Student travels across world to make a difference

 While some spent their summer going to the mall with friends and staying up until dawn watching Netflix, junior Chandler Stokes traveled to the other side of the world to try to make a difference in the lives of others.

During parts of June and July,Stokes took a trip halfway around the world with his church to China, where he and his friends volunteered their time and energy to spend time with the orphans located there.

  “I went to serve the orphans [in China] and to show them that they are loved even though they do not have parents,” Stokes said.

 Stokes and his companions strived to show love and affection to the orphans. From playing games with them to just talking to them, they attempted to have fun with the orphans and to make their time there as enjoyable as possible.

“[My favorite experience with them was when] we got to go a little amusement park [with the orphans] and [I liked] seeing them on the rides and playing the games,” Stokes said.

 As Stokes met and played with the children, he made a special connection with one boy in particular named Kennedy. Stokes thoroughly enjoyed anytime with Kennedy and loved seeing how happy he was as they played.

““He was in a wheelchair and we were rolling around and playing carnival games and he was having so much fun,” Stokes said.

 During their time together, Stokes learned much from Kennedy and the children he was surrounded by. As he was there, Stokes was surprised about how content the children were with their lives. They saw one another as family, and though they may have little, they make the best the have with what they have.

“Seeing that they were so happy even though they didn’t have much affected me. It makes me more grateful for everything that I have in this world that makes my life easier to enjoy,” Stokes said.