Dominican Republic Trip 2017

As many of you know, I just got back from a mission trip. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to go, and I will never forget it. To be honest, when I first applied to go, I was very nervous, but I knew that this was what God wanted me to do. As the trip got closer, my nerves gradually went away, and I was very excited to see what God was going to do there. I was part of a team from my youth group that consisted of 11 people, and very early on a Sunday morning, we headed out.

We partnered with another youth team from Oklahoma, and worked together to bring the Gospel to the people in the Dominican Republic. It was so neat that even though we had never met the other team before, we were able to quickly get to know each other and form friendships. We spent an entire week with them, and it was great. We went everywhere together, crammed on a bus that was always full of conversation, singing, or laughter. It was a huge blessing to work with their team, and I miss them a lot.

 During the week, we helped a group from the Dominican church with a VBS. It was so much fun to dance, sing, and play with the children that came. One of their favorite things was getting piggy-back rides, which we loved to give them! Their faces would light up when they recognized us, and their laughter was contagious. The days were long, and we were hot, sweaty, and usually pretty tired, but there was always more energy to give the kids. In Bible class, they loved answering questions and learning the rhymes and songs about the lesson. It was wonderful to see them eager to learn, and our mornings were full of love, laughter, and so much fun. We would try our best to learn their names and talk to them in our clumsy Spanish, which sometimes ended in helpless giggling. I was motivated to work on my Spanish even more! It was an incredible blessing to be with the kids, and I miss them. Of course, the week passed so quickly, and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye.
(On a side note: I realized on this trip just how much I hate goodbyes. We met so many wonderful people and only got to spend a certain amount of time with them before having to leave, and when we did have to leave it was hard. It makes me realize the importance of using our time with other people wisely. Don't waste the time you have!)

After VBS, we had a weekend youth camp. A huge group of teens piled into buses on Friday afternoon and made the drive to camp. We spent the weekend worshiping together, playing crazy games, getting to know each other, and hearing incredible testimonies of God's goodness. It was so amazing to meet and hang out with all of the Dominican teens, and even though we didn't all speak the same language, there was no barrier too big for God. I met so many amazing people that weekend, and there are so many stories and jokes that I will never forget. There was always more people to meet, more things to learn about each other, more games to play, and more opportunities to praise God. Again, saying goodbye was extremely difficult, and I was once again reminded of how important it is to take advantage of the time we have with people. In the few days we had together, we were able to hang out, play games, look for tarantulas (and we found some!), or just sit and talk. Our days were filled with amazing memories, and they passed so much faster than we wanted them to. I miss it so much.

One of the things that I learned from this trip was how amazing our God is. I learned a lot about trusting Him for everything in the process leading up to the trip, and while I was on the trip, I experienced what happens when I put complete trust in Him. He works through anything, and when you let Him work, he does amazing things. We heard testimonies at camp, and it was so encouraging to hear how he worked in others' lives. His love and grace was (and is!) put on display through the people that shared. I am so grateful that He never changes, and that He is always faithful to us.

I mentioned this before, but I also learned a lot about how valuable our time is. We are given so many opportunities to share the Gospel, to show love, to serve, to form relationships, and yet we often waste our time doing trivial things. I was deeply convicted of how I spend my time. How much time do I spend hearing God's voice and reading His word compared to how much time I spend listening to the world's voice and reading social media? Do I spend more time in intentional, deep conversation with others, getting out of my bubble and forming relationships, or do I more often choose to stay in my own comfortable space? I have really been thinking a lot about that lately. It is so easy to waste time and not even realize you are doing it until it is too late. I want to be aware. I want to intentionally and fully live in the place God has put me, doing His will and seeking His glory in everything I do.

If you are feeling led to apply for a mission trip but you aren't sure if you want to, don't hesitate to do it! It isn't always easy to push past nerves and fear, but with God NOTHING is impossible. I now know from experience how amazing it is when you take the leap and let God work. It is absolutely worth it. ♥