Hello, my name is Arnold Lee and I recently returned from a 2 weeks missions trip to Costa Rica. I’d like to share some of my experiences as well as some of my new found feelings coming back from an international missions trip.
Prior to the actual undergoing, I had spent a few weeks considering going on the trip itself. My parents certainly approved of it, but I wasn’t sure whether or not I was ready to commit to gathering support nor actually going to said country. I regret to say that I didn’t spend those weeks praying to the Lord as I should’ve done. Instead, I just went back and forth in my head with a few questions in mind. Would the trip be worth the trouble? Would God make a huge difference in my life, or would it be just another mundane, “live a good Christian life and you will be rewarded,” type of experience?
I knew that most youth my age would simply jump at such a chance, for reasons ranging from genuinely wanting to evangelize Costa Ricans, to just having the desire to see the country itself. My decision to go was justified by a reason that was in between the more virtuous goal of evangelizing souls and the more selfish goal of seeing a foreign land. Truth be told, it was more of a combination of the two, I wanted to bring other to salvation through Him, and I wanted to get out of the U.S. Thus, I told my parents that I had decided to go, and I submitted my application to the organization with which I was going through.
So, as time passed, my application was approved and I began to prepare to leave for training camp, the 5 day period where teams got to know each other better and were well, trained for missions work. Training camp took place in Georgia, and I won’t go into all the details, but I think that it was good. People opened up themselves to God, and the overall energy of the missionaries to be was positive. By the time training camp was over, I had a good feeling about the trip, I was pumped to go to CR. After all, if training camp proved to be good, surely the mission itself would be better? Our team of 23 arrived at CR on July 5th, at around noon. Whilst the actual plane ride was about 3 hours, the time difference made the trip only about an hour. Again, I won’t go into too much detail, but our stay in CR was interesting at best.
The first day, our team unpacked and settled into our rooms, we were then greeted by the church with whom we were staying with, and we went to bed. Our schedule proved to be improvised and it never followed a strict regime, other than breakfast at 7:30, lunch around noon, and dinner around 8:30.
The church we were staying with was very friendly, and our team actively participated in VBS, and church service on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays through skits, drimes (a kind of interpretive dance accompanied by music), and worship. Our group met together regularly during the day, and we often discussed how the day was going, and how God was being active in our lives. Though our team didn’t have a regime or an agenda on how our day was to go by, we always had a quiet time devotional to God, and our group meetings. I myself took part in worship by playing on a variety of instruments, and I had several parts in an assortment of skits.
By the time we left Costa Rica, I had mixed feelings about the trip as a whole. The experience was not what I had been expecting. Sure, we definitely made steps towards proclaiming the Kingdom of the Lord, but I don’t think that I felt particularly needed in that country. My religious faith had definitely been strengthened, and I had finished the Old Testament on that trip alone, but at the same time I was disappointed with God.
After all, I had used so much of other people’s money to go and help others, and by helping others, I had expected the stereotypical missionary in a dangerous and exciting environment. However, after debrief with my team leaders, many members on my team who shared similar feelings – as well as my self – talked together and we came to a single conclusion.
God used this trip for everyone; everyone on the team had a purpose. I feel that my purpose of being on the team was a method of God to achieve a single goal for me. That goal being a stronger relationship with Him. Needless to say, He was successful.
I look forward to another trip next year, albeit a longer one, and I know that even if it’s not what I had expected again, that God has a plan for me. I think that we as a society don’t place enough trust in the Lord. After all, up until the day of debrief, I felt unneeded and I felt that I was wasting both my time and the time of the Costa Ricans with whom I was praying and worshiping with.
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