Transforming Communities: Brayden Hall's Journey of Service and Spirituality in Nicaragua
Episode 5 | 17 Minutes | Jul 31, 2024
Brayden Hall shares his experiences on short-term team trips to Nicaragua with One Collective. He emphasizes the importance of community and camaraderie among team members, especially when returning to the same location multiple times. Brayden highlights the impact of the projects completed during the trips, such as building roads and community centers, and how they have transformed the local communities. He also discusses the spiritual growth and personal development he has experienced as a result of these trips. Brayden expresses his plans to continue cross-cultural service, including his dream of funding and investing in a baseball complex in Masatepe, Nicaragua.
In this Episode:
Involvement with One Collective for three years, including multiple short-term trips to places like Mazatepe, Nicaragua.
Highlights of the camaraderie and community formed over multiple trips, emphasizing the deeper relationships built with locals and missionaries.
the bond formed with fellow travelers, particularly with his friend Noah, whom he got closer to through these trips despite initially doing different internships.
How the projects undertaken during his trips, such as building roads, school bathrooms, and community centers have positively transformed local communities and lasting impact
Reflections on the profound spiritual growth experienced through these trips, navigating life challenges like a breakup and family illness.
-
Brayden Hall, originally from Oklahoma and currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee, is deeply passionate about cross-cultural experiences and community service. Over the past three years with One Collective, Brayden has embarked on three transformative short-term team trips to Masatepe, Nicaragua. Brayden cherishes the camaraderie and community fostered during his trips, having formed lasting friendships with fellow volunteers who share his dedication to making a meaningful impact. Looking forward, he envisions continuing his humanitarian efforts, possibly spearheading a project to develop a baseball complex in Masatepe.
-
Introduction to Brayden and His Journey
We are here with Brayden and he is going to share a little bit about his trip and we're excited to hear about how God has been working. So Brayden, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Gosh, Sofi that was an incredible introduction.
Brayden's Background and Career
But yeah, so my name is Brayden Hall. I'm originally from Oklahoma. And if you're like, man, I've never heard of that state, then that's okay. But I currently live in Nashville, Tennessee, and I've been involved with a collective for the past three years which is exciting.
So I've gotten to serve on three short-term team trips to Massa Tepe and Nicaragua and currently for a career, I work in business-to-business sales for outsourcing big companies into different countries, a lot of their AI technology, back office work contact center work, and stuff as well. So definitely get to travel internationally a lot. And thanks to my time in Mazatepe, my Spanish isn't, it's not the best, but it's not the worst, and excited to be here today.
That's awesome. I love it. You've got a lot of experience in you. I love that.
Recent Trip to Nicaragua
So tell us a little bit about your most recent trip to Nicaragua. When, obviously we knew where you go, but when did you go and who'd you go with?
Gosh, yeah. Okay, so I got back about two months ago. So I went on a short-term team. It's eight days, somewhere around there, and I was led through Trey Campbell who works with both One Collective and then started his ministry as well called Metanoia, which is exciting. And there were 10 of us in the group. And what made this trip unique is I believe seven out of the ten were returning people People that had already been to masa type. They've already been to Beto's like they already know the whole crew but yeah, I could talk about it forever. Sophie, I'm, what do you get, what do you get for me, that's the summary.
Community and Camaraderie
I'm super curious since there were people that you returned to the trip with. These are people you've gone to Nicaragua with before. Talk about that community and that camaraderie because these are now people that you've done these trips and these trips are bonding experiences. So talk about going with people that you have already been on the trip with before.
Yeah. So that was interesting. One of my best friends Noah Swanson, interestingly enough. He and I became friends because we all did this like a crazy internship program. I could talk about it forever, so a lot of people who are on these short-term teams all did the same internship at some point. So there's that fraternal Vibe to it in a sense, but my friend Noah and I always went on separate trips and then he and I got close because we've never been on the same trip. After all, our birthdays are, like Different weeks. So what was awesome, Sofi, is that this year we got the call. Hey, it's going to be in February. And we're like, and so my buddy and I were like, did you see there's one in February like we get to bro out like on the same trip and it was like, yeah, let's do it. So that was cool.
Just a fun story. And then I've gotten to hang out with him and some of his other friends, and do some other cool things. And then, yeah, I think. Being back on the trip with people that have been there before was just like a cool maturity Specifically because It was almost this isn't like this new crazy thing I'm not just on vacation in Nicaragua it was like very intentional like it felt like every interaction with the locals with the missionaries You very intentional because there's already been that like established rapport. There have already been those relationships there. And I think Sofi just amplified the experience for me.
Yeah. no, that's awesome. I'm really glad you've got some lifelong friends from this.
Oh, it's so cool. There's some, my best friend and it's, and there's people too where you meet through different things and it's Oh, you've been on the Nicaragua trip with Trey Campbell. And it's yeah. And then a fun relationship starter too. Yeah.
