My favorite summer memories include the seven mission trips I went on through middle and high school. When most people hear about mission trips, they think of journeys to third-world countries to help the less fortunate. The mission trips I went on, though, were in North America; there were six in the United States and one in Canada. Traveling to places around the United States and seeing the poverty in our country at an up-close level was incredible and eye-opening. On each of my mission trips, I did what one might expect: I painted houses, stained decks, pulled weeds, worked in soup kitchens, etc. It was very satisfying to make a difference in those ways, but there were also many unexpected benefits and life lessons that came from my mission trips.
The first thing I learned was that I could live without technology. Yes, you read that right. Although we were in the United States where cell phone service is plentiful, no phones were allowed. Or iPods, digital cameras, e-readers, computers, or video cameras, for that matter. At the time it was annoying; I didn’t understand why we couldn’t at least bring some music to listen to on the 21-hour bus ride. But looking back, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We were able to interact without checking our phones every minute waiting for a text or phone call. I learned more road trip games on those seven trips than I ever would have otherwise. Even on mission trips in which people are allowed to bring technology, leaving cell phones alone while working on a site and helping others yields a new perspective. Letting go of distractions helps you focus on the work you are doing and really live in the moment. Technology is great, but nothing beats face-to-face interactions.
The second thing I learned is that the most important thing I could build on mission trips is relationships. These relationships are different than any other relationships I have formed. The majority of the people I met on mission trips are people I will never see again. The family whose house I painted, the woman whose deck I cleaned, and the homeless teens I sat and ate lunch with…I likely won’t have the chance to see any of them in the future. Although that can be hard, giving those people a voice for even an hour or two is so rewarding. As I heard the personal stories and life experiences of people who don’t usually have anyone to talk to, I realized the best thing I could do was really listen. This simple act made them feel valuable and often made their day. My favorite mission trip relationships were the ones I formed with children. After befriending two young girls while bonding over books about puppies, saying goodbye was difficult. As they tightly hugged me goodbye, the thought that perhaps I stuck with them in some small way and maybe they told their parents about their new friend over dinner made it all worth it. Mission trip relationships are short, but the memories can last a lifetime.
