Music artist Jordan Anderson is preparing for a fourth trip to Ecuador, where he’ll lead music for volunteers and help with all the Christmas celebrations. He shares how the first three trips have shaped his world view.

Growing up you see a lot of pictures of poverty, images of kids who are hungry. But the first time I went to Quito was the first time I’ve seen it in person. It really impacts your heart when you go and see people who are hungry and don’t have much, and yet they somehow still have joy in their lives.

Last year we went with our daughter Lorelei. Having a child changes your perspective on other children. It’s interesting. There’s no difference between babies when they are born. It just happens that they are born where they are born into different circumstances. That creates a lot of thankfulness on our parts, but also we more clearly see the needs of children who don’t have much and probably never will. So anything small thing we can do for them, we want to do.

The thing that always touches me is visiting the children’s day care at the Zambiza Dump. I probably get more out of it than the kids do. They are so willing to jump in your arms and be loved on. I think it’s cool when you see people on your team who are more reserved, who keep to themselves, and during the course of the week you see them slowly start to reach out to other people.

I always enjoy going to Remanso de Amor (Haven of Love) and the school there. Having taught before, it draws me in. On one hand you have families, kids, broken homes, and poverty. But around them is incredible scenery. It’s like two different worlds. You have the poor with beautiful mountains in the background.

While these Christmas celebrations are going on, a lot of people forget about the situation they are in, whether that’s a job situation or their family life, or just not having anything. In America, we might try to get away from people with such needs. But they keep getting in lines at the parties because they know we’re there to help them. As much we’re there for them, it’s a huge impact on me personally, being able to serve them. Running a game for two or three hours straight is difficult physically, but the joy far outweighs it.

The first year we went to Quito, I spotted an American volunteer who was kneeling down next to a young girl he had befriended. He had spent a lot of the day with this girl, helping her play the games. She had gone through the food line and he was meeting her as she was walking out. For some reason I felt what he was feeling. And then he just started crying and he hugged her. He looked at me out of corner of his eye. He saw me looking at him and I started tearing up. He looked at me knowing that I saw what just happened, and that moment has always defined what I feel for these kids - to be willing to spend time with them and love on them. You can’t stay with them, but they have a special place in your heart.

I love seeing ER’s partnerships with other people around the world. ER’s mission is to team up with partners as long as the partner needs. And when that partner is sustainable, ER will step away without asking for any honor or glory from it. That’s the way it should be.

To listen to Jordan Anderson’s music, visit www.facebook.com/jandersonmusic.