Personal Narrative: My Trip To Nicaragua

It was my first time in the Dominican Republic, away from my parents and traveling alone. It was also my first mission trip and I loved every minute of it. As I sat and looked around the village of slums and shacks, I saw that the people were so giving and friendly. They had next to nothing, and yet they were still volunteering to give more.

WAHOO! Another year has flown by, summer is creeping up on us, and this means that yet another life-changing experience is approaching me leaving my heart and mind ever so anxious. The 2018 mission trip will take place in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and I couldn’t be more excited to add more fuel to my fire for Jesus that has been growing in my heart. In a few short weeks, I will have the opportunity to travel with the Marathon FCA group to the reservations to assist in building houses, work in the image and likeness of Jesus giving the people reasons to smile, and change the lives of many through simple, yet huge, acts of kindness. I have been involved in my FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) group ever since I was a freshman,

The kids in the Dominican Republic may never realize how much they helped and inspired me, but I will be eternally thankful. They may just remember some random girl giving them gifts and that’s the end of it, but little do they know they gave me such a greater gift. The passion and joy of helping

I have never known a time in my life where I have not gone to church. With that being said, it’s not my largest priority. I tend to get distracted during the school year with deadlines and hanging out with friends. It’s when I’m able to go on a mission trip that I can truly show and see what I believe in. I have been on four mission trips altogether and this summer I took a leap of faith and left the country for the first time to serve. Nicaragua held the same focuses as trips in the United States, but what I consider a mission trip from my experience in the past was not what this trip had in store.

I am writing to you today to tell you about an exciting opportunity I have through my school, Liberty Christian. My senior class will be going on a mission trip to COSTA RICA from Saturday, May 6, 2017 to Friday, May 12th. During this time, we will be working with the mission agency SCORE International in order to serve God by serving the Costa Rican people. We will have opportunities to serve and minister to the people we meet through various service opportunities, such as: children’s ministry, preaching, drama, and humanitarian aid distribution.

Much to my surprise, it had not taken a lot to convince my dad to let me tag along on a mission trip to Guatemala with him. The company my dad worked for, Family Christian Stores, held multiple mission trips each year to various locations. My dad had already been to Mexico, and was assigned to a group going to Guatemala next. Upon learning that I wanted to go, he assured me that it would not be a trip full of sightseeing or activities, but rather a time to give back to a community in need. After promising that I understood the hard work that would be involved, my dad agreed to let me

This summer I will be going to latin America through a non-profit organization called Amigos de las Americas.

Last summer, I flew to Nicaragua for ten days with a team of sixteen girls and boys. I knew a couple people who have gone to mission and service trips like this and they said it was a really good experience, so I thought about and eventually made the decision to go. It was both one of the most terrifying and amazing experiences I have ever had. When we landed and arrived in Managua, I saw people living in extreme poverty left and right. People lived in houses with large rusty metal sheets for walls and roofs. Kids played outside

The second thing I’m writing you about is to let you know that this will not be my last time asking you to partner with me in ministry. Throughout my 20s, I see myself going on many other missions trips and taking on other ministries that could not pay well or at all - all for the sake of the Jesus. Whenever people donate to ministries it is common to not hear about how the trip went, what your money went to, or what the next need is. I recognize this reality and want to counteract it. You all are a vital part of what I do, in partnering with me in these ministries you should know how I’m doing and what is

We have spent some unbelievable time in Brazil, Nicaragua (X 5), Honduras (X 5), Africa, and Hungary. We are rolling to Mexico this June, and I am looking forward to serving in Haiti in the very near future. During these trips, my ministry focused on women and children. I have been called to be a carpenter, painter, roofer, journalist, photographer, teacher, evangelist, pharmacist, concrete mixer, story teller, clown, softball/soccer coach, and singer to name a few. God called me to be an ambassador for Christ, and He has never failed to be my provision. Any menial task that was my responsibility, He smiled as I enthusiastically performed my calling. From dodging scorpions and poisonous toads to running from a brood of chickens, I never had a dull moment on mission with God. My travels began in 1999, and the following pages are stories

Hello again, Alexa here, back in my home town safe and sound. Words cannot express how grateful and blessed I truly am to have had your financial and prayer support these past six months! Costa Rica has been not only an adventure, but also a journey. It was an adventure because I was able to go somewhere with a new culture, different ideas, and unfamiliar faces. The foreign aspect of the trip allowed me to place my total trust in God. I ventured up mountains and played fútbol (soccer) in the dirt. I served in villages so dangerous, even ambulances were instructed not to go in and help. I witnessed little ones cry tears of joy when they were given a soccer ball to keep but also their eyes light up with excitement when I taught them how to apply temporary tattoos! Moreover, Costa Rica was a journey because of what i underwent spiritually throughout my time there serving. I was humbled and made more culturally aware especially in regards to the needs and struggles Costa Ricans face everyday. The second day in Costa Rica we spent at a church in a secluded village near the valleys. Each of us had a station whether it be face painting, passing out bags of different foods (rice, tuna, vegetables, beans, and other canned foods), dancing, craft making, or just playing ball with the boys. I was instructed to apply temporary tattoos on the children. Many of the tattoo designs included the well known Jesus fish with words like Faith or Hope. I would say "Quieres solo," or Do you want

I am an Emeritus General Authority from the Quorum of the Seventies, native of Mexico, and I have written a small book to encourage young people to go on a mission.

It was the last day of my trip, and while I was washing plates in my grandmother’s house, the sunlight was reflected on the plates to my eyes. The fear going through my veins, my mind confused with everything that have happened two weeks ago. Uncertainty of what event would destroy or rebuild my heart. What would happen next ?. The future is unpredictable, so far that is a concept that now I understand. Considering the time spent in my country Colombia , vacations, friends, and parties were the words that stay on my mind for the first two weeks, otherwise the next two weeks were not what I planned. Firstable I was not supposed to be there for these last two weeks, but I am grateful. “No puedes viajar hoy” were the words asserted by the airline

Think about the poverty and problems that all countries around the world are facing today and every day. As Americans we have an urge to go into these countries to help as much as possible because of that we have begun a revolution. Americans began going on mission trips around the 1960s but did not really pick up until the 1990s. The trend grew after multiple natural disasters, Americans saw and need and went, since then short term mission trips show no sign stopping anytime soon. As the popularity of leaving our comfort zones, many people have found issues with the way the trips are led to the extent of questioning whether or not these trips are really worth the amount of money and time that they consume. Through periodicals, interviews, narratives, and articles, I will show the issues and improvements that could be made to the living situations, attitude of the Americans, and relationships that are acquired during the short term mission trips.

In spring of 2016, my youth group and I began planning a trip to a neighboring city. This wasn’t just any trip however, we were going on a mission. Each of us there were bound and determined to