1) How long have you been involved in Missions work?
I have been involved in Missions work since 1996.

2) Where did you go on your first trip?
My first domestic trip was to inner-city Dallas in 1996.
My first overseas trip was a 17 day trip to Panama in 1999.

3) What other countries have you visited?
I have had the amazing privilege of traveling to Mexico, Panama, Honduras, Jamaica, Viet Nam, and India.

4) In getting prepared to leave for Missions, what did you find to be your greatest obstacle?
The greatest obstacle in preparing for a Missions trip is taking the time to get ready spiritually. I have a huge tendency to make sure I have everything packed in my suitcase properly, but sometimes I have overlooked adequate prayer time to ask the Lord to guide me and teach me before, during, and after the trip.

5) What motivated you to go?
I had attended the Walk to Emmaus in 1996 and the week I returned, my daughter asked if she could register for our church’s first student mission trip to inner-city Dallas. I felt led to go as well so, I phoned the youth minister to ask if he needed an adult sponsor. He said he was just then praying for a female sponsor. In answer to the question, the Lord motivated me to go.

6) Describe your first thoughts on arriving in a foreign country.
Arriving in Panama City was surreal, as if I were in a movie. The sights, the sounds, the culture, the dress, and the aroma were so very different from home. Just the airport itself was an experience. I felt as if I had stepped back in time 20 years. During the trip, we spent three days in the mountains in a remote village outside the City of David. The people of the village were incredible. They lived in grass huts and carried their water from a nearby river. They made trinkets to be sold in the City to provide for their basic needs.

7) What is your favorite memory or most poignant moment?
When we entered the Rag-picker area in Northern India, we were mobbed by the children. They wanted to hold our hands and be touched. Their big brown eyes and sweet smiles continue to play in my memory. We were informed that these children and their families are members of the lower caste in India, and their job is to dig through the garbage and pick out items which can be sold for recycling. Because they are members of the lower caste, or untouchables, they are not touched by outsiders. Therefore, when we arrived in their village and were willing to touch and hug them, the children were elated. My heart was broken for these kids, yet joyful because of the smiles a simple touch put on their faces. They had very few material items, yet they had joy.

8) Have you ever gotten ill or experienced danger on a Missions trip?
I thank God that I have not gotten ill on a trip; however, it is inevitable that I will experience several days of discomfort after I return, simply due to the change in diet and climate. The only time I have felt even close to danger was in Viet Nam. Our hotel rooms were regularly searched, and each day when we left the hotel for our prayer walk, the clerk would ask where we were going that day. We are confident that he was taking this information to the police station across the street from the hotel. Danger is probably not the correct word for this, but knowing that the team was being watched was a concern.

9) What shocked you the most about conditions you experienced or cultural differences in a country you have visited?
In every country that I have visited, the poverty is indescribable. Families living in grass huts or tents made of rags, and cooking every meal over open fires were common sights. We also saw women washing dishes in the gutter; washing clothes by beating them on a rock near a river; people using machetes or swords to cut their crop; and people mixing hay with cow manure to create a fuel source for heating their food and homes. Most of these people do not even have access to running water or restroom facilities. I am humbled by all these experiences and grieved that I complain about minor details of my life.

10) Do you fund the trips yourself, or rely on contributions from others?
Both

11) Do you plan on going on another trip, and if so, where?
Absolutely! As long as I am able and God calls me to do His work in this area, I will go. I hope to return to India in January 2009 and possibly to go to Africa.