If I could describe my trip with Experience Mission in two words, it would be healing and humbling. Overall, it was an incredibly transformative experience in so many ways. I’m not going to lie and say every moment was a dream, but they were real, raw, and radical. And it was in these little moments, little pockets of joy, laughs shared over a cup of coffee, dancing to worship music late at night, where I saw God. I saw pain, but I also saw unimaginable joy. I saw and experienced growth, hope, peace, and strength. The Lord worked in mysteriously wonderful ways. I was humbled beyond measure by service projects, unique church services, and the local communities.Each community we stayed with taught me something different. I learned so much about myself, the Lord, and the world. My eyes were opened to other cultures, and my heart was softened to the Lord’s grace and care. I formed lifelong friendships with both my fellow team members and the people in the local communities. Because we live in a broken world, there are going to be flaws in any church or mission organization. With that being said, there are definitely some things I would critique. I wished I would have been a little more prepared for the culture shock. From my understanding, on a South Africa trip, team members get an extra week or two as a team altogether to learn about the community and culture. However, the Caribbean trip did not receive any additional training specific to the location. I was completely unprepared for the unsanitary conditions that would await me in Belize. As a result, it took me extra time in the community to adapt to the lifestyle, sanitary conditions, and other culture shocks. The packing list is also not entirely reliable, but that’s not a major concern. Experience Mission does lack some structure, and they are not entirely clear that the trip is what you make it. However, I deeply admire Experience Mission’s dedication to cultural awareness and healthy service principles. Experience Mission values people over profit, and their relational focus on missions helps prevent hurt on both the receiving and giving spectrum. One other thing I might add is that mid-length mission trips like that of Experience Mission are not for the faint of heart. You will experience hardship, as is normal in regular day-to-day life, but there is risk in taking any sort of leap of faith. Your experience will not be perfect. Some expectations will not be met, but God uses our circumstances to work for His good. Ultimately, I would recommend Experience Mission if you are looking for a service-oriented mission trip. If you are wanting an organization more dedicated to evangelism, then this is probably not it. However, there is much to be learned and many ways to love others and God on a trip like this. Obviously, everyone’s experience is going to be different. We were each made uniquely by the one above.
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Experience Mission is a Christian non-profit organization that exists to help people love and serve others like Jesus—sacrificially, holistically, and whole-heartedly—with all aspects of each person in mind. EM connects people of all ages and backgrounds to go and participate in service and learning experiences that provide an opportunity to come alongside and serve those living in often-overlooked communities while building bridges across cultural, racial, and socio-economic divides. Serve on a 1-2 week mission trip or join a 1-9 month IMMERSION program!See more
