By Heath Pope
Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer
SMYRNA--Life is not necessarily equal for all. As Americans, we’ve been given a good bargain for the most part, but when you look outside of the American spectrum and into third world countries, you see the drop-off.
That drop-off woke me up. It made me realize that life is much bigger than the petty struggles any of us will go through the next day, week, month, or even year. Open your mind to the possibilities of helping others in need, who cannot do it alone. Opportunities are there through mission trips, more specifically international mission trips.
According to the company Casas por Cristo, “Short-term mission trips are undertaken by church groups comprised of members of the congregation who travel to a new location to volunteer their efforts in completing a helpful community project while spreading the gospel.” This is a wonderful experience and does not require you to go by yourself. In fact, you really have to go with others to get the full experience and help others effectively. Having friends or family there by your side eases some of your concerns.
Personal Experience
I personally went on a couple of mission trips in the summers of 2016 and 2017. They were some of the best weeks of my life. For one, I had never even been on a plane before and had to register for my passport. I had been anxious to do those things after seeing my friends go on planes and mission trips. Both trips I went on were an absolute joy, but I really enjoyed my first experience better, probably because of the unfamiliarity with the mission trip.
Your first time will usually always be your best because it is so much to take in being in another country for the first time. Being able to go with some of my life-long friends and experience this moment with them was truly special. Everyone is speaking a different language than you, but things like using your hands for communication just kind of put me in awe as I look back on it. When there is very little chance of either of you knowing what the other one is trying to say, you manage a way around it. Working together to get the job done right brings you closer to one another.
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| The Dominican view |
Information for Mission Trips
Casas por Cristo is the company (I use that term loosely because they mean so much more than just the title “company” to all of these people they help) that my church used to link us to their mission trips. You can receive more detailed information at https://casasporcristo.org/. Essentially, the goal is to build a house for a family in need in the area you choose. My church usually went to the Dominican Republic, but there are other locations you can choose from. Other options include Mexico and Guatemala. The cost to send a group of 15 to 25 people varies by location. The Mexico trips are $6,900, the Guatemala trips are $8,500, and the Dominican trips are $8,800. Other places like https://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/ do international and United States mission trips. Also, check out https://www.lifeway.com/worldchangers/projects/ for United States mission trips for construction or church planting.
The Process
Building the houses is not very hard after Day One, which is cement day. The houses are simple to make with the help of the great missionary staff Casas por Cristo provides. Most of their staff members have been building these homes for like two to four years. They understand the ins and outs of the homes.
Members of the community who walk by start helping because they care for each other. This can put you in awe for a moment.
The homes are usually complete in four days. The town throws a big community celebration when a family moves in.
It was one of the best times I have had in my life. There is so much joy, and the music they play is presented with so much passion. Everything they do for each other is out of pure respect and love. I wish we could see more similar relationships in the United States with our own neighbors. Experiences like these will be held onto forever, and you’ll want to share stories with everyone after you go.
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| Putting the first walls up of the house |
The Family
Finally, I wanted to talk about the family’s connection with a group that goes. From the moment we stepped foot on the site, we were showered with hugs and treats that they made to show appreciation to us. The families there don’t have much. They are poor and work hard for everything they earn. They still made my group some of their own food. They didn’t have to do anything for us because we were there for them, but they did because they wanted to show us how much we meant to them.
It was heart tugging almost every single time, and all of the laughs we shared were moments I’ll never forget. I hope everyone gets a chance to experience what I did one day.
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| The family and students |
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