In four days I will be leaving from Ontario, Canada to go to Nebaj, Guatemala on a mission trip. I may sound like some crazy religious person but I won't lie when I say it is God's will that I am going there. Ever since I felt I wanted to go, everything has fallen into place and I feel compelled - I have to do this! What made me want to post though was the fact that some of us with alopecia (especially newbies) are so absorbed with our hairloss and changing image that we tend to lose focus on what is truly important. Going to Guatemala certainly puts that into perspective for me.

I'm going to Guatemala to put a roof on a church that will provide important resources to the people there. Back in the 90's they experienced civil war, many men were killed. They were a poor, crime ridden society even before the war but all the killing made things so much worse for everyone. A decade or so later, these people are still struggling to get back to the point they were at before the war however so many men had died that they simply don't have the man power to get much done and most of the men that remained are now working in Mexico to "get rich" and support their families.

Most of us are from rich countries and we have so much, we don't even realize or think about it most of the time - really, we're ungrateful. Simply losing your hair does not compare to losing your home or your family yet here we are whining about something so trivial. Of all the pictures I've seen from previous mission trips to Guatemala, one would think that it's a place of culture and beauty and although it is, no one has taken pictures of the darker side - the stuff no one wants to see. There were no pictures of the sewage floating down the rivers as their sewage system is quite primitive. There were no pictures of the homeless, the starving or the sick.

Basically, we see what we want to see and nothing more. We don't think of others or share our love as much as we should and I think it's a very sad thing that we live in societies where we feel the need to keep up with the Jones'. "More, bigger, better" seems to be our motto and being mediocre just isn't good enough, we must be at the top, we must be the center of our own little universes. No matter what you believe in I'm sure you've heard of karma or the phrase "what goes around, comes around". If you're Christian I'm sure you've been taught that you just forgive everyone and God will sort them out. We need to think about this more often and live to serve others ... but we don't.

Forget about your hair and yourself for just one moment and think instead of people who are worse off that yourself. Think about the homeless, the starving, the sick, people in 3rd world countries. Really, stop reading for one moment and reflect on this.....




Now, do you feel any different about losing your hair? You have your health, a home, a computer, food, clothes, and family. You may even go to school or work and get paid a decent salary. I know for sure that had I never gotten alopecia I would not be who I am today and for that I am truly grateful! Just for one moment I'm going to sound like the religion freak again but I have to share this: God made me lose my hair for a reason! Although at one point I was angry because He didn't answer my prayers to grow hair again, there was an important lesson to be learned and since I've come back to Him, I have to admit I've seen His glorious work. I've seen some things that I just can't explain, He has made them happen and there's no doubt about it because it couldn't have happened any other way.

Okay, I'm done ranting now but I just want to leave you with one final thought - take a moment everyday to appreciate what you do have and make someone else the center of your universe. Open your heart, mind and soul and reach out to someone in need. You may just find that doing so will make you feel better about yourself and that little things like looking a bit different doesn't matter. Pray for me as I travel to Guatemala that our team is safe and healthy and that we are able to help those who are truly in need. Peace and God bless! :)