Hi folks! Hope everyone is staying happy and healthy in these trying times.
It’s safe to say, that the coronavirus has effectively put everyone’s life on pause for the moment. It has certainly launched us into a period of fear and uncertainty and cancelled plans.
If the coronavirus had never shown its face, I would have been packing for my mission trip to Costa Rica right about now. Instead, I am at the airport, waiting for my flight to go home and be with my family.
Although being able to go home over spring break was definitely a pleasant surprise, I can’t pretend that I don’t feel major disappointment at losing what could have been.
Earlier this year, I was presented with an opportunity to go to Costa Rica on a mission trip with the youth ministry from my Austin church (ACC). It had grabbed my attention for some reason and I felt a strange and unexplainable urge to go, or at least to consider going. However, I had so many fears and doubts and hesitations. If I’m being honest, I didn’t really wanna go through the process of support-raising again. I didn’t want to go through the complex logistics of a mission trip. And I didn’t want to “give up” the idea of a relaxing spring break.
But God’s calling was way too strong to ignore, so I decided to completely disregard my entire list of hesitations and just GO in FAITH. The main reasons why I decided to go was to live out the trip’s vision of discipleship, as well as grow in BIG FAITH and BIG PRAYERS.
And thus began the support-raising process. I saw God provide as soon as the process started and I saw so many people in my life giving to the trip joyfully and willingly. I was overjoyed and so encouraged and felt that I had really made the right decision to go.
And then… COVID-19 happened. Dom, the youth pastor and leader of the trip, told me that he was thinking of cancelling the trip due to concerns over the coronavirus. I played it off real cool, saying that I completely understood, but in reality, my heart dropped and I was resisting all urges to shout: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? The questions started racing… How would I tell my supporters that the entire trip was cancelled?? How would they respond? Would they get mad at me? Frustrated at me? Laugh at me???
I’m quite ashamed to say this now, but no doubt the biggest thought running through my head was the shame and embarrassment I’d feel if the trip really was cancelled. I had spent the past few weeks broadcasting to everyone that I was going on a mission trip, and now everything I had said or posted would be for naught.
I was also really really mad, because it had taken a lot for me to just ignore all my fears and decide to just trust God. What about the BIG FAITH and the BIG PRAYERS? I felt sad that I wouldn’t be able to share God’s love with those in Costa Rica and disappointed that I wouldn’t get to learn BIG FAITH.
After taking some time to think about it though, I realized something very very important. Maybe, the whole trip being cancelled was an act of faith for me in itself. I had no clue why God would call me to something and then suddenly, just one week before it’s supposed to happen, He cancels it. But that doesn’t take away from the truth that God is good and that He is all-knowing. So even though I’m still very confuzzled about this whole situation, I need to trust in what I can’t see/can’t understand and just have faith that God is who He says He is, especially in times that try my faith.
So if that’s the lesson that I’ve taken away from all this, then I would call this a mission accomplished.
xoxo, JO