Jon answers - “How was your trip?”
Apr 3rd, 2008 by Jon Posted in Bluefields 2008 | No Comments
Without fail, the most frequently asked question upon returning from a mission trip is “How was your trip?“. While this question is quite easy to answer if I went to Greece or Hawaii, it’s a bit tougher when your “vacation” involved: looking after a team of 12 teens and adults for a week in a foreign country, traveling to difficult places like a garbage dump to minister to the needy, and mixing concrete by hand under a hot sun and humid weather.
So how was my 2nd trip to Bluefields?
1. Rewarding
It was rewarding to see all the hard work, stress, and preparation pay off by having a team that worked well together and made a real impact on the lives of the locals in Bluefields. It was like watching a puzzle come together.
Starting the construction project at the school really gave me a sense of being a part of something bigger. To know that our money and hard work became the foundation for six new classrooms… it really felt like we were helping the future of Nicaragua.
2. Stressful
Though I rejoiced in returning to Bluefields, it was stressful to:
- coordinate daily activities
- ensuring the team was safe
- ensure that the team getting the best experience possible
- find time to build upon relationships in Bluefields
3. Fulfilling
I try not to have any expectations when going down, but I did have only one - that I see the some of the kids I met last year. These kids defined my trip in 2007 so I was eager to see them again a year later to see how they were doing.
In my mind I pictured this amazing reunion where the kids would be smiling and remember me… but deep inside I knew that the possibility was remote. What are the chances of these kids remembering some Asian guy who played with them for a few days a year earlier?
Of the 6 kids I wanted to see again this year, I was reunited with 5 of them. To top this all off, two of these kids were chance encounters on the streets of Bluefields…
4. Encouraging
Though it was tough to see families living in a garbage dump eking out a living , within all this sadness was hope thanks to Verbo. Unlike last year where I left feeling overwhelmed by the situation in Bluefields, this year I feel upbeat and energized. Rather than seeing the whole situation as something we can’t fix by human means, I now see opportunities where we can make a big impact for individual lives.
I’m encouraged by the fact that Verbo’s ministry appears to be as strong as ever, and they are reaching into the community. Their ministries are expanding (Verbo school alone grown by 60 children in the past year alone) and they are adding new programs to help the needy (like a feeding program for school kids).
I’m also encouraged by what appears to be an increasing number of NGOs working in the Atlantic coast and the teams hitting the ground to do work for the community. Samaritan’s Purse Canada will continue to send teams to Bluefields to help Verbo, and it’s comforting to know that once one team leaves, another will follow shortly behind to continue the work. I get this feeling of being part of something bigger and more substantial.
5. Nurturing
While mission trips should be about serving others, one of the positive side effects of going on a trip like this is that you gain a lot of personal growth.
For me, I grew in the areas where I knew I needed help - leadership, organization, and assertiveness. Typically I prefer staying within my comfort zone and letting others make the decisions… but being the organizer and leader for this mission, I realized that if the trip was going to be successful I needed to be the one to initiate action and motivate team members. There was too much at stake and I grew as a result of that (and I guess that’s where a lot of my stress came from too!).
For others on my team, they will undoubtedly experience growth in different areas as well. It’s hard to say how affected they will be since growth sometimes isn’t realized until weeks or months later.
6. Affirming
One of the most profound experiences during this trip was to have my work for Nicaragua affirmed. Through seemingly random comments and events during my stay this past March, I really gained a clear indication that I’m on the right path.
This gives me encouragement to move forward in building upon the relationships that have been made through my church’s mission to Bluefields, and through this website.
Finally…
I leave this year’s mission to Bluefields with a different feeling and experience than last year. Last year I felt upset and angry which helped motivate me to do more for Bluefields (this website being one of those things), but this year I feel very different. I now feel hopeful, optimistic, and empowered to make differences.
I now see a bigger picture and have experienced how little actions add up to larger changes.
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For a summary of the activities we did during our week in Bluefields, please see this post.
