A 16-year-old posing as a physical therapist? Who would’ve thought? Throughout my life, I’ve had various opportunities to serve and volunteer in my community and even internationally. I currently serve with the kid’s ministry at my church; I’ve volunteered with special needs students, helped with events in my school district, and recently started a Christian club at my high school so I can pour into my peers. However, my most influential volunteering opportunity is the annual medical mission trips to Mexico, where I have served since age ten. During these mission trips, dental care, eyeglasses, and wheelchairs are provided to the underprivileged, and the gospel is shared. Since a young age, I’ve dreamt of a career in pediatric healthcare, and the home I’ve found with the wheelchair ministry has cultivated that passion. Considering my age and lack of experience, I’ve always possessed a supporting role, where I completed subtle tasks such as collecting and organizing supplies, entertaining children, and custom-fitting wheelchair cushions. That is, until this year. A few months before the 2024 mission trip, the trip leaders informed me that they were one physical therapist (PT) short and needed someone to step up and take on a PT role. That someone was me. Immediately, I began to panic; sure, this opportunity was amazing, and I was so grateful, but at the same time, I was just a 16-year-old kid with no experience and was highly underqualified. How was I supposed to seat a patient in a new wheelchair, teach them how to use it, and share the gospel, all with a language barrier? Not knowing where to turn, I began to pray for strength and courage, but most of all, I prayed that the Lord would be by my side through every step I took. Soon enough, I received my PT binder containing all my patient information and met with the head PT to cover the basics. It was starting to become real. Throughout the mission trip, I gained more practice and experience with each patient and, in return, acquired confidence. Maybe I could do this. I finished the trip feeling both exhausted and exhilarated. Although I made some mistakes, and there were some bumps in the road, I adequately served all of my patients by providing them with brand new wheelchairs fit just for them, equipping them with resources, sharing my testimony, and telling them about Jesus Christ. I left Mexico proud of my accomplishments, but the Lord’s faithfulness was even more fulfilling. Before the trip, I was terrified of how everything would play out, and I was filled with doubt, but despite my uncertainties, the Lord taught me that he doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called. While serving on this mission trip, the Lord was calling me into the role of a PT, and he graciously equipped me for it. Through this experience, God taught me that with Him by my side, I can do anything I set my mind to and that I, Katelynn Bates, can make a difference. And so can you. Volunteering at your church, serving at your local food pantry, helping at the animal shelter, or providing supplies to the homeless are great ways to serve your community. All it takes is some courage and initiative to make a difference in the lives of those around you. After all, look at me: I’m just a 16-year-old high school junior, but with the help of the Lord and a little bit of determination, I was able to share the gospel and make an everlasting difference in a few lives.