We have a guest writer on the blog today! Mason Hillmar shares his thoughts concerning what he experienced on our mission trip to Jamaica. Enjoy and be edified!
I came away from Jamaica with a whole different understanding of my life. I had never been outside of the country until this trip, and It was such a blessing for the first place for me to go to be Jamaica. I didn’t experience culture shock because I knew what I was in for, but what I failed to consider was how the people living in this different culture would be so immensely happy. Until we were there, I didn’t consider that this was the only way they would know how to live. I saw them not being sad in their own poverty, but more making the most of everything that they could. It really encouraged me and gave me perspective on things. In America, if we were in the situation they were in, we would not have been as resourceful as they are. It made me aware of how wasteful we are and how we can change to really appreciate the things we have.
A way God worked through me was when I saw #GIWBTS on the wall of the church. This stands for God is Working Behind The Scenes. I didn’t really feel this until we got home, actually. The Sunday after the trip, all the youth shared their experiences in the youth room, spending nearly 2 hours just debriefing on everything. I heard 24 different stories that day, and it just amazed me how each person had a different experience even though we were all together the entire time.
Another thing I experienced on the trip was humility. When we went to the infirmary, a place where elders with mental and physical conditions are dropped to be taken care of, I went in with the mindset of I was going to help them. When we got in there, an old lady asked me to read some psalms to her. She gave me specific psalms to read, and when I did, it really spoke to me personally. She showed me that just because she might be in a different situation in her life, one that I considered lower than mine at the time, didn’t mean I was better or knew more than her. God worked through her to speak to me in a very personal way. It humbled me and showed me that I have something to learn from everyone and that no one is better than anyone else.
My friends and I grew closer on the trip, and we were all blessed by the loving people in Jamaica. The children always brought smiles to my face and I will never forget them. They made me happier than I have ever been and they showed me the true power of God’s immense love.
SCBC Youth Ministry 