I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while now. This post is for all current and future racers, or even those that might being going on a mission trip someday.
Let’s talk about your phone, but specifically the camera. How amazing it can be for ministry but also how it can negatively impact your experience with mission trips.
**This blog is my personal opinion. Not everyone may believe what I say, that’s okay. My opinion comes from my experiences on the World Race.
How can a phone impact your mission trip experience?
Positive:
- Talk about the memories you will make on any mission trip. You definitely want to talk 101 photos, and videos.
- Pictures are worth a 1000 words like they say. And videos, take you back to the sounds and laughter of what you experience.
- If I didn’t have my phone or camera on the race, I wouldn’t have been able to vlog my experience or take photos like these…
- Selfie ministry. I have seen many of my squad mates take selfies with children and people of all ages.
- When there is a language barrier, selfies break it, especially when you use crazy filters like dog ears or flower crowns.
- Some places that we’ve been too, children sometimes never see their face on a screen or in a video, so they love seeing themselves.
- Like I said, many children sometimes never see their picture, or families never have family pictures taken.
- One of my squadmates, used her photography skills to take family pictures for her host for ministry one day.
- Print off pictures if your able! It’s super cheap around the world.
Negative:
- Phones can be a huge distraction. Trying to take pictures while someone is teaching can be hard. The kids and even adults pay attention to you and not the Gospel. Their minds are taken away from what really matters.
- I often wonder what people think when I have my phone out taking their pictures. Are they happy I’m taking photos or are they thinking “she’s distracted, look at that expensive phone, etc.”
- When I have my phone out taking photos, I recognize that I’m not 100% present in the moment. I’m more worried about what memories I can record verses cherishing the moment like I should be.
What I’ve learned on the race, is simply this: Be aware of the situation. Be aware if you are causing a distraction or not.
Some helpful tips:
- Think to yourself before pulling out your phone “is this the right time”.
- Yes, it is difficult. There have been plenty of times that I want to pull out my phone and take a picture. I regret numerous times, but it was not the right time. And it makes me cherish those memories even more.
- Put yourself in the other persons’ shoes, would you want a stranger from another country coming into your house taking a million pictures, especially if your living situation is different than theirs?
- If you notice another teammate taking a picture with their phone, you do not need to take yours out and take a picture too.
- Airdrop is life on the race, ask them to send it to you later.
Like I said, this is just my experience with the camera on the race. Take it or leave it. Cherish each and every moment of the race, because time will go faster than you think.
