Why I Refuse to Forget IMMERSION

A year ago, my team and I returned home from our 6-month IMMERSION adventure to Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Belize.

Some days, it feels like it never happened. Bucket showers, living out of a backpack, eating exotic foods, and the slow Caribbean lifestyle. It can often feel like just a dream.

But most days, memories of IMMERSION drift into my mind. I daydream of waking up on a thin foam pad in the Costa Rica heat. I smile when I remember my host mom singing in Spanish as she prepared our breakfast feast of plantains, rice and beans, and sausage. I remember Jamaican Sunday School songs and Belize Vacation Bible school art projects. I laugh as I think about Jamaican taxi rides and squishing 7 people in the bed of a truck.

I remember language being a minor bump in the road as complete strangers welcomed me into their home and treated me as their own. They loved me despite my lousy Spanish, yet appreciated when I tried. I remember the frustration of wanting nothing more than to be able to share all my thoughts and feelings with these amazing people who were taking care of me.

I remember how vividly I could see Jesus everywhere I looked.

I remember church; a lot of church. I can almost transport myself back in time; an uncomfortable wooden bench, a 3-hour Spanish church service, a keyboard playing endlessly, and clapping along until my hands went numb. Rickety school bus rides down dark, Belizean backroads are where the best stories were shared and the tough questions were asked. When I think of my teammates, I can vividly recall the fighting and the constant teasing. But I also remember coming together to solve problems and laughing until I couldn’t breathe on a trampoline in the middle of the New Mexico desert.

I remember facing fears. Jumping off cliffs, killing spiders, sleeping with cockroaches, killing chickens, telling the truth, and facing my demons.

This post is for my teammates, my fellow IMMERSION-Goers. The trip did end. You did come home; back to “normal.” You feel changed. Yet no one else gets it and you feel unappreciated and misunderstood. But you are not alone. What we did on IMMERSION will not be forgotten; the people we met, the relationships we formed are real. We were a tiny part of such a bigger thing that is happening in these communities.

While memories will fade, we can always remember the way IMMERSION made us feel. That glorious feeling that we were limitless and God had everything under control. We have to strive for that feeling in our average, every day lives. God wants us to feel that way every time he wakes us up.

As you sit in your cubical or classroom, remember this: life comes in seasons. There is a time for everything, right? IMMERSION may seem like it was our only great adventure, but God is not done with us yet! There is a season for travel and excitement, and a season for real life, hard stuff, and growth. He taught us all sorts of crazy lessons on IMMERSION. It is our job to never forget those lessons and apply them to whatever season of life we find ourselves in next.

Join an IMMERSION team to Africa, the Caribbean, or the Holy Land next year! Take 1 minute to fill out an interest form right now

You must have a group size of at least 6 members to join this trip. Please view the Small Team trips or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.

View Small Team Trips

For most trips, you must have a group size of at least 6 members. Please view the Small Teams tab on each Community page or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.