Forgotten People of Jasmine

Just getting caught-up on a little blogging. A few weeks ago I and a team of 26 folk headed down to Costa Rica. We built two houses for some amazing people. The poverty in Jasmine is unbelievable. The first home we walked in was nothing more than a little 10×10 shack. Upon arriving we were introduced to a woman we would be building one of the homes for while she was doing the dishes. Standing over a make shift sink, she was scrubbing her modest home-wear in water I would not let my dog drink out of. Needless to say her home, like many others in the neighborhood, was a reflection of a systemic of the greed and power-hungry nature of big government, but I don’t want to dwell on that.

Our team had an amazing time. I am so very proud of the teenagers we took. They worked extreamly hard and made a lasting difference in the loves of two families. Since a picture is worth a thousand words here is a brief video of our time.

Here is what one of our students had to say about the trip.

“I recently had the pleasure to be involved in my first missions trip. Since returning home I’ve been thinking of the perfect way to describe to those who didn’t go, how awesome and life-changing the trip was. But then it hit me, there is no perfect way to describe it. Simple words won’t help you understand how great the trip was, because the trip was pure emotion. That’s what a missions trip is all about. It’s about forgetting the culture, forgetting what the world says and going out and making a difference in someones life.

Now, I could spend the rest of this blog telling you all the awesome and amazing things that happened there, but it wouldn’t matter. Most of you reading weren’t there. Instead of telling funny and crazy stories that won’t affect your lives in any real way, I’m going to stick to telling you the lasting impact we made there.

In just 1 week, we made 2 homes for 2 families, that otherwise would have nothing. It was all possible because of God. God used us to make an impact on these families and that community. Every time people look and see these houses, they’ll be reminded of the 20+ Americans who gave up a week of their lives so they could change someone else’s. Those houses will stand as a symbol of what God does for his people. Those homes will be the symbol of hope for that community.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “why should I go on a missions trip?” here’s the answer. At the end, after all the hard-work, after the proverbial “sweat and tears.” Your reward is seeing those families, seeing how thankful they are that you did this, seeing their hope restored and their faith renewed and the overwhelming joy you feel in your heart. That, my friend’s, is what a missions trip is all about.”

I can’t wait to do it again.