5 Surprising Things I Learned on a Mission Trip

"Who do you think you are?"

That's all I could think about in the days, weeks and months leading up to a mission trip to Nicaragua. Whenever people asked me about going on the trip, their first response was, "don't you know it's dangerous there?" Then, when they found out I was going to help with construction projects, their next response was a look of wonder. As in, "I'm wondering why you are going since you know nothing about construction."

Right - I was wondering the same thing too. A lot. And yes, I also thought it might be dangerous. But somewhere in there, I still felt like this might be something for me. Or truthfully, I deeply wanted to go and hoped God was okay with that. What I came to learn was that Nicaragua was about as dangerous as any other city. And when I was digging ditches for water alongside girls in school uniforms and little old ladies in dresses who wanted to help, I realized it didn't matter that I wasn't skilled. What mattered is I came with a willing heart.

Here's how it all happened - I was invited to be a part of a church team who partnered with SuNica, an amazing charity that shares the gospel of Christ as they meet needs with clean water projects and life mentoring. I love their model for partnering with the communities they serve, while providing mentoring for the leaders and young folks for a powerful future. I can't say enough good things about their model and highly encourage you to check them out at www.SuNica.org.

I could literally go on for days about the people of Nicaragua and SuNica, but to keep it to the point, here are 5 lessons I'm taking with me from my time there:

1. Life without clean water is unbearably hard.

   It's so simple to us, but without clean water, everything is hard - cooking meals, clean hands, health and sanitation, even showering and going to the bathroom are problematic. Clean water changes everything. I'll never take it for granted.

2. Hard work is humbling, but good.

   I spent one day hauling sand out of river bed, bucket after bucket, over and over again. Dumping it into a truck, in order to make concrete by hand. For me, it was hard and humbling work, but because it meant families could have fresh water, I was all in. Never have I appreciated more the authenticity of hard work to enjoy clean water. And with all of its tools, equipment and supplies, how deeply lovely Home Depot truly is.

3. Beauty is everywhere.

   Despite being a moderately poor country, Nicaragua actually reminded me a bit of Napa, California (not the wine part but the country part) with hilly rolling countryside and arid wide-open farm fields. We certainly saw our fair share of difficult places, but there was stilll overwhelming beauty. We watched the sunset on the black-sand beaches after swimming in ocean tidal pools. We hiked a semi-active volcano and ran down the soft-sided sandy face. I literally made "ash angels" in the volcano sand.  Nicaragua is vast, gorgeous, wild.  

4. Community is Everything.

   Nicaraguans share a deep love for community. Family and relationships are everything. Not that they are perfect people, but there is definitely a high priority on caring for family and for each other. I loved their sense of ease and openness. They definitely are people who practice loving each other well. I think we all long for that and I hope to carry that forward in my own life. 

5. Joy Happens Even While You Work.

   Even though my days were filled with lots of physically, demanding work, I noticed the locals carried a constant attitude of playfullness as they went about their work. I asked our host about it and he called it, “pozo de vivir” or “living well.” He explained that the Nicaraguan people face a lot of crushing things - clean water, health issues, food, job and life insecurity. They didn’t want to wait until Friday at 5 p.m. to have fun or only for the weekends — life was too hard for that. Instead they carry the attitude of having fun while they work, bringing a spirit of playfullness to their every day lives.

Change the Narrative, For Good.

In the days before leaving for Nicaragua, inside I was feeling pretty tender and a bit fearful. Was I taking an unnecessary risk? Why couldn't I serve locally and do mission work in my backyard? Was I trying to make myself look good by going so far and thinking too much of myself?

In the quiet, I gained a sense of God flipping the script on me. Instead of me asking, "who do I think I am?" I sensed God nudging me to consider, I was chosen by Him to go. Instead of focusing on the fear, the risk, and the danger, I was invited to be the hands and feet of encouragement for Him. I quietly began to shift my thinking from a place of fear to a place of love, poured out for the love that I received first.

While my intention was to go, serve and give, I returned with a heart full of stories, community, and humbling overwhelming love. God chose me -- nothing special me, to go and experience a place unlike anything I have ever seen. This was an abundant and beautiful gift that left me forever changed and forever grateful.

Lastly, don't take my word for it, go have your own humbling, amazing, beautiful, wild adventure for yourself. SuNica takes trips all the time for you to experience it with your own eyes - to learn more about upcoming trips, visit www.SuNica.org.