The Week Abroad that Changed My Life

A year and two months ago, (yes I know the exact duration) 19 of us traveled to the beautiful country of Costa Rica. With Edge Outreach and God as our guides, we boldly boarded plane after plane and bus after bus until we finally arrived in this beautiful country. Our mission: simple, we were traveling to teach the people of Costa Rica about clean water. There, they drank out of whatever water source they had-usually it was contaminated and very unhealthy. We were not only going to teach them about clean water; how to use it and, that it should be used instead of their normal water sources but we also installed two water filtration pumps so they could have clean water for themselves and everything we were teaching them wasn't just for not. 

Going into the trip I will tell you that honestly, I was scared. Scared of this new culture that I was going to be an outsider to for a week. I was scared that they would reject me or be mean to me. When I got there, it was the exact opposite. I have never met more kind and loving people than those I met in Costa Rica. My favorite memory was when we went to go get the supplies for the water pumps (which took forever because Costa Ricans are never rushed) the store that we were in gave us all coffee and cookies! What hospitality! You would have to be at a very fancy place to get that in the US not just a simple hardware store. But the thing that I learned most from Costa Rica was that people are the same. Two people don't have to be from the same country in order to have things in common or carry on a conversation. I talked to two girls about their love for Justin Bieber while I was down there. Specially where kids are concerned, we have so many things in common and there is no reason to be scared of someone different than you. Ask questions, start a conversation and you'll discover how you two are really alike even if you live in two very different countries.

Costa Rica changed my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for that trip. Before the trip, I had every intention of going into the music world for a career. But now, since I've been to Costa Rica, I know that mission work is where I'm called to be. When you travel to a foreign country to do mission work its high energy and high involvement all the time. You're constantly going, going, going and, helping, helping, helping that when you get back to your home country, (specially for the United States) you look around and ask, "what now?" You look around you at all of the nice things you have; the stainless steel appliances or multiple cars in your driveway, and you feel sick to your stomach. When I came home I cried the entire last day; just when I had mustered enough willpower to get home, the first two steps I took into my kitchen forced me back into tears. I was disgusted with myself. I looked around at all of our stainless steel appliances and food in our refrigerator and asked myself, "how could I want new things like a car and an iPod when people down in Costa Rica just want CLEAN WATER?!" Its a big thought. You have to get out of your world in order to experience the world around you. God Bless