Unbelizeable!

Sorry for the corny title but I’m still unable to resist substituting “Belize” for anything that even remotely rhymes. 

The reason is because I recently got back from my second mission trip to Belize. To say it was amazing is an understatement.

Lives were changed (including my own).

There were way too many great things that occurred on the trip to go into in this post, but one of the coolest was that I finally got baptized and I got to baptize my daughter (who also went on the trip). It was absolutely amazing.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the trip, I’ve recorded a 30 min audio going into day-by-day detail. You can listen to it here:

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Interestingly, the biggest takeaway I got from this trip was very different from the last time…

Before I left for my first trip, many people said I’d come back with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for all that I had. That wasn’t my experience at all. This may sound weird, but I came back with a feeling of disgust and guilt that I had so much materially-speaking.

I already lived a pretty low-key, modest  life (no matching Ferraris in the driveway or 4 lb. 24k gold chains with $ pendents) but compared to the vast majority of people there, I was extremely wealthy.

Heck, twenty people from Belize could live in my house and have more space than they do now at their homes. This caused me to really look at what’s important, live even more simply, and appreciate what’s really important in life (relationships).

 

This time I felt bad too, but for a different reason. I came back and I asked myself…

“Why aren’t I doing things EVERY DAY to help, touch, inspire, or comfort someone?”

 

On the trip it was all about other people, every day – the kids in VBS, the kids at the orphanages, the people of the community, etc. I was a servant each and every day, pure and simple. And you know what? It was great! It was awesome and very fulfilling.

In contrast, here in the States, somehow it’s become more about me – making money, doing my thing (going to the gym, etc.), pursuing my goals, paying bills, etc.

I don’t like that. 

 

I’ve been incredibly blessed and I need to give more of my time and resources on a regular basis. (BTW imagine if we all did that? What an awesome world it would be!)

I know right now you’re probably thinking “Wow – sign me up for a trip!” after hearing these tough, slap-in-the-face take-home lessons, but sometimes it’s those hard realizations that enable us to see things differently and make a big shift in our lives. And everyone has different take-home lessons. Everyone is different.

That being said…I firmly believe (ahem…I mean Belize) that everyone should go on a mission trip at least once in their life.

It will change the way you look at yourself, the world, and why we’re here. It’s really phenomenal and incredibly rewarding. I can’t recommend it enough.

 

Again, if you’d like a more in-depth account of the trip, I’d love to share it with you.

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for a listen to the audio and if you’re interested in viewing our online Shutterfly photo album CLICK HERE

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