I was instructed to write responses in varying lengths for the questions that will be asked me about my three-month mission to the Philippines. These prepared responses were supposed to equip me to respond intelligently to the simplest and most overwhelming question that will be asked now that I’m home. “How was your trip?”
How was my trip? My answer: It was incredible. Anything beyond that leaves me lost in a stream of memories and sensations and jumbled explanations. It’s hard to summarize three months of life for anyone. My time spent in the Philippines was an adventure and was a mission trip, but believe it or not, it was also just life. Imagine trying to explain your last three months to someone from China. It’s much harder to explain because all of a sudden, you’re also needing to explain things other Americans would assume, like living conditions or social structure.
I still don’t have cohesive written responses to the questions I’m asked. I’ve been giving new responses each time, trying to find the words that will paint my experience true to color. Until I create the perfect picture, please refer to these 10 facts of my trip…
- It was incredible!
- The weather was sometimes unbearably hot and humid. I’d wake up sweating some nights and need to move to our living space to cool off.
- While whipping down the road on our way to a feeding (local food ministry) the dirt in the air that was streaming through the open windows would coat our faces. Sometimes the smoke from piles of burning rice stalks would make me queasy.
- My team and I lived in the Lighthouse, a ministry house that keeps mission teams and is the base of operations for Kids International Missions in Tacloban. The Lighthouse was great. We had a kitchen, dining, and living room space. Yes, we had showers and clean water and toilets and a washing machine. No air-conditioning, but we had fans.
- There were 14 other girls in my team, including our leader. There was some drama, although difficult it didn’t hurt or involve me. I saw so much heart, growth, and seeking the Lord’s face in my team. It was a joy and honor to live with them.
- Each evening the Lighthouse would “host” locals in our front yard. We had a porch, basketball court, and playground for people to play and gather on. Mostly kids would play on the playground, neighborhood girls would goof off on the porch stairs, and a group of guys would play basketball.
- The sea was across the street from us. So close it could be seen from a 3rd story window. Behind the Lighthouse was a neighborhood that we would visit to grab a soda, pray for, and just make friends.
- Nights on the beach were occasionally shared with the neighborhood girls, basketball boys, and/or sometimes the construction workers who worked and lived right across the street that my team met and made friends with.
- Each week we would go up to a big unfinished room with perfect acoustics we call the AWANA room as a team to worship. Sometimes we would spend 15 to 30 min. worshiping and sometimes we’d stay up there much longer. On a few nights the neighborhood girls joined us.
- It was incredible! Oh, did I already say that? Umm, my time in the Philippines was spent learning, growing, seeking, witnessing, sharing, pushing myself, and choosing intentionality.
There is so much more that I’d love to share. It’s all in my heart and my head. These last few weeks I’ve been learning to form some of the moments into stories. So you’ll be hearing from me again. 😉 As us World Racers were told at debrief, “Don’t ask, do tell.”
The invitation is open if you’d ever like to meet up for some coffee and hear about my three months on mission to the Philippines. Maybe this time the recounting of my experiences to you will paint the perfect picture true to color.
