It's not a vacation but you will have the time of your life.
You probably won't stay at a five-star resort and that's ok! Living amongst the local population will help you understand their local traditions and their day-to-day lives. You'll make friends with the hosts, security guards, and neighborhood children.
You will meet small children who will not own a single pair of shoes but will have the most joy of any person on this planet. The amount of humility and joy that you'll come in contact with will over-shadow all of your first-world luxuries.
Oh, yea. There may not be any hot water.
Meru, Kenya
Don't bring nice clothes.
My recommendation is to only bring 1-2 nice outfits that you can wear to the church. Every day will be filled with working in rural areas, planting trees, holding babies, painting houses, and other impactful activities that may get you a little dirty. The ideal wardrobe would be workout clothes and old sneakers.
Sweet Tanya. Always so loving and gentle with everyone she met.
Try to learn as much of the language as possible.
I'll admit, the only phrase I knew in Swahili was "jambo" (which means hello). Please do better than me. Learn how to say phrases such as:
"how are you"
"thank you"
"what's your name"
where's the bathroom"
Learning simple phases shows your commitment to the culture. Trust me, people really appreciate your dedication to learning more about them and their language.
This is Tashy. Her mom worked at our hotel. Every morning and afternoon Tashy's school bus would pick her up from the hotel. Aren't the school uniforms the cutest?!
You'll meet people who you'll never forget.
Children would ask us to take their photo because they didn't own mirrors. Guess he didn't like his selfie that Erin took.
That little girl who followed you around the village. The security guard that would always have kind words. The community leader who made you laugh. Or, the elder who told you she was your grandmother. All of these people will stay in your heart as a little piece of the country. Every interaction will teach you a lesson that our world is filled with people just like you.
Have your own personal mission and goals that you would like to accomplish prior to leaving.
Prior to leaving, your mission leader will inform the group of the goals that will be accomplished (build 2 houses, plant 50 trees, etc.) However, it'll be beneficial to have your own goals as well.
My goal was to gain relationships amongst my church family. I'm kinda an introvert so being on a trip like this really forced me to make those personal connections. And I'm proud to say that I met my goal :)
They were so curious about us being African-Americans. Most missionaries are white so seeing people that looked like them was extremely impactful.
Ronnie (our driver) was telling us about the time he was held hostage in Somalia. Crazy!
Be open to local customs and how they worship.
There won't be a CVS or Burger King. Sorry. But there will be exotic fruits, fresh vegetables, and woman who make home cooked meals every day. Challenge yourself and try something different :)
While in Kenya, we attended the local church service and boy let me tell you! Those people know how to sing, dance, and worship!! There was on-and-off drumming, singing, dancing, and jumping for three hours! I've never experienced anything like it. With that being said, make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes lol.
Our other photographer (Carl) showing the kids about that DSL life.
Do research on the organization you'll be working with.
Our prayer circle
www.zoehelps.org
Missionaries get a bad rep. I made a vow to myself that I would never force my religion on anyone. The mission group I worked with, Zoe Ministry, does not push the religious agenda but is focused on developing local, teenaged orphans to establish a career and lifestyle of their own. They believe:
"Helping Children Help Themselves."
They have a very sustainable model that encourages and supports entrepreneurialism and investing in childrens' lives. Check them out!
Jini always had a smile on her face and willing to offer a helping hand.
Stay in touch with as many people as possible.
Not just with the people in the villages you met but also your mission group. It's all about changing lives and developing a relationship beyond borders.
I just loved his little face :)