Crosswalks and Callings: Kaylie's Journey Back to Spain
Episode 7 | 12 Minutes | Jul 31, 2024
Kaylie shares her experience of a trip to Spain, where she had previously lived. She went with a small group and had the opportunity to introduce her friends to the Spanish culture. Some new experiences for them included the crosswalks and the healthy lifestyle of walking and biking everywhere. One of Kaylie's favorite moments from the trip was helping a homeless pilgrim return home. The trip taught her the importance of the ministry of presence and being patient. As a result of the trip, Kaylie feels called to do missions in some form and will be working locally in Azusa. She also hopes to go on another trip in the future.
In this Episode:
Background as a missionary kid who spent significant time in Spain and the Philippines.
Highlights the Spanish cultural traits like relaxed mornings and pedestrian-friendly cities.
Kaylee recalls a touching moment when they helped a homeless pilgrim return home from Santiago.
Kaylee shares insights on the ministry of presence and learning patience during the trip.
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Kaylee is a sophomore at APU, majoring in biology and honors humanity. She's a missionary kid who spent significant time in Spain and the Philippines. Her recent trip to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, with a small group was a return to familiar ground where she immersed her friends in Spanish culture, highlighting differences like the casual attitude towards crosswalks and the emphasis on healthy living through walking and biking. One of her most cherished moments was assisting a homeless pilgrim's return home, which deepened her understanding of the ministry of presence and patience. Inspired by her experiences, Kaylee feels called to engage in missions and will be interning locally in Azusa while considering future trips and opportunities abroad. Her reflections underscore the spiritual growth and cultural insights gained from her travels.
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Introduction to Kaylee
All right today we are here with Kaylee So Kaylee tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm going to be a sophomore at APU. I am majoring in biology and honors humanity there. Um, am a missionary kid. I grew up in Spain for about six years and then also in the Philippines for two years. Um, yeah.
Details of the Spain Trip
I love it. So you have you already have some cross-cultural experiences. I love that so we're just going to start off talking about your trip Talk a little bit about when you went and who you went with and where you went
Yeah, um, so I went from May 12th to May 26th. were in Santiago de Compostela, which is in the northwestern part of Spain. I went with Heather Buck and I can't remember her last name. Yeah, it was, it was, it was nice. I love being back in Spain all the cultural stuff.
Yeah, that's so cool. So you have already been to Spain. Um, talk a little bit about the people you went with. Did you go with like a small group? Like, were you able to introduce them to like this, the Spain area? Or was it kind of a new place where you, um, experienced it all together?
Yeah, I've been to Spain already. The people that I went, it were a really small group. There were only three of us that were going. Our fourth person that was supposed to come um, decided not to come like three days before we left. Uh, and then we also had a different Spain team there with us that kind of met up in the middle, of both of our trips. Um, but it was mostly the three of us, but the two weeks we were there. And, yeah, I kind of introduced that culture to them a little bit. Had them figure it out by themselves, obviously, but like, when little cultural things that we don't or take notice of right away. I was like, Oh yeah, they do this here instead.
Yeah, no, that's awesome.
Cultural Differences and Observations
I think we've been talking about how we experience new cultures. Um, and so as. One of the questions I have for you is what were some new things you experienced from the culture? It's different than a Westernized culture, um, and I think you have a different perspective because you have seen this culture differently before, but what were some things that you had to teach your friends and the people you went on this trip with? Like, oh, that, that is normal in this, um, Hispanic culture and not in a Westernized culture. What were some things that kind of caught them off guard?
I think the big thing that comes to mind right now is crosswalks. If they're like, you just have to stop for you no matter what. Um, even if there's a light or not. And I think the big thing there in Spain is just how healthy of a culture they are. They walk everywhere. They ride bikes everywhere. They don't like to have an early morning, Spanish culture goes to bed way later and they just have like, a slow morning. They probably get up around nine or ten, go have coffee, and then go to work. It's a very very calm area.
Yeah. Sounds amazing and perfect and I wish we had that here. Um, was, was there anything new that you experienced? Like, had you been to this city in Spain before?
No, I have not. It's a very different area. different from Madrid. I lived in Madrid. We were in, um, Galicia, which they kind of want to be their own separate country from Spain. they don't speak Spanish. They speak Galegan, which is, it sounds like Spanish, but you get frustrated trying to understand it if you only speak Spanish. Um, yeah, it, I mean, obviously, like, they're still Spanish. They still