At Experience Mission, we are passionate about seeing people make missions a lifestyle, not just a one-week or six-month experience. Our IMMERSION program gives young adults the chance to go, but also the challenge to come back and make a difference in their home context.
We’re proud of our growing network of young adults who are choosing to live boldly. If you're considering joining an IMMERSION team, we challenge you to ask the question, “Who will I become?”
Meet Karis! Karis was part of our very first-ever Costa Rica IMMERSION trip several years ago. Although Experience Mission had relationships on the Bribri Reservation prior to 2013, this first IMMERSION trip was still a radical new way of living for team members and locals. On a recent Facebook post, Karis reflected,
“Four years ago, I came home from Costa Rica for the first time. Needless to say, my life was changed forever. It was the first time I had ever made a decision to go somewhere without knowing anyone or anything, believing audaciously that God was going to provide for all of my needs—and he did. Financially, emotionally, spiritually, physically—I never lacked anything.
That first summer was so challenging. I missed home, language barriers were rough, and I just wanted to drink water without having to filter or treat it first. But I learned so much about myself, my teammates and God’s creativity. His faithfulness stretches across cultures and international borders.”
Since that first stretching summer, Karis has continued serving alongside Experience Mission. First as a summer staff member, returning to Costa Rica for another summer to lead short-term trips! And later, bringing family members and her home church on several mission trips to introduce them to what God is doing in Costa Rica. In each new season, Karis has intentionally stayed connected with her Costa Rican family and friends—bringing two worlds together. And some of those initial conversations that happened at IMMERSION training are still impacting her life today. She says,
“During training, an EM staff member from South Africa led a session on worldview and shared the concept of ‘Coram Deo’ which is Latin for 'in the presence of God' or 'walking in the face of God.' All these years later, that phrase has shaped the way I think of ministry and my purpose in life.”
Karis currently works as an intern counselor doing trauma therapy at a children’s advocacy center, which gives her the opportunities to love kids and families who have been impacted by abuse. When she’s not at her internship, Karis also works part-time for her church’s children’s ministry, helping 4th and 5th-grade students learn more about God and how they can have a relationship with him. These are just two platforms that allow her to make missions a lifestyle and continue practicing the things she learned in Costa Rica so many summers ago. She says,
“IMMERSION taught me the value of relationships and about meeting people where they are. You learn to sit in their suffering or celebrate in their joy. This is a lot like working as a counselor or working in ministry now. Even when we don’t have the words—whether from a language barrier or a deep emotional wound—sometimes God simply uses our presence to show his love. We just have to show up.”
We’re proud of you for pursuing your calling to be a counselor, Karis. It’s beautiful to see the ways God is using you and we hope to see you in Costa Rica again soon. ¡Pura Vida!
—
More IMMERSION Stories
Site developed and hosted by Skycog, Inc.