Leading up to the Puerto Rico trip, I was so busy I wasn’t really thinking about the implications that I was headed back to the land of my grandfather on a missions trip, or even the fact that I’d be leading a team for the first time in a few years. I was excited, but honestly, preoccupied with everything that needed to be done before that 4am alarm went off on July 8.
Then I got on the plane and everything came into focus.
Over the next few days, my leader team of 5 came together and worked through the pre-trip logistical details needed for every team. There are always a lot, but these were compounded by the fact that there were 5 youth group teams (over 85 people!) ministering in 5 different locations at different times… that’s a lot of moving parts! We started calling ourselves #dreamteam every time we knocked something major off the list.
I got my assignment within the first 2 days: lead 2 groups, one from IN and one from NC, in the town of Guaynabo. Our partners were La Iglesia de Restauracion de Integral, and my contacts were Danny and Marielena Suarez and their 2-year-old son, Elias.
I fell in love with this family. Sometime between walking the property, seeing their vision for this week, and then sitting at a beachside restaurant talking and laughing over octopus and tostones…. I felt so much peace.
I started getting nervous the night before the teams came because I remembered #allthethings: a) This is the first time I’ve led in a little while, b) this is the first youth trip I’ve done in a little while and c)I’ve never driven a 15-passenger van or driven in PR. But I knew so many of y’all were praying for me, and it was so good! I feel like I grew as a leader and while there are definitely things I can still grow in, that even that is a good thing. And I remembered just how much I love leading.
This week was such a blessing!
So, in all, I had 21 people in my group. Everyday we headed to ministry around 8:30 and did VBS and manual labor projects until 3, then headed back to start the showering process (in all, we were 58 females- that’s a lot of showering time!). After dinner we’d meet for worship, then debrief. Everyday I drove (usually in a car), thanks to the help of my Chief Navigator (brave participant who volunteered to read the GPS for me). And every day we made it! 🙂
A cool thing of ministry was how it was such a felt need. Danny had shared that the church had actually cancelled their VBS because they didn’t have anyone to run it. They were so thankful that they provided lunch for us every day! And we were able to help around their property, like reinforcing wobbly ramps up to trailers, painting interior and exteriors, reversing doors so that they swing open the opposite way, and cleaning out a trailer where bees made a hive in the walls. It was full of mold, honey, and dead bees and smelled like a thousand deaths, but by the end, it was ready to be used for Sunday! It was so neat to see these teens and their adult volunteers step into areas of strength and growth and work together as a team.
But the best part for me were the hearts of Danny, Marielena, and Danny’s parents (his father is the head pastor). This church believes in ministry to, for, and with children. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like this. Our VBS was based on Jesus – his birth/life/ministry, death, resurrection, and his return (each day a different topic) – and it was important to them that the children share what they’ve learned as well as take ownership of their church.
Practically, this meant that the children helped paint the trailer that would be their Sunday School room, and the ramps leading up to the trailers. On the 3rd day of ministry, they made little tracts with Jesus’ story in craft time, then took them across the street to a daycare to share with the kids there.
Literally, our team of teens on a youth group mission trip took their VBS kids on a mission trip!
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a practical field application so literal and it was so neat.
And then on the last day of ministry, we all went into Old San Juan. The children were excited to show us the beauty of their capital city, but we had a mission – a prayer walk/sharing the gospel through tracts the pastor had written himself…another mission trip with them!
One of the greatest mysteries – and truths – of mission trips is that often you go to serve but end up being served instead. Our hosts were so gracious, so kind, blessing us at every single moment. There was so much laughter and joy. Even the head pastor, whose father (in Columbia) died on our last day of ministry, had such a huge smile on his face as he said, “I have peace and I am so glad I am here; I am so thankful for your team.”
What an incredible example of what it means to trust and live for Christ.
So this is part 1 of 2 about Puerto Rico. I hope it gives you a great idea of all God did! Thank you so much for praying!
**Also, can I just say that right now Puerto Rico is in a serious drought. When it rained one day and ruined our paint job, we were so excited because the island really needs water. But we never ran out of water for showers… for 90 people! I’m pretty sure that’s a real life miracle!**
