The most common question I get on the field is, “how is your trip?”
While this is a nice question, it is overwhelming and almost impossible to answer.
Imagine trying to answer how your last 9 months of life have been in a few words. It would be hard to summarize it briefly, right?
So, to aid you in asking questions when I get home, here are a bunch of specific, fun, serious, intentional questions to help you better understand what my past 9 months actually looked like.
When we get coffee or you run into me at church, know I want to talk about life on mission, and if you ask a specific question, it will be much easier for me to go into detail or identify a related story 🙂
Guatemala
[September – November]
What was your ministry at SALEA and how did it impact you?
What was your ministry in Los Corrales?
What families did you meet that greatly impacted you?
Did you see any fruit from ministry?
Who was Aderkee?
What was the chicken bus?
What was Guatemalan culture like?
What were Antigua, Parramos, and Chimaltenango like?
What happened on Activation days at the Base?
What did a normal day at the Base look like?
What did you learn from the Base staff in Guatemala?
You were logistics for the whole squad; what does that mean?
Tell me about:
Riding a horse up Pacaya
Hiking Acatenango
Cliff jumping
Going to the beach
Hiking Indian’s Nose
Thanksgiving
Month 1 Debrief
How did your team grow from training camp>the beginning of Guat>the end of Guat?
What did you do for team time every night?
How did your team leaders Alyssa and Hannah impact you?
How did you grow in/what did you learn about:
Perspective & gratitude
Influence
Leadership
Being filled up to pour out/Sabbath
Freedom
Chasing excellence / discipline
Thailand
[December + February]
What was it like to be alone as a team?
What was your house like in the village?
What was your ministry at Ban Doi school?
What made Thailand the hardest place to be?
Best/worst team times?
What was “February for the People” ?
What was the difference between Chiang Mai/Ban Doi?
10 hours of bus rides to/from Chiang Mai every weekend?
How did you grow in/what did you learn about:
-Not seeing the fruit
-Selflessness
-Loving with actions when we couldn’t speak the same language
-Spiritual warfare
-team unity
-dying to your own desires
-surrender
-obedience + discipline
How was Asia different from Guatemala? From Swaziland?
What was respectful/disrespectful in Thai culture?
Myanmar
[January]
What was your travel day to Hakha like?
What was your ministry?
What did the Lord teach you about rest?
What happened on the worst day of the race?
What was your housing situation?
What happened in Yangon?
Swaziland
[March-May]
Why did you call Swaziland the Promised Land?
What was your ministry at the Anchor Center?
You were in the middle of nowhere, what did you do for fun?
What were your funniest team times?
Who were David and Jenna and why were they so impactful?
What are the basics of Swazi culture?
What was Swazi church like?
What was squad worship like?
What happened at PVT (parent vision trip) ?
How did your team continue to grow?
You taught a class on the Enneagram with Brooke?
You hosted Clothespin Assassin with Lauren?
Climbing the storage bins/water tower/going to the field/railroad tracks?
Skateboarding with kids on the main road?
You baptized Lauren?
You co-wrote a worship song? Remade one?
What did you learn about:
-the importance of care point ministry
-really not seeing the fruit
-patience, grace, + humility
-being open to Heaven
-pride
-how the Lord sees me/rebuilding my identity
-gratitude
-preparing for home?
South Africa
[spread out through Africa; 3 weeks total]
What was the Awakening?
What happened at Durban?
What happened at Crazy Dave’s/final debrief?
random/rapid fire/funny
-becoming friends with the Guatemalan President’s security team?
-worst travel experience?
-lice for 5 months?
-the time the entire squad had 12 sicknesses?
-sneaking into hotel rooftops + pools?
-buses breaking down?
-a random man in Hannah’s bed?
-you didn’t brush your hair for 2 months?
-you broke a cat’s leg?
-you lost your phone?
-100 hours on buses in Asia?
-I cried when?
-I was my best self when?
-I hated this food:
-I loved this food:
-the worst toilet I used was :
-my favorite sports to play?
-books I read that impacted me
-how many journals I filled
-most worn article of clothing
-running jokes/phrases we used?
-words/phrases in other languages I can speak?
-favorite songs?
-favorite meal to cook?
-what squad mates you connected with the most?
-favorite game to play?
-miracles you witnessed?
-best sunrises/sunsets?
-best stars?
-best/worst holiday?
-most uncomfortable sleeping arrangement?
-latest night you had?
-best place you lived?
-best worship experience?
-how did you do laundry?
-what vision did the Lord most clearly give you?
-one way you grew you never expected?
-what you dropped from your pack?
-hardest feedback you received?
-longest/worst/best ministry day?
So, to avoid hearing, “it was really hard and it was really good”, feel free to ask any question on this list (or any you can think of) because I have SO much to share with you!!
All for the glory of God
MG
