Before this trip, I'd never heard of One Collective. Now I'm thinking about going back. Seeing someone who used to be one of Oxford's biggest drug dealers worshipping and serving others — that's the kind of transformation that only comes from Jesus.

One Collective's support was exceptional — their planning freed me to focus on the students rather than logistics. Every person on the team found a way to contribute meaningfully. We weren't coming in to take over. We were there to encourage what God was already doing.

This experience taught me that real change happens when you step back, listen, and learn before you try to do anything. One Collective models that well — and it's shaped how I work with people now, even back home in my hospice internship.

I went to fill a reference form for a friend and ended up going myself. By the end of the week, we had completed nearly 60 community surveys. Even a small act of showing up can go further than you expect.

I came expecting to feel grateful for what I had. I left humbled by the faith of people who had so much less. One family talked about sheltering through a storm without a roof — and their response was to pray together. That kind of trust in God changed me.