Iced tea

Last summer was the best summer that I have had. I went on a missionary trip to the Philippines that changed my life. I went with two girls that I did not know, stayed at a house that was teaming with mosquitos, and was engulfed in humidity and heat everywhere I went, yet I loved every moment of it.

In the Philipines, my job was to organize children's ministry and teach them about God. It was a big responsibility and I did not know if I had the courage or the abilities to reach these children. I was very nervous; I had done things like this in the past, but not entirely by myself.

My plan the first day was to go to the plaza, get to know the kids, and play games to win them over. So, with my gray backpack and a sun hat that screamed "tourist", I left for the plaza with someone that served as a translator

I was so nervous. But, to my surprise, the children were so willing to learn and to play. It was not only me teaching them what I had to give, them teaching me their lives. They showed me how they caught fish in the sea, the banana boats that they used to go everywhere, and unique, crazy fishes that lived in the water.

An hour passed, and two quickly followed. I lost track of time and continued to play with them. Then, one of the girls said how she was thirsty, and we all realized that we all were thirsty as well. I had water back at the house, but I did not have cups for everyone. As I was thinking of what we should do, I saw one of my kids with a huge jug full of brown liquid, followed by another child with another giant pitcher running towards us.

"Iced tea, Iced tea"

All the kids rushed to it and we were full of smiles and compliments to the kid that had brought the drink and we shared the tea among the 30 of us with only two cups.

They gave me the first cup of iced tea and As I was drinking mine, the children were all looking at me. Their eyes big and full of curiosity of what I would say. And as I was drinking my iced tea, I forgot that I had been thirsty. That iced tea served a deeper purpose than just quenching my thirst, it took on a meaning that united us together. The language barrier and the different cultures that we came from that proved to be major obstacles, all didn't matter. We were all connected by this simple mixture of powder and water.

I gave them a big smile and then they proceeded to tackle the rest of the drink.

It was the best drink that I had ever had, and now everytime I drink iced tea, I remember the Philippines and my kids.