I’m writing this while on the flight back from Santo Domingo, and it’s impossible to get my mind still. It’s racing, full of memories from the past week.
It’s hard to believe this trip is over, especially since I didn’t see it coming.
What I mean is that it wasn’t my plan to go to the DR. I know I mentioned it here earlier this year, but had you asked me at the end of 2015 where I thought I would go in 2016, the DR wasn’t even on the list. The reasons why I chose it were many, and after praying about it for several weeks, I asked to be placed on it as the leader.
However, by spring, my reasons for requesting that trip had disappeared. And there still wasn’t a team signed up to go. I began to wonder if I’d heard God’s “yes” correctly, and if I hadn’t, if I could jump on a trip to somewhere else later in the summer.
Around the same time, the youth group from Harmony Church in Sumter, South Carolina was praying through many options. They’d originally planned to go to Italy to work with some long term missionaries there, but their plans changed. They found the DR trip on the Adventures website and read through the trip description (have I mentioned that part of my role is writing all short term trip descriptions? I wrote that one!) and felt God leading them to the DR.
Still, it wasn’t until the week before the trip that I began to feel ready for it. Part of it was just jet lag/recovery from Thailand, and part was wanting to make sure I was ready to be away from work (since it’s the busy season at Adventures). I was very busy, the “to do” list was long, and, honestly, I was nervous. Excited, but nervous.
The stakes seemed high. They always are on mission trips. My role as a leader is an honor, and a huge responsibility. And with a youth group, there are additional factors to consider, since you are responsible for minors.
And did I mention I was traveling alone to a country where I only passably (and I use that term lightly) speak the language, and wasn’t sure where I was even going to sleep the first 2 nights (sorry, Mom…. but I knew our host had worked out the details, so there was a plan… I just didn’t know it).
No pressure, right? But a Director of Operations at Adventures said something to me recently in a softball game I can’t forget. I was stepping up to bat with 2 outs and a runner on second. He said, “A base hit could get the runner in.” I laughed and said, “No pressure, right?” He said, “No, no pressure. Just an opportunity.”
So, no pressure. Just an opportunity.
I can honestly say that this trip was nothing like I expected it to be.
Pastor Juan Valdez greeted me at the airport immediately after I arrived, and for the next 2 days, I stayed by his side. He guided me through his community, introduced me to people from his church, and we worked through logistics for the trip together. We ran errands, and I followed him (and his family) around not really understanding all the conversations he had with others (he even mini-interviewed me on a local radio show the first afternoon); just trusting that God was directing both of us. I stayed with his family for the first two nights, sleeping in his daughter’s bed.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, the team came.
As usually happens on a mission trip at some point, all of the best laid plans (plans made, knowing that things happen) changed. It’s a long story, but when we finally gathered for our first debrief/orientation that night, eating spaghetti in a circle on the driveway of our apartments (with no power for lights or fans to alleviate from the heat), I remember looking around and just saying, “Thank you for being flexible and rolling with the punches.”
This team of 21 (13 males and 8 females + me… I’ve never been on a team with more guys than girls!) literally took everything with incredible grace. I was praying the entire afternoon/evening, for them to find their strength in Christ and also for all of us to get a break from all the “Okay, now we have this challenge to work through” stream of events. My mind raced, and that night, it took a long time to fall asleep.
For the next six days, some things went as planned. Some things didn’t. But it didn’t matter, because it was so clear that God was orchestrating every single minute.
From prayer walks and construction in the mornings to VBS in the afternoons, the ministry opportunities were many. And this team chose to be all in. What I mean by that is that they served God by serving on this trip, whether it was carrying meals for us to eat, digging a bathroom, or playing an impromptu game of baseball. And they did so with laughter and grace.
As a leader, what I observed filled me with wonder:
- intergenerational ministry (both within the team and in ministry)
- a willingness to jump in and be present, serving God with all of their hearts, even in the smallest or dirtiest of jobs
- wisdom and spiritual depth from both adults and students that was beyond their years
- attitudes of invitation, joy, and inclusion into community
I really could go on and on by how blown away I was by this team. And just so in awe that could would bless me as a leader to be on this trip, because I was so encouraged, challenged, and taught by them as well.
One of my favorite things was studying the book of Ephesians with them. We read a chapter a day, and then at some point each day, we talked about it all together. The Bible came alive for us as we talked through each verse.
And then there were Teresa and Esmeralda.
Imagine you’re living a very peaceful life in a house with two empty apartments underneath you, and suddenly 22 loud (and smelly) Americans move in beneath you. What would you do?
As someone without the gift of hospitality, in addition to being an introvert, I would smile “hi’s” and “bye’s” and really hope that they don’t get in my way or bother me (and that they would leave sooner rather than later).
But Teresa and her 11-year-old daughter, Esmeralda, neither of who spoke English:
- called plumbers and locksmiths to help us when needed
- gave us a fan for us to use on the first night
- gave us rugs to use at the entrance of each apartment (each of these apartments were so empty when we moved in there weren’t even light bulbs in the fixtures).
- made us coffee every morning
- bought water for us one night
- made lemonade for us another night
- invited all of us up to their house one night for a movie, where they also gave us snacks
- gave everyone the wifi password so we could use it for free
- when an adult chaperone stayed back to wait for a plumber (we woke up that morning to not having any running water in any bathroom, except for 1 toilet that flushed), Esmeralda invited her upstairs, where they watched Christian music videos in English (Spanish subtitles) and fed her dinner.
- When another adult chaperone stayed back with 2 sick teens, they were again invited upstairs for a movie, where they were fed soup, snacks, given Coca-Cola, etc.
- They sent us away with good-bye gifts
Honestly, I’m sure I’m forgetting something…. the list is just that long.
Oh, when 5 team members came back from digging a bathroom foundation (they had been dug for a bathroom for a family who didn’t have one … in a place where they had been using the bathroom… which means they were digging in human waste) and they came back so dirty they were trying to get clean enough to where they could go inside and put on fresh clothes, and Mrs Teresa filled water buckets and then got on her knees and scraped the waste from their shoes for them, since they were unable to even take them off until they were rinsed enough to touch.
She literally left me speechless. We’d thank her, and she’d say, “Don’t thank me, thank God.” To say she has the gift of hospitality is an understatement.
Around the middle of the week, when we really started getting to know her, it was so clear to all of us: this woman was serving God (not us) and we were just being blessed to be the recipients of it… which none of us thought we deserved.
What incredible, beautiful grace.
The morning we left, we drove away from the house to see Teresa and Esmeralda at the gate, and Teresa was sobbing. We probably inconvenienced her 20 million ways to Sunday, and she was sad to see us go. It was hard to leave her. Before we left, we gave both of them thank you cards and we prayed over them. And said thank you so many times we sounded like broken records.
It didn’t feel like enough.
But Teresa was right… as much as we thank her for all she’s done for us, we can thank God. And learn from what she taught us with her life.
My mind is racing too much to have a neat conclusion or tie this blog post up with a bow. But that’s okay. I want to thank you all for praying for me and for this team. We saw God work in incredible ways! I hope this blog gives you an idea of some of what it was like.
On July 8, I head to Ecuador for my final trip for this year. It’s an adult team, and this will be my first time to Ecuador. In addition, I’ll be training a new leader, who will be coming as a participant. So please pray for me, not only as I lead, but for wisdom and listening for God in how to train her well. I’m excited and thankful for this opportunity. And after this trip, even more pumped about all God will do!
I cannot wait to write about that trip too!
