Bienvenidos a Puerto Rico!!!

It’s been 9 days since I first touched down on the island of Puerto Rico. After much uncertainty this spring on how to spend my summer, I accepted a position as a Site Director with Youthworks!
What is YouthWorks?? It’s an incredible short-term missions organization dedicated to “providing life-changing, Christ-centered youth mission opportunities.” There is a special place in my heart for YouthWorks’ purpose because 5 years ago on my first missions trip it did just that, as for the first time I heard God calling me to something: leadership. It was during the following year that I received the call also to youth and to overseas missions, but YouthWorks was the vessel for that first step.
Now, combining all three of those passions, I find myself in the position to be a part of life-changing experiences in other students’ lives this summer. It is my responsibility to ensure that my site in Arecibo, Puerto Rico runs smoothly; that my three incredible staff members are enabled to do their jobs well; and that our relationships with partners in the community grow stronger and healthier throughout the summer. The next few months will be a fun mix of opportunities to be involved in kid’s lives, work on service projects, and organize things as I bounce around between my staff’s ministry sites and my administrative responsibilities.
Last week and this week is a time for us to set up our site and begin getting to know people here in this incredible, relationship-oriented culture. It’s been exciting already to see God stretching me through things like the necessity of speaking Spanish and leading a staff team who is just as outgoing and energetic as myself.