Volunteer Stories » Sarah Lane

I believe Missionvale to be a life changing experience. I’m truly grateful to have been given this opportunity at such a young age because it has changed my attitude to other people since I have come back to Ireland. It has pushed me to become a more positive version of myself after seeing first-hand the poverty and deprivation families live and thrive in.
A key moment from Missionvale for me was the devotions. It was breath-taking and showed me true devotion and inspiring passion for the Catholic religion. The devotions consisted of fabulous singing as prayer to God. The singers were filled with such love and gratitude for God, I noticed streams of tears running down a singers face. This image truly touched me.
Another key memory for me was the immediate love from the children and Missionvale community. I remember the first day the children weren’t skittish or afraid of us, they welcomed us only with hugs and smiles. From the first song they gave us to the last farewell all the community of Missionvale only showed me love and happiness. I found this refreshing and uplifting because sometimes you wouldn’t even get such a welcoming feeling in Ireland.