with them and did crafts, providing that connection with the outside world that they were looking for. The fact that they felt comfortable enough with us by the end of our time there to share some of their personal stories was truly touching.

I never thought that when I returned to Puerto Rico this fall with my university’s orchestra that my two experiences would be connected in such an amazing way as they were.

I was excited to be able to experience the island in a new light and enjoy the beaches and the sights between performances. When I stepped into our hotel in San Juan I was amazed at the luxury, although maybe it just looked so good because it wasn’t the hard floor of a church.

That’s when I saw her: A young woman was bringing around trays with a fruity drink to welcome our orchestra to the island, and I immediately recognized her. She was one of the girls we had met at the orphanage.

While we were there, she was in the process of moving homes, and we had to say goodbye to her with the rest of her friends at the orphanage as she left for a new start. The directors of the orphanage told us that they were concerned because she was almost 18 and there was not much the system could do for the kids once they reached that age. Their transitional home was already allowing people to stay longer than they were technically supposed to in order to help them find stability. We wondered, too, what would become of the people we had met and become close to after we returned to the States.

I am so lucky I got to see one of those stories have a happy ending. When I caught her eye across the room, she recognized me too. She quickly handed her tray to her coworker and came over to say hi. We hugged and I learned that after she had left the orphanage she had worked hard to find different jobs and had eventually ended up here at the hotel. She started off as a maid, but because of her bright personality and work ethic, she was slowly moving up. She worked at the bar and sometimes even behind the concierge desk. Last month, she was even able to get her own small apartment.

To be able to reconnect with her and see her doing so well was gratifying. It was one of those moments where you realize that even though you may never see that person again, they have impacted your life in a beautiful and positive way and you can only hope that your connection did the same for them.

___________________________________________

Kira just finished her freshman year at the University of Dayton in Ohio.