Cultural Experiences and Projects
Yeah, an awesome community. As someone who's done it before and has done it multiple times, I'm curious Nicaragua brings a different culture and a different narrative and story than the Westernized culture and society. And so as you returned, what were three new things that you experienced from the culture that maybe were a bit different than what you were used three new things that were different.
Okay. Put me on the spot here. That was different in the culture. Okay. Yeah. I think my favorite will be here. I'll answer it by doing another thing too, because I think my favorite part of being on these trips and coming back is it's the conviction and what you're doing. The previous trip, you get to see it lived out when you come back. So I think my favorite part is all the different projects that we've done two years ago, three years ago, and then you come back. And it's like this thriving small Nicaraguan farm town. So have three specific ones, but I think for me it's the specific projects.
Whether it was, like, we built this little road they could, the trucks could go up the mountains and not spill fruit off the side or things. Or we built a bathroom for kids in this elementary school off this mountain in Nicaragua. Or whenever we stay back in the farm town, like we've worked on this community center, and now it's like a Thriving place to get people off the street where they can celebrate God and they can celebrate each other And they can celebrate the culture, in general, I think that's always my favorite part is Because I think a lot of the times if you read any of the books like when helping hurts and all of That there's that stigmatism of oh I'm gonna go on a mission trip and just pick up sticks off the ground and Oh, I'm just going to pick up trash and Hey, like we've all done it. That's cool. I understand. But, the types of trips that one collective posts, especially the short-term teams, everything is so you're so plugged into the community that it really, it has this like lasting effect on you I can't even really explain it. But it's so cool because you come back to the States and you're like, I just miss my friends, I miss my Nicaraguan community. I miss them, and so I think that's, to answer your question, it's seeing all the cool projects come to life every time they come back.
Talk to me a little bit about how you're working on the field, you're building a road, or whatever. Did you expect when you came years later that would be a thriving little ecosystem or was that in your mind when you were building it? Or were you like, oh, is this gonna matter? So
talk with that process and then come and see it thriving and see it help the community.
I can give you a really specific example of this. So my first Nicaragua trip, which is December of 2021. So now I'm super old. There was a part of it where we were cleaning out this like a section of this Bistro, which I could talk about the Bistro forever, but there was this Bistro it's the Holy ground. And a lot of people that work with one collective, like work in the Bistro, but there, we were like cleaning all this trash out and it was your typical, Hey, we're cleaning stuff, right? We're moving and cleaning stuff. And you're okay. But then I came back on my second trip, which was in December of 2022, and watching the fact that this area we cleaned, they transformed the whole thing into the kitchen of the bistro. And they made the kitchen three times the size. And so now all the business for that little tiny community in Masatepe that's going through that bistro. That's going through that kitchen. It was so cool to come back and be like dude, this was just like a bunch of trash and storage. And I remember like, getting emotional. I was like, golly, dude, this is my favorite part because it's, again, it just goes back to what I said, right? It's like that conviction that you're not just picking things up off the ground. You're in a community. Celebrating God and in that, I've been on trips. I've been on some of these trips where people are, God's maybe not their favorite thing in the world, which is okay, right? Everybody's on their walk, but it's so cool. Even just like the amount of love for people in the community that's expressed throughout the whole trip. Sofi is just one of the coolest, most visceral experiences. Imaginable. Yeah.
That's awesome. Yeah. I want to touch on that spiritual aspect of the trip.
Spiritual Reflections and Personal Growth
It's clearly like you can’t come home without seeing some spirituality. So after the trip, you've done some reflecting. How has God been at work in your life since the trip? As a result of your experience?
Yeah , no kidding. No, it's I'll answer it like this. Every trip I've been on, I've been in a completely different stage in life, and I know it's like a lot of people are like, oh, I'm like in a different, no, but like Sofi, like for real. My first trip was like going through a bad breakup. My mom got cancer like I graduated college So that whole part of my life was gone, I was figuring out what I wanted to do so a lot of anxiety that the second trip was like I was done with that book-selling program but I was anxious because I was like, man, I'm 24 I'm about to start my adult life. Like where am I gonna move? What kind of job am I gonna have so just putting a lot of Faith into the process and things? And then my third trip was really interesting because it's like I have an adult job now. Like, I live in Nashville and I work remotely like I'm going to work every day living, the American dream, or whatever. And it was cool to see that, like the faith that I put into God when I was younger, lost, like I, I went to that first Nicaragua trip cause I just, I needed an escape. I needed a spiritual escape, and through all the stuff that we did and through the mentorship I've had since through a lot of awesome spiritual leaders.
I yeah, I've found myself to just continue to put my faith into the process. Cause I've seen it unfold in Nicaragua. It was like a catalyst for me. It was like that one collective trip was something that led to some positive changes in my life,
Advice for Future Volunteers
yeah. that's awesome. That's a testament to God's work and now, after the trip, as we look back I'm curious as some people start to consider these trips and start to go through the process, what advice would you have for someone who's signed up for a trip? How should they prepare?
