**All events in this essay are fictional.
             I have learned that sometimes it is better to want something you don't have as opposed to having something you don't want. My experience as a member of The Ministry has taught me that lesson. My story is an all-too-common one of vulnerability, hope, confusion and terror.
             My high school years were marked by active involvement in soccer, student ministry, and various clubs such as Amnesty International and Student Council. Though my high activity level allowed me to interact with many classmates, I still felt incomplete with a nagging low level of depression. During my senior year, I decided to attend college at Boston University far away from my hometown, although I knew I would miss my family. But, I desperately needed a new beginning and I realized that staying home would only assure me dependency on my parents with a continuing low self-esteem.
             That Fall I started with an intense class schedule. I was afraid of letting my grades drop and disappointing my parents, so I concentrated on work and school only – no extra curricular activities. As a result I made the Dean's List, which thrilled my parents, but I missed the sense of commitment and fulfillment generated mainly by Amnesty International and volunteering. Also, because of little involvement with the school, I met hardly anyone that semester. During the Spring Student Organization Fair, I was approached by a girl who invited me to a retreat for The Ministry, an organization with which I was unfamiliar. She expressed to me her happiness with her membership, the friendships formed because of it, and her increased sense of well-being. I shyly accepted, and that evening we met at the local coffee shop on campus and left together for the retreat.
             The ride there made me feel hopeful. Sara was interested in what I had to say, though I was reluctant to talk initially. We realized that we had a lot in common. She was...