A seven-year-old boy lugs two giant buckets of water behind him as he lifts up the blue tarp door to his house.

His pregnant mother greets him by herself, because her husband’s staying at the local health clinic. Their house has duct tape, used to patch holes all over the ceiling and walls. But despite these dilapidated conditions, the boy lets out a carefree giggle as his mother wraps him in a warm embrace.

This is one of many families who live under poverty-stricken conditions. Sophomore Grace DeLeon witnessed their way of life when she traveled to Haiti on a mission trip through the ReachGlobal program in late March.

“Life in Haiti is very simple,” trip leader Karyn DeLeon said. “It is a matter of survival on a daily basis. The average income is less than $2,000 per year.”

ReachGlobal’s mission is to teach Haitians how to build houses and teach their children how to lead self-reliant lives.

Working in the community and volunteering at a school, Grace DeLeon had the opportunity to teach a music class, a recreation class, and an ESL (English as a Second Language) class. And among all these experiences, one left a powerful impression on her.

The day began with a seemingly simple task. The missionaries were walking in groups to nearby wells, helping carry water back to Haitian homes. At one well, Grace ran into three sisters, all over the age of 50. One of them was blind, and each was carrying buckets that were two to five gallons each.

They said their house was 15 minutes away, so Grace decided to help them. The route was long and steep, and they had to travel through trails, streams and steep hills. By the time she got to their house, Grace was tired, hungry and overheated.

But after reflecting on the experience, she realized that the women walking next to her were people who made this journey every single day. And Grace felt the insignificance of her daily problems.

“What was so profound about that whole experience is that every day, I wake up late to school because I want to lay in my bed,” Grace said. “I want to lay in bed and not go to school.”

But while she struggles to get out of bed, there are 50 to 60 year old women on a distant island who wake up knowing they must walk three miles uphill five times a day for water. And kids, who sit in cramped, makeshift shelters that tip over in strong winds.

Yet, they’re grateful for what they have.

“There is a tremendous amount of poverty and filth in Haiti and the living conditions, by U.S. standards, are very poor,” Karyn DeLeon said. “However, people are content and for the most part happy.”

Seeing how people live in third-world countries has given the DeLeons new perspective on their lives back home.

“When we turn on the tap, we expect water. When we need restroom facilities, there is a clean one nearby. When we open our refrigerator, there is food,” trip leader Marni DeLeon said. “This is not how the rest of the world lives and we all need to see how the world lives beyond our borders.”