Day 1: The day we arrived in Puerto Rico, we got to explore some of San Juan in the afternoon. We met some very interesting people. The entire time I rarely spoke any English. I got to practice my Spanish so much! And the best part, I was understood! We got back to the Salvation Army (our lodging) and had dinner. I made lots of new friends (from Mississippi and North Carolina) and had so many great laughs before evening worship.
Day 2: After waking up at a bright and early 6:45 am, we ate breakfast and headed to Guayanabo for our mission work. When we arrived, the kids were peeking out of the trailer windows to see us. We were given a tour of the church, prayed over, and split up (half would do construction/home improvement work, and the other half would help with a VBS).
During class today, we talked about the birth of Jesus and I helped translate/ tell the story in Spanish.The kids were so sweet and I connected with them SO well, despite the language barrier. The last hour of today, we went on a prayer walk. After each kid was paired with a teenager or an adult, we walked around, praying for things and inviting kids in the neighborhood to come to the vbs. It was so touching!
Day 3: I got to translate the story and skit of Jesus dying on the cross for VBS. After a craft and lunch, I switched to help with painting one of the new trailers. One great thing about today was the fact that it had been consistently raining off and on and Puerto Rico was/still is in a drought. I love how he provides!
God was putting on my heart to go inside the sanctuary (weird, right?). This was a different building, but I went in there anyways and in the sanctuary was the pastor’s son and young grandson as well as our group leader and the entire project leader.
The leader and I talked for about an hour and she said that God put it on her heart to tell me that I was so strong and she said she could see it. She had some personal adversity that she went through, and that helped build her to where she is today. It’s just phenomenal how much we related. I was really encouraged by her story!
That night after a typical Puerto Rican dinner, we had our nightly debrief and our project leader taught on listening prayer. During that time, about 8 things that happened that day, whether in conversation, our devotions or in ministry, connected together with the teaching. It was amazing how soooo many things connected at once and it was great to see God work right within us!
Day 4: On this day I had the opportunity to step back and lead from behind, as I wasn’t translating VBS that day. I was excited about what God was going to show me through this opportunity for others to lead. In the morning, I helped create visual aids for the kids to understand the story of the resurrection and then helped paint the outside of their new trailers.
After a great lunch, I helped with the vbs and we were able to visit the daycare across the street and minister to them as well. Our kids even used their own visual aids that they made and explained it to the kids at the daycare. We literally took our VBS kids on a mission trip!
That night during debrief, we also learned that one of the boys who has been coming to VBS all week, lives in a household with people that all are part of an African tribal religion and this was his first splash of God and his love. Powerful. Our team meetings always allow me to see things from a different perspective and learn new ways to go at things.
Something else I learned is that being a Christian is completely a full time job. You shouldn’t only minister and evangelize when you’re on a mission trip in a foreign land, but at home in the grocery store, sitting in a baseball game, literally always. God is always good, trust him and keep the faith.
Day 5- Our last day in ministry, we drove to Guaynabo to meet up with the kids prior to departing to Old San Juan. We were greeted with smiles and parcha flavored icees, and invited to place our handprints on the wall in one of the trailers we painted. Then we got into the party bus and departed for San Juan.
We stopped at an outlook and admired the beautiful landscape God created and allowed us to see before embarking on such an important mission trip (within a mission trip). Each teen was partnered up with one of the kids and given magnets that said “Jesus loves me and I adore him” in Spanish as well as some other informational cards about Christianity in both English and Spanish! For the rest of the day, we evangelized with the kids!!
After a long morning of walking in the hot Puerto Rican sun, we were greeted with the familiar chant of “tengo hambre, tengo hambre!!!!”, we headed to Vaca Brava for some phenomenal steak, chicken, ribs and pork (paid for by the church!! :0). After this fantastic lunch, we walked around the area still and then returned to one of the old forts in San Juan and flew kites with the kids.
It was SO bittersweet when we had to say goodbye. I learned so much from all of these energetic, smiling children. The rest of the afternoon/evening we walked around San Juan and happened to walk the exact path as marked with “God loves you” magnets! How crazy! God shows himself in so many unique ways!
Overall, I learned to listen to God on this trip. So many times in my life I have gotten signs from God, and ignored them, or not wanted to hear them. This week, God opened my eyes. Through people, scripture, things, events, everything, I see it through God. I appreciate more of the trials I’ve been thrown at now as well. When I went through a ton of adversity, it was hard yes, honestly I did lose faith a little, but I figured it out, powered through, and moved on, better than in previous, but something was missing. This week allowed me to see what I really needed.
I know the kids absolutely learned from me, but I think I learned so much more from their compassion, encouragement and unyielding love.
God is so good.
