While I love sharing the beautiful moments both big and small, there are also some things about the trip that are incredibly hard and that I think need to be shared. These things can leave anyone feeling down, stressed, or even annoyed sometimes. Yet the Lord can use these hardships to make us stronger and I believe that Jesus Christ has made me (and my squad mates) stronger through them.
In this blog I’m going to share 5 of the hardest things about being on a 2 month mission trip (in my opinion) in a couple of foreign countries.
Numero Uno . . .
Let’s start with an obvious one. You are stinky, sweaty, dirty, and gross almost all the time.
There is no getting around it. Of course you can take a shower. But when the average temperature is between 70-81 degrees outside with a humidity level averaging 90%, not to mention an average UV index of 7 (in CR) life gets significantly more sweaty. I know some people might like that type of weather, but for a person who loves rain, snow, cold and winter, that type of weather is not fun.
The good news is that there is an occasional respite from the heat when you jump in the ocean or take a shower or step into a building with air conditioning. I will never take air conditioning for granted ever again.
Numero Dos . . .
Secondly, there is the other obvious hardship: the language barrier.
While many of us on our team know basic Spanish phrases, like Gracias, De Nada, Mucho Gusto, Por Favor, Hola, Adios, Hasta Luego, et cetera, we are most of the time still unable to properly communicate with the majority of the Ticos (what the CR locals call themselves).
Yet, we still try everyday to communicate with them as best as we can and I’m so incredibly proud of all my teammates for really trying to communicate with the locals (whether it be through English or Spanish or a mix of both).
Numero Tres . . .
Plans change a lot as our team quickly figured out from the get go.
When I arrived at Hartfields-Jackson Int. Airport a month ago, I didn’t expect to sit in the airport for a solid 7 hours waiting for a ride to the training camp in Gainesville. But it happened. We all arrived at different times at the airport with all our different flights from all our different cities. We were supposed to be picked up at 1:30. We had to wait for a ride to the training camp from the airport. We weren’t picked up until about 4:30 in the afternoon.
Looking back on it now I am grateful that it did happen that way. Those of us that flew into Georgia from our homes all met at the airport and were able to meet and see each other for the first time. And really it was a blessing in disguise because I got to meet some of the team right off the bat and the rest of the team not long after, when we all gathered together for the first time at training camp. In that extra time I was able to start learning a bit about the personalities and characters of some of my squad mates.
Even while we were in Jaco, plans changed a lot. Ministry days are always full of last minute changes. Every other Friday (or most every other Friday) Oceans Edge holds surf club. On Friday the 25th of June we were doing painting ministry as usual and had to be back at base by 2. When we got there we found out that surf club was cancelled because they thought the waves would be too dangerous to surf on. Then about 20 minutes later we were told that Surf club was back on. By that time we had all changed out of our swimsuits and had been getting ready to either go out and play volleyball at the church or help clean up some of the base.
But we got our suits back on and we’re ready to go to surf club within a few minutes. Our team has gotten used to last minute plan changes and learning to be flexible with our time. Many of us (myself included) have also learned that life doesn’t always require you to have a set schedule and that it’s okay to be spontaneous every once in a while.
Numero Quattro . . .
Ministry isn’t always what you expect or want.
When I found out that we were mostly going to be doing a lot of painting I originally thought that we would be painting a couple of walls here and there and then move on. What I didn’t expect was that we would be painting the Central Park in Jaco plus the light poles and water stations (water fountains that the Municipalidad made after COVID-19 hit) which was the majority of the ministry that we did during our time in Jaco.
Within those different painting projects I didn’t expect for so many other small ministry opportunities to happen. The number of encounters we have had with the locals through painting around the city (in particular when we were painting the water stations) has been so abundant that I can’t possibly write about all of them. The short stories written in my last post barely embodies the number of interactions that we have had with the locals. What’s even more amazing is that the Lord worked in such a way so that we were able to see a lot of those same people in our off time hours on the streets of Jaco as well.
Numero Cinco . . .
Lastly, the hardest part, for me at least, is missing family.
I am realizing that I am so incredibly lucky to say that I miss my family the most, because there are people; even on my squad, who don’t have great relationships with their families.
When I first arrived at training camp, things were going fine the first day as I was hyped up and ready to go. Then the second day rolled around and it hit me that I wouldn’t be seeing my family for two whole months.
During training camp, I’ll admit that there were times where I thought to myself “I can’t do this!” “What am I doing here!” “I should be home with my family!” “What am I thinking, just leaving my family like this!”
But the Lord kept telling me “No!” “You got this!” “You can do this!” “Let me worry about your family!” “Let me use you to do my will. Just as I originally called you to when I first opened the door for this trip!”
At first, I was hesitant to accept the fact that the Lord was calling me to be a part of this trip. If I didn’t fulfill this calling then I would absolutely regret it, and not just that but I would also be disobeying the Lords calling for me. Over time, as I had become accustomed to life in CR I realized that I am right where I need to be. Excuse me, let me rephrase that . . . I am right where the Lord needs me to be.
Regan, you are in my thoughts and prayers every day. You are so strong and faithful, a shining example to all who know you and more! Your journal is admirable and must be incredibly difficult. Bless your days ahead.
His love and His strength – praying that you will continue be able to do the work that is set before you, Regan. The heat and all the painting! Thanks for sharing and you are such a living testimony to how God is faithful and works through those who are faithful.
This is so real and so relatable. Thank you for giving us this honest glimpse into your life on the field!