This missions trip to Guatemala was my second missions trip ever and my first going to Guatemala. Before I departed on this trip, I imagined the villages would be a lot like the poor villages you see in the movies. And to be honest, that is a lot like how many of the villages looked. But actually being there, the experience was very different.
Often, the whole town would be covered with the smell of smoke in the air. Stray dogs would roam the streets and in the churches, when we were doing VBS, the sound of babies crying was pretty overwhelming
I often thought to myself throughout the trip that these people did not deserve to be in this condition and that we take so much in our lives for granted. Even following our youth group events, you can find excess food left lying around on tables or thrown away, but the Guatemalan people were struggling to survive with the scarce food they had. And while we often think of schools as prisons, many of the Guatemalan children dream of going to a school and learning.
And even though there was not much I could do to help them with the situation they were living in, I was there because I wanted to evangelize to the people who did not have a relationship with God. But this time, I was the one who was blessed with God’s love.
Up until this missions trip, I had learned a lot about God’s love, but never experienced it myself on a personal level. But throughout this experience in Guatemala, I could see the Holy Spirit working within and through everyone, including in me.
During the missions trip, God would guide us to pray to the Holy Spirit and miracles would happen. Witnessing these amazing things helped my faith in God grow stronger.
I recommend that everyone here go on a missions trip even if it is not overseas like in Guatemala because it is during these missions trips that you feel the Holy Spirit communicating with you so strongly. And, like me, you will truly learn how great it is to share God’s love to His people.
Dongsan Youth Group 