A Servant Heart: Reno Member Gives Back on Mission Trip to Haiti
Featured image courtesy of Francis Militante
The shelter in Haiti was overflowing. Throughout the modest building, children of all ages played games, read books, or interacted with the brothers of the Missionaries of the Poor.
These children all had one thing in common, however: all had some form of physical injury or mental illness which led to a life condemned to the streets by their family.
But there was one more thing that these abandoned souls had in common: a Lambda Chi brother with an open mind and a servant heart.
Sophomore Francis Militante of the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) made a service trip to Haiti recently in order to restore his faith and reconnect with his sense of service.
During his week there, Militante interacted with all of the children who needed him most in the shelter by clothing, bathing, feeding, and most importantly, befriending them. For Militante, the most impactful part of his week of service were the bonds he formed and the smiles he left behind.
“The smiles on their faces when you touched them or even spoke to them were unforgettable,” said Militante. “I learned to never take what I have for granted and to always be happy with what I have.”
In addition to serving others, Militante has been an integral part of the the UNR colony as a founding father. Militante had the unique opportunity to shape the colony into a group of young men that would embody the service aspect he fell in love with.
“Service in my eyes is going out of your comfort zone to truly help with the needs of others,” said Militante. “There are many kinds of service and as long as you’re helping your neighbor, I call that service.”
As a molecular microbiology and immunology major, Militante hopes to replicate his experience in Haiti many times over in the medical field. Until then, his servant heart will continue to grow and flourish in Lambda Chi.
“I hope Lambda Chi helps me to be a leader in every aspect of my life,” said Militante. “I hope this fraternity helps me to realize that it’s not only a way to network socially but also a way to give service to those truly in need.”
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