On February 24, 2011, I took my first steps into the world of Mission: St. Louis. At that point, our offices were located in The Luminary, we had four full-time and four part-time staff members, and I was their very first AmeriCorps*VISTA. Since then, we've been moved into our own office space for nine months, added two more full-time positions, and are hosting six VISTA positions. Our programs are more successful and far reaching, our volunteer numbers continue to swell, and we are able to serve more and more families in our target neighborhoods. We've come so far in just a year's time.

When I signed up for my year of service with Mission: St. Louis, I definitely had expectations, some of which were realized and some of which were not. Among all the ups and downs and working a lot, I can narrow my experience down to the following list of things:

• An hour of reading with 3rd graders will quickly become the very best hour of your week.
• Raising approximately 79% of a non-profit organization's budget is doable – hard, but doable – with a development team of only two individuals.
• Night for the Town is an awesomely fun event and definitely lives up to the hype.
• If you really like your boss, you'll orchestrate her wedding within a span of merely two weeks.
• Darren Jackson rocks.
• Building relationships happens in so many more ways than you can possibly imagine.
• Working with fellow church-goers and people who unabashedly love Jesus has been incredible for my faith.
• With one well-planned, strong, and invasive social media campaign, you can win a brand new Toyota Tundra.
• Staff retreats that happen in the form of float trips will occur on the only 65 degree day in a summer full of 105 degree days.
• Poverty is awful. Just awful.
• It takes a long time – more than a year – to see real, lasting change.

As I head into my very last week at 4366 Manchester Ave, I leave you with the following thought. Are you prepared to commit years of your life investing in your community? Because that's what it's going to take to make a difference.