First Mission Trip
Alicia went with the team to Myanmar in July. This was her first mission trip and here’s a little something she wanted to share.
Before I went on this trip, my friend told me that it would change my life. I believed her, but I underestimated just how life-changing it would turn out to be. This being my first mission trip, I didn’t know what to expect.
One of the first things that struck me when I got to Myanmar was how different the place was, both in terms of the buildings and people. I quickly learnt that the people there are really different from the people we meet in Singapore, their attitude towards life is very different.
Youth Combined Cell Meeting
The first time we went to the church was to help out in their youth cells. They were having combined worship when we got there, and that was my first time experiencing worship in their church. Even though I could not understand most of what they were singing as it was in Burmese, I could still hear the passion in their music and voices. I was quite touched by this as recently, I have been thinking a lot about worship and lately I had been feeling as though I didn’t really have the ‘feel’ when I was worshipping. Although I still sing out loud and worship God, lately I had been feeling as though I’m always reaching out for something more but I didn’t know what it was. However in Myanmar, experiencing their worship, I felt as though I had discovered that missing ‘something’ that I have been looking for. To me, it seemed as though they had a message that they were shouting out loud at the top of their voices for everyone to hear. That’s what touched me the most about their worship. Not the music or words, but the passion and feeling in their voices.
Even the little children in their Sunday School are so wonderful. Even though they are so young, there’s only one word I can think of to describe their worship: intense. They raised their hands and sang at the top of their voices. At one point, all of them came to the front and spent time worshipping and kneeling before God. For me, this is not something I see in Singapore often, and I was really touched by what I saw. I was also honestly surprised at how attentive and kind they were to us and even to each other. Throughout the Sunday School lesson and Bible Study, they didn’t fidget or talk among themselves, they just sat there all eyes and ears.
Another part of the trip that really touched my heart was when we were visiting the two orphanages. When we got there, I was first struck by the love and hospitality they showed us. Throughout our time there, they were on their best behaviour and were really good hosts, ever ready to help us and to do whatever they could to make us feel more comfortable. Even though the children there are poorer than us in terms of material possessions, I felt that they were so much richer in terms of character.
With the children at the orphanage
Even during dinner, the children were so wonderful and hospitable. They noticed that I wasn’t eating much and that I gave most of my rice away (partly because my stomach wasn’t feeling too good that day), so they kept offering me more rice and dishes. It even got to a point where they put food on my dish for me, so that I would eat more. When dessert came and I wasn’t done with my rice, they saved some dessert for me by putting it on my dish. Those small gestures really touched me, because it just showed their love for others.
Overall, the entire trip was a heartwarming, eye opening and humbling experience. Their attitudes are so different and they are so much more contented as compared to us. I think that in Singapore, sometimes we are so blessed that we forget that it is God who has blessed us, and we forget to be truly thankful to Him. We have so much more than the people in Myanmar, yet oftentimes, it seemed as though they were so much more contented. I feel that over these five days, the people there have really taught me much about life and having the right attitude.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the people I met, and this trip. Though it was only five days, I had more life-changing experiences than I had in the past few months. I thank God for this trip, and I’m truly looking forward to another one.
