I made it back!  I’m home I’m home!

Guatemala was a life-changing event.  UNBELIEVABLE.

But now I’ve got 6 chances to share it with you (maybe more!) as I fulfill my response to the six ways Seth Barnes says that a short-term mission trip can change your life.  (Read my 6 previous blog posts if you are new to my blog.  Go back to the July 7^th post – that was the first of the 6 blogs I wrote about this mission trip.)

The second way a short-term mission trip can change your life is by revealing your narcissism.  So just to refresh your memory:

nar·cis·sism  [nahr-suh-siz-em]

noun

inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. Synonyms: self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.

I have learned that, without a doubt, you cannot be a narcissist and go on a mission trip.  I mean, if “life is all about ME” then why would you bother to go somewhere to do anything for someone else?  Not only do you have a mission team of people to interact with, you also have the people you are going to serve to consider.

Here’s our fine little team of five!  We ate together, walked together, toured together, traveled together (Pastor Rick encouraged us – we were not allowed to stray!).  It wasn’t about ME, it was what the GROUP was going to do.

Here’s the room and bathroom I shared with my roomie, Joyce.  It was small – there was no room for vanity and I couldn’t be a room hog.  (And that one thingy is the showerhead by the way!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ate meals together every day, in the same place, and we didn’t choose what the meal was.  It wasn’t about what I wanted to eat or where or what I wanted to eat – my personal tastes had to be side-lined as we were a team.  Here we are walking to Faby’s – where every meal was:

And here are some examples of the food that was set before me:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this picture doesn’t show it – but it was HOT, HUMID, and did I say – HOT – while we were fixing teeth?  Poor me… NOT!  Any proper egocentric and self-centered person would have swooned in that heat and demanded air-conditioning, ice water, dry clothes, or at least a personal fan!  It was like living in a hot flash.  Our scrubs were soggy and I felt like a soggy old dish rag by the end of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were some young men who showed up every day for English lessons.  A pure narcissist would never take the time to help someone else out.  Sheryl and Joyce spent the most time with teaching English and building a relationship with these guys.  We were hot and tired, and a language barrier is challenging – but it was all about THEM (not US) 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A narcissist on a mission trip would probably expect to be gifted with all the attention – and the gifts!  We were honored to share time with some wonderful people – here you see they were gifted with Detroit Tigers ball caps!

There’s more to life then ME – there’s a WE.  It’s not all about our own needs – many times it’s about the needs of the group … or the needs of a town.

Just Laurel

James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”