However uneventful this spring break was for me, a few of my close friends traveled to different ends of the earth for reasons very, very different from each other (before I actually start, let me just note that i am not judging whether either trip was better, more fun, or more life changing than the other because, well, I didn't experience them & frankly how would I know?). On the first trip, a good number of high school students from my school traveled to europe to tour london, England, and other surrounding areas (I honestly don't know the details. My eyes were distracted by all the museums they were to visit while reading their itinerary). The second group, 13 to be exact, traveled from epic student ministries in waukesha, to Costa Rica where they were to teach, disciple, and grow in their relationship with God while sharing their knowledge about him to the people that they met.
I don't doubt that every person's life was changed & impacted, regardless of which trip they went on. I, being offered a spot on both trips, didn't choose either, so who am I to sit back & choose which was better?
My question is, how does site seeing, shopping, and acquiring historical knowledge compete with the extremely spiritual & encouraging (yet heartbreaking at the same time) journey experienced by the kids who went on the missions trip? If the two groups of kids knew each other, what would it look like to have them recap their "spring break vacations" to each other? one group went to benefit themselves, while the second went to benefit others. Both groups sacrificed time & money fundraising for the trips, one leaving a little extra money for shopping & the other a little extra money for soccer balls. What is the basis for comparison?!
"you only live once" (aka YOLO.. which I think sounds just dumb but ok) has been a popular phrase lately, encouraging people to take risks, to do things they wouldn't normally do, and change the way they think. It defined the way the Europe kids viewed their adventure. You only live once. You only see Europe once. Love it. Enjoy it. Spend money. Have fun! I see this as the American way to look at life. Like "oh, forget your savings, forget what matters, just have fun & nothing else."
The kids from epic though, see "you only live once" as "you only have one chance to get through to these people before you have to leave." "you only have one life to win lives for the kingdom of heaven." which, I'm sorry, has far more value in Gods eyes. The courage, the passion, & the motivation they had to get on a plane to a third world country in order to impact the lives of other humans is what God has called us to do- it is the reason he planted us here in the first place.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to go to London. To see what God has provided there. To experience the way others live. I just don't know of any of that matters when there are still empty stomachs & lost people.
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