My experience as an SLM changed my whole life. Prior to going to Bolivia, I was nominally Catholic but living my life as an atheist. Working at the Hogar was the hardest thing I had ever done, and I had to admit pretty early on that I couldn’t do it on my own. So I started praying and relying on God out of pure necessity, and He took that measly offering and drew me into a relationship with Him. With the patience of the Madres, the girls, and our director, and the friendship of my fellow volunteers, that relationship grew to become one of the most important parts of my life. God took everything I thought I knew about myself and turned it on its head. My experience as an SLM helped me to genuinely allow God into my life and acknowledge His care for and control over my life. It made me a better person, and eventually a better teacher, wife, and mother than I ever would have been otherwise.