Yeah. Gosh. It's I almost want to be don't - just go, I, it's just like with anything in life, right? Like you get out you put in, and I've seen this on the trips too. I've seen people that go on the trips and they just sit back. They don't want to go to work. They just want to listen and that's awesome. I appreciate anybody willing to take a leap of faith and Go to a different country and community they're probably like they probably didn't grow up like that, but if I had any advice for someone it's just like a man just be open-minded, and not only like other people but like yourself to be open-minded and like the experience That you're going to have to don't go to a country and be like, Oh, like I'm going to probably do this. Like I'm going to do that. No. Like just take a little moment and just soak it in and pour it into that community. Cause now some of my friends are like local Nicaraguans of Masa Tepe. It's one of them's birthdays was yesterday, Don Beto, like the patriarch of the empire, and Masa Tepe, like the shoemaker turned entrepreneur guy. I have I'm a big baseball guy. And so it was cool. All all the bros, that went on this past trip.
We were all like, Hey, let's bring our jerseys. Cause we're going to have one day where we all wear our Nicaragua baseball jerseys. It was cool this year. When we got to the coffee shop, they were selling new baseball jerseys, and on the back of the jersey, instead of having a number, it just said Betos. it was like, dude, take. Take my money, man. Like I like to bury me with this on, cause it was just like, and I love it and now I wear it. It's but it's a, it's just like having it on my back. Like having Beto's cause again, if you meet anyone that's also gone to the Nicaragua trip like Don Beto he's like the most spiritual human being I've ever met. and he's responsible for The majority of the economic structure in this tiny farm town is like this, like five foot tall, 80-year-old Hispanic man. And so I love that guy. So again, the advice is just, Hey, be open-minded, but be equally as intentional with the community for sure. Yeah
I think that story is just a testament that, when you do put your whole self into it, when you do invest, you do see the fruit. You become great friends with great people, and you have great memories, and, and who wouldn't want that?
Oh my God. When you're, my favorite is so moving to Nashville, I only knew one person. I moved here. Total leap of faith. But one of my friends, from my first Nicaragua trip. He just happened to live in Nashville now. And so it's like I moved to this brand new city and it's dude, you live in Nashville. Yeah. And then now we're like hanging out all it's, we're like bros now. And most of the people I've ever met in Nashville have been because of like him and different group activities and co-ed kickball, all this stuff that we started. Yeah. And if I had never gone to Nicaragua, like I wouldn't have all these friends in Nashville so it's, again, it's intentional with the community, be intentional with the people keep an open mind spending eight days with eight, people in a closed scenario it's perfectly acceptable when it's over to be like, all right, peace, see ya, as God bless ya, hey, we spent a lot of time together, but what's crazy is every group I've been on like the opposite It's Oh my god, let's keep hanging out. Like I want to finish like what we're talking about And it was just cool to be a community Of people that are like that, so
No, for sure. That's awesome. I love it. So many good stories. My last question for you is, what will cross-cultural service look like for you?
Future Plans and Dreams
Now that you've done a couple do you plan to do it in the future or do you plan to do something a little more local, like with your own in Nashville? So what will cross-cultural service look like for you?
Yeah. So this is awesome because this lets me pitch something not really. But it's, but I'm going to pitch you my dream. And my dream Sophie is I want to come back to Masa Tepe. I don't know when, but my goal. I would like to fully fund and invest in a baseball park, a baseball complex, and the little town of Masa Tepe and formulate regulated baseball leagues to help clean up the streets, right? Because there's a lot of behavior that goes down that, that is a problem there that anybody would talk about it. But my goal is I want to come back and do humanitarian work. And that's part of the reason I bought the baseball jersey back in the day. It says every time I see it, it is a constant reminder of what I'm working towards, you know?
That's awesome. That's a really good dream. I love that.
And it's and I've kept in touch with everybody and Nicaragua, specifically the people in Mazatepe and so yeah there's some, definitely some economical goals that I in my day job, my career that I'm putting money into to save and I'm excited to execute on, right? Because Nicaragua changed me forever, which is a product of one collective, right? And the least I can do is give back, that's something that gets me, like in your day-to-day when you're like, Oh man But I'm like, Oh, like Nicaragua is counting on me, man. So and so all these awesome, amazing, beautiful people in Nicaragua, like they're counting on me. And as far as Nashville, like I, I've gotten pretty involved since I've been here, Sophie, I'm a member of Kiwanis club, which is basically like a global organization that sponsors a lot of different volunteering groups, a lot of different advocates, advocacy organizations, and I've got to do some work with some other multicultural, like the Hispanic Family Foundation and different things like that. There are some cool volunteering opportunities and yeah, I'm just excited to put that love and that feeling that I created on those trips, three years ago
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
A lot of just amazing answers and thoughts. We loved your story. It's just an amazing story and you have given me so much passion, so much joy. So thank you so much for joining us answering all of our questions and sharing your story. I think this will benefit future short-term team people as they start to figure out their process. And ultimately, it's a testament to God and how he's worked through you and how he's used these trips to work through the world. So thank you so much for sharing and yeah, we hope to talk soon. Thank you.
Bye. Thanks, guys