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Greta about her experience with YFC:
As you know, if you have read the last blog post, I’m volunteering with YFC Germany. My mission trip is not to a third world country, but nevertheless it is a mission trip. What it is like to do such a thing is what this article is about.
My preparation for my time here in Canada started with a Seminar in Germany in the summer. We are over 40 young volunteers this year who serve in different countries all over the world. The YFC staff wanted to help us as much as possible with the questions, concerns and expectations we had. We talked about the differences of the cultures and also about spiritual difficulties we might face during our time. It was also helpful to be in contact with former YFC volunteers and ask them about their experiences. One thing we had to do while we were still in Germany was to apply for a Visa. Depending on the country it cost a lot of effort to get it. For example I had to wait for 3 months, cancel my flight and have an expensive medical examination before my application was approved. That time of waiting brought my trust in God to a next level. I’m not saying it was easy, actually it was a very tough time for me, because I couldn’t control what was happening and there was nothing I could do about it. But in the end my trust was rewarded.
When I was finally sitting in the plane, I told myself to have as few expectations as possible, because expectations you don’t have, can’t be underwhelmed.
A lot of the differences of the cultures that we were told about are true. They aren’t huge, but these tiny details in the mentality of people and the way they talk can be challenging sometimes. Being away from home you don’t only learn about other cultures, but you also notice what constitutes your own.
So far my experience here is very precious and I am pretty sure that I will grow a lot during the time. That is why I can definitely recommend it to go on a Mission trip with YFC. Regardless of what service you are doing, just keep in mind that it is always helpful to be honest and talk about things that are going well and things that bother you.
Greta
