Spending 5-6 days in a place doesn't seem like a long time, but it's enough time to get attached. It's enough time for a piece of your heart to get left with certain places, certain people or certain experiences. The longer that you are away though, the harder the tug at your heart to go back.
One of our summer Guatemala teams felt that tug. They had to come back. Not everything was the same though. The team visited one of schools in Xenajol where they served last summer. The only grades in session this time where the upper grades. The team did not know any of the kids because they mainly worked with the younger kids last year. The team did a short program, exchanged questions with the Xenajol teenagers, played a game together, sang their country's national anthem, played soccer together, etc.
Even though the team didn't interact with the kids they met last year, they didn't let that stop them from showing God's love to new people. The Lord had a different plan for them this time. It was great to see them push forward and form relationships with these teenagers. They are the ones that needed love at the moment and the team was available to meet that need.
This is how every team needs to be going into a mission trip, especially to a place that they have been before. It may not be the same as last time, but that doesn't mean you shut down and mope. It calls for teams to be active and attentive to what is right in front of them at the moment. Be in the moment. Be available.
