It’s easy to complain about what we don’t have, but how often do we show gratitude for what we do have? This summer, two Yutan sisters had the opportunity to take a trip that changed their perspective and showed them just how much they have.

In late June through early July, senior Bella Tederman and junior Gabi Tederman went on a mission trip with their church to Santiago, Dominican Republic. Bella and Gabi stayed in the Dominican Republic for a week with 60 people from their church and 30 from a Pittsburgh church. During this week, the sisters had many experiences that made them realize how lucky they are.

“It made me realize how much stuff that we have here that you take for granted,” Bella said.

One of the main things they did during their trip was camps with the children in the area. The camps consisted of Vacation Bible School and a sports camp. Both Bella and Gabi were part of the sports camp, where the older kids played baseball and the little kids played wiffle ball, basketball, dribbling drills, volleyball and volleyball foursquare. 

“Sports camp was fun because we really got a chance to connect with the kids and build a relationship with them,” Bella said.

Another activity Gabi and Bella participated in was morning construction. The group was told before the trip that they didn’t know what they were going to be working on but ended up digging holes and painting the church.

“I think a lot about the trip was developing our own relationships with God and giving us that experience, but we also wanted to help them make the foundation for the church camp dormitory that they were building, and we got a lot of that done,”  Bella said.

Since the trip had a religious emphasis, they also went to a church service in the Dominican Republic. Gabi said even though “it was a smaller church,” she felt everyone was more involved in the church in the Dominican Republic. 

“They were praising, they were up on their feet and it was great to see how involved they were. Our church people are involved, but not everybody is that joyful about it,” said Gabi.

The Tedermans hoped to make an impact beyond their time there by sponsoring a child. Every month, thirty to forty dollars goes towards a four-year-old boy named Dianell and his family. The Tederman family sponsored Dianell before the trip and will continue to sponsor him until he’s 18.

“We got to meet him one day, and it was good to see him and meet the little kid that hopefully we could change his life,” said Gabi.

After they were back in the states, the sisters felt changed by the experience. It also changed their lives now that they’re back home.

“[Returning home] was just a weird experience because it felt so normal, but it wasn’t normal at all because I had such a life-changing experience that I just spent every moment wishing I could go back,” Gabi said.

 Overall, both Bella and Gabi said their trip was “life-changing.”.

“It opened my eyes to how lots of people live and also shows me what I’ve been blessed with,” said Gabi. “Spending a week dedicated to serving God really simplified my life and made me realize how I should be living.”