There is a great value to short term missions work in that there is never a dull moment while on the trip and there is a deep connection to the people formed very quickly during the time on the trip. There is a great amount of social capital that happens during these trips, and that is mainly centered around social bonding, bridging, and linking. The social bonding and bridging aspects of social capital are the most common to take place on short term mission’s trips. When I went on my two mission’s trips to Mexico I think that it was easier for me to form the bridging attribute with the locals because I didn’t know any of them and there was an extremely open policy when it came to getting to know the people who lived in Mexico and the connections that we all made. When I went on my mission’s trip there were definitely resource brokers there that were distributing resources among the impoverished people in the Barrio. They were there distributing food among the poor and had set up feeding centers in the middle of the slums in Mexico. So like my experience my sister went to Mexico, more specifically to Puerto Vallarta where they viewed many different sites and experiences as they were there.
1. A: Where did you go on your mission trip? How long was it? Who did you go with? And how much did it cost? How did you get the money?
K: We went to Puerto Vallarta for eight days and I went with my youth group from church. There were around a total of 35 people and then adults who went on the trip. The trip cost around five hundred dollars for the deposit right off the bat. The other money was obtained through support letters that I wrote and the servant auction that our church puts on every year for all the high school missions trips.
2. A: Did you prepare as a team to go on the missions trip?
K: We met four times before we left for the trip where we planned out our itinerary set goals for the kids and set goals for the trip as an overall objective. There were no team building activities that we participated in.
3. A: What was the task that you all were sent there to do?
K: Our goal was to spread the good news and God’s love. To “Show em love.” And we helped build a church for the community
4. A: Who did you minister to? Who did you go to be with?
K: We went to the impoverished areas and the outskirts of tourist spots and to the people that lived there. The age range was 10 and under for the VBS and then parents to accompany kids.
5. A: What was the most special thing that happened to you while you were in Mexico? Why was that so special to you?
K: We went to minister to the people there, aka natives. And then went to strengthen relationship with god. But at the end it all comes together everything just bundles and you are there for everyone. Also there was the time when the group was singing on the balcony in the rain just a few acoustics. A time with god where they could really connect, lose the distractions of home.
6. A: Was there anything that you brought back that had a great sentimental value to you?
K: There was one thing that I brought back but actually lost on the flight home. A little girl made me a bracelet out of flowers and that was very special to me.
7. A: What were some things that you learned by going on this missions trip?
K: We all need a break from our comfort zone and to get mentally back into the right mindset and the distance away from technology and building your communication skills. Don’t take things for granted so much, you don’t need technology to be happy, there is a lot more to live for than just the miniscule things that we surround ourselves with.
8. A: Did you learn anything from the people down there or do you think that they learned anything from you?
K: They felt loved and cared for and that they might not typically get that same love from their family and that they were being cared for and just that every time they came that they would get a meal and that the