Laurel M.

Hello everybody! I'm Laurel McLaughlin. For those of you who don't know me, I've recently graduated from Mount Vernon Christian, I'm taking a gap year, and I've been accepted to a 3 month long mission trip to Costa Rica! I'm so excited about this adventure and I'm ready to take on any challenges that this trip may throw at me. But before I tell you the details of the trip, allow me to explain why I have chosen to take this on.

Throughout my life my heart has changed many times in the process of discovering who I am, and who I have been created to be. At one point, I came up with three questions I needed to answer in order to solidify what I believed in so that I would have a direction to my life. The first being: “Why should I believe that there is a God in the first place?” The second: “Why is Christianity the one true religion (or not)?” And the third, “What does this mean for my life?”

By the time I had fully answered these questions I came to understand the astounding beauty, grandness, and mercy of God. And with this new lens through which I saw the world I came to see the beauty in so many things around me, especially within people. C.S. Lewis worded it perfectly when he wrote, “I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been born in God's thought and then made by God is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking.”

I now see each person as someone who God uniquely designed and breathed a soul into. Seeing people this way fills my heart with a lot of compassion and love, and feeling these things has inspired me to want to help others. It is my hope that my actions and words can ultimately draw others closer to God. And as I connect with the people on this mission trip and serve the community this is my goal.

However, it is my answer to the third question that is also compelling me to go on this trip. What I determined part of the meaning of life is, is to be a good disciple of Christ. One part of this can look like using the passions God has given you to glorify Him, and one of those passions for me is traveling. I believe I can use this desire to glorify Him because I am able-bodied and ready in my spirit to discover, and in turn serve communities around the world, and it is for these reasons that I feel called to go on a mission trip.

As I have said before, I have been accepted to a team through an organization called Experience Mission to participate in a 3 month trip to Costa Rica. For the first two weeks of the trip the team will be heading to San Jose where we will do team-building activities, learn about the culture of the area, and learn as much of the language as possible before we integrate with the small village of Shiroles and our host families. Once we arrive in Shiroles we will be partnering with the organizations of the local community to provide support to people who are in turn supporting their community.

For example, our team will spend most of our time working on a church for a pastor we are partnering with, so he will be able to give back to his community to the best of his abilities. In the past Experience Missions has also worked on schools and various other buildings for this village. When I am not spending my time doing that I will be working on plantain farms, or helping out my host family around the house, and making connections with the locals.

I am both nervous and excited for what is to come, but an activity of this manner has been weighing on my heart and I feel ready to take on any challenge that comes my way. However a trip like this would not be possible without support! The total cost of this trip is $7,350. I have already contributed $2,000 of my own money and I am saving up to pay more money towards the trip if needed. However I would greatly appreciate any support you would be able to offer, whether it be a donation or to even keep me in your prayers as I embark on this adventure. My goal is to raise the remaining $5,350 by January 11th, which is the day the mission starts. I have a little less than three months to raise this money but I believe it's possible to reach my goal. It may seem ambitious, but if just 80 people donate $67 I will be able to reach it.

If you are wondering what, specifically this money will be going to, the cost of the trip includes all of my housing, international flights, bag fees, in-country transportation and food, etc, as well as donations to local partners and ministries I will be working alongside. These expenses account for roughly 75% of my trip fee and are considered hard costs that Experience Mission spends on my behalf. The other 25% of my trip fee helps Experience Mission with administrative costs because it is a nonprofit organization.

With all that being said, if you would like to make a donation, that is possible here on my website through the donation button or through “adopt-a-seat” as well. You could also donate by check. All checks should be made out to “Experience Mission”, with “Laurel McLaughlin donation” as the reason for the check and sent to

Experience Mission
IMMERSION Program
PO Box 719
Port Hadlock, WA 98339

Thank you guys so much for taking time to read my story!

God bless,
Laurel McLaughlin