Our family just returned from a missions trip to Grenada, West Indies this past week with a team from our church.
We helped conduct VBS and other evangelistic outreach, and what an enjoyable and memorable experience it was. From the very moment we arrived and first met the Grenadian people, there were two things that quickly became very obvious to all of us – they are a people with so much less (things, toys, gadgets, conveniences), but they are a people with so much more (joy, contentment, easy-going disposition).
While it would be hard to share all the many things God taught us over the past week, here are a few of the lessons and reminders that stood out to me from rubbing shoulders with the good people of Grenada:
1 – Prioritize People Over Possessions
Surprisingly, the Grenadian culture doesn’t seem to lend itself to the same level of focus on materialism and things as we do in America. Rather, much more of their focus is on relationships with other people in their daily lives. They are not running an endless rat race as we do in America to constantly get “the next best thing”, and their access to such things on the island is very limited.
They make the most of what they have, and they are content with such things. This is something most of us definitely need to learn in the U.S.
2 – Prioritize Passion Over Perfection
While we often try to put equal emphasis upon both passion and perfection in most everything we do (especially ministry), if we had to choose between the two, passion should win over perfection. While the Grenadian people are not perfectionists in the way they do things, they are very passionate in the way that they do them.
The first evening church service our team went to during the week was an eye opener for our entire group. To see and to hear the way in which the Grenadians worship and praise the Lord with such passion was energizing. They were just so real in their worship that it was both refreshing and challenging at the same time.
It makes you stop and think how often we are guilty of focusing more on perfection than passion, and as a result, missing out on the greater of the two. While I believe that we can and should strive for both, it’s important to remember which is most important.
3 – A Nicer Life Does Not Necessarily Make It a Better Life
In America, we’re used to nice finished homes and churches with carpeted floors, multiple indoor restrooms, air conditioning, etc. But those are all things that many foreign countries have very little of. And while I wouldn’t want to live without the niceties of my American life, surprisingly, the people of Grenada were far happier and content with their less than most people in America are with their more. We could live with far less than what we have or think we need.
Paul said in I Timothy 6:8 “Having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” Life is what you make of it, and I was reminded that a nicer life does not necessarily make it a better life.
4 – Less Really Can Be More
It was an amazing thing to see how little these people have. Things that we daily take for granted are things that they don’t even consider having to go without. It was such a joy to watch children get so excited over small things like toothbrushes, notebook paper, candy (“sweeties” as they call them), bubbles, and sunglasses.
They have no Walmart, no Dollar Stores, and no access to so many little things that we have daily at our fingertips. They have so little, but they are so thankful for the little that they have. It was quite convicting. I was especially thankful that my children saw this firsthand and were greatly impacted by it.
5 – It’s Okay to Slow Down and Enjoy Life
The fast paced busy culture that we see all around us on a daily basis is not what we saw this past week. Rather, people actually take their time to slow down and “smell the roses”. Their roads and traffic are crazy, but no one seems to get easily upset or ticked off with one another.
It was also interesting that when you bring something to their attention, their response is always “no problem”. They seem to have very little “problems” because they simply go with the flow of life, and don’t get bent out of shape over the little daily inconveniences that we might normally let ruin our day.
It was thrilling for my wife and I to watch our two oldest kids get to experience the culture and life lessons to be learned from this missions trip and these people. In addition, they were both able to lead their first souls to Christ as well this past week. How cool! I’m excited at how the Lord worked in their hearts and know that it has the potential to bring about life-change for them both now and in the future.
If you ever get the chance to go on a missions trip with your family, I would strongly encourage you to make whatever sacrifices necessary to make it happen. The benefits and blessings for both you and others will far outweigh the sacrifices that you’ll make to be able to go.
