Why the Bahamas?

There were a lot of emotions mixed up in my head when I would first shared about this trip. What would my non-believer friends and family members think? I was still in the infancy stages of my walk with Jesus, only about 6 months into it, and I was worried I would lose my old friends. Have I become a "Jesus freak" or a "Bible thumper?" Was the old Dan gone? I was truly worried about what they would think. Explaining what a mission trip was very uncomfortable for me, not really knowing what a mission trip was myself. Most thought I was just going on a Habitat for Humanity trip.

But what shocked me the most was this one. "The Bahamas? What about all the people in your OWN country who need help?" Wow - this hit me hard. Were they right? Should I do something here at home? I would reply, "Hey, I didn't pick the location. I'm just a chaperone." Looking back at that moment, the thing that upsets me the most was not how I responded to this particular question, but after. I slowly stopped sharing about what I was going to do for fear of more of the same from others. It was almost like I was ashamed. I didn't have a defense. What would I say? I had no idea what to do, so I did nothing.

But something happened on that week back in 2005. And for anyone who has ever gone a mission trip, you know what I mean. At first we were the Americans and they were the Bahamians, us and them. But before long, those barriers were melting away, and I let myself care. I didn't want to. I wanted to go down there, fix up some houses, play with some kids, and come home. Caring was not on my agenda, but I couldn't help it. There is something about the spirit and faith that these people had that made me fall in love with them.

And just like that there were no Americans vs. Bahamians. We were all Christians. Children of God working together. It didn't matter where they were from or where we were from. Jesus reached out and ministered to all people, no matter their background or location. So why should I limit myself to these boundaries? Why should I be care what a few people thought about it?

So I came home that summer and shared with everyone about my week - what it was like, what we did, who we met. And if people questioned me, I shared even more. I wasn't going to hide this. These people, this place - it was all apart of me now.

I can't wait to get back each year. But I also can't wait to come home and give the answer, "Why NOT the Bahamas?"