Missions Minded

It’s time for another round of “Five Questions on Short-Term Missions!” Today on the hot seat is Brittany Meyers. Brittany was one of my first friends when I moved to Charleston, SC after college. We had a lot of fun times together with our “Tweeners” gang at Seacoast Church. It was such a blast to reconnect with Britt when she came down to Nicaragua on a medical mission trip. It was just like old times: joking around, laughing, and generally behaving like kids. Since Britt is such a good friend, and since it’s been awhile since our last round of “Five Questions,” I’m going to throw in a bonus question today:

Nathan: How has your understanding of the Great Commission changed since your trip?

Brittany: Going to Nicaragua and serving in a medical clinic allowed me the opportunity to spread God’s love and to embark on the Great Commission strictly by “showing up”. I’ve always thought of the great commission as more of verbal evangelism, but I realized on my trip that simply by our willingness to serve as the Lord’s hands for 10 days, hundreds of people were served medically, loved beyond words and language barriers, and many were impacted eternally. I learned actions do speak louder than words sometimes and by simply showing compassion and love, hearts can be won for Christ.

Nathan: Your Christian friend has never been on a mission trip and says, “It’s just not for me.” How do you respond?

Brittany: I would encourage anyone doubting whether a trip of this nature would be “for them” or not, to take a risk and step out of their comfort zone for 10 days. God can use ANYONE and needs EVERYONE to reach those that need aid, love, and hope. You’ll find the strength needed to make the trip and will learn more about yourself in 10 days than you ever thought possible. (I wrote a little about this is my blog entry titled “Here Am I. Send Me.”) I also uncovered passions inside of me, such as nursing, that I may not have found had I not been outside of my comfort zone.

Nathan: What surprised you about your short-term mission experience?

Brittany: What surprised me most about short-term mission work was the long-term effect a tip would have on me. I still find myself referencing the trip daily and sharing with others what I learned about the people, the culture, the need, and even myself. I also didn’t expect to create such soul ties with the people I met in Nicaragua as well as my teammates. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to leave our Nicaraguan “teammates” behind, knowing I may never see them again on this side of eternity, and that I would cry harder saying goodbye to them than I have in my entire life. As for my Seacoast teammates, although we all seemed distant during the meetings that led up to our trip, once we arrived in Managua I honestly felt as though I was with family. I have never cared more deeply for 17 total strangers.

Nathan: Did you go through any culture shock in Nicaragua?

Brittany: One of the “culture shock” moments for me was having to tell a thirsty child that he could not have clean water to drink from our supply. It was such a foreign concept to me and one that shook me to the core when I saw the children reaching into murky buckets full of stagnant water for a drink. (I wrote about this in my blog titled “Now that I have Seen I am Responsible.”).

Nathan: When you’re thinking about your Nicaragua mission trip, what makes you chuckle?

Brittany: What makes me chuckle? Definitely my many hours in the pharmacy! We had such an amazing crew and even though we were located in the hottest part of the clinic and were sweaty, tired, and thirsty, we managed to laugh all day, every day. Receiving a prescription for “No-flirt 500mg” still makes me laugh along with the countless hours of teasing one another while still meeting hundreds of medical needs daily!

Nathan: When you picture a face associated with your mission, whose face is it?

Brittany: The one face that has been engraved on my heart and mind from the trip is Gabriel. There were others, such as Karla who I will never forget, but to me Gabriel served as the face of the future of Loma Linda. He played all day long in the hot sun and never complained. He would be there to greet us from the minute we arrived to moment we left. He always seemed hungry for attention and although he was at an age where most American boys would shy away from a hug in an effort to not appear un-cool, he would embrace your hug and just walk with you, arms wrapped around your waist until you decided to let go of him. He was the hardest for me to leave because I knew what awaits him in that community (i.e. drugs, crime, and fatherless homes) and I wanted to be able to rescue him from that. I still do. (I wrote a little about this is my blog entry titled “Hasta Luego, Gabriel”).

For more fantastic stories and reflections on Brittany’s Nicaragua mission trip, check out her blog. You can also read about her recent “Back to Middle School” trip with her girlfriends, seeing New Kids on the Block live in Chicago. You can follow Brittany on Twitter here. (Extra credit to anyone who can figure out what Brittany’s Twitter name means.)