Caitlin, Sarah and Mary Haynes are three in a set of quadruplets, and they are the first to admit they act nothing like typical multiples.
However, their passion for service brings them together.
The girls from Ohatchee, Ala., said their mother would take the four of them--the three girls and their brother, Will--and their older sister, Anna, to soup kitchens as children.
"Something that she always taught us to do is serve others," said Mary, junior in communication disorders.
When the three sisters' childhood wish for a baby brother never panned out, they channeled their passion for serving others into helping orphans instead. Caitlin, junior in human development and family studies, said it was because they realized how special orphans are to God, and they wanted to share His love with children who have no family.
Sarah, junior in human development and family studies, traveled to China after her senior year of high school with Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman's organization Show Hope, which aids orphans in China and helps Christian families in the U.S. adopt from the country.
While there she worked with special needs children at four different orphanages. "That just kind of rocked my world," Sarah said. "(I) got a view of life outside the United States and realized that I was super sheltered and had it very well here compared to most people around the world."
The opportunity for Caitlin came during summer 2009. She traveled to Honduras after graduating high school, and although her group returned early because of medical emergencies, the brief experience of working in an orphanage reassured Caitlin to continue her efforts.
"I was really bummed, and I just felt like I was called to do more and stay longer," she said.
Caitlin said her desire to work with orphans is result of wanting to share the salvation of Jesus Christ.
"Honestly, it is nothing in and of myself," Caitlin said. "There's nothing that I could do to make myself want to serve others, specifically serving the orphans."
After her freshman year at Auburn, Caitlin returned to Honduras as an intern and stayed for four weeks, working in two different orphanages.
In 2010, Mary also ventured to Honduras for a two-and-a-half-week stint helping orphans and tutoring in the inner city on weekends.
Each sister said they plan on using their degrees to earn jobs helping orphaned children full time, and this summer the girls finally had the opportunity to travel together to work in Honduras.
"We had all served separately, and so we all wanted to serve together before we graduated and went our separate ways," Mary said.
Sarah said in the past it had been impossible to arrange a trip for the three sisters because of financial limitations.
They began praying their trip would materialize, but understood that they all might not be able to go together.
However, their church, family and friends came through in the end by donating money for their mission.
"It was just kind of a trip for us sisters to go on together, but then also get to serve together," Sarah said.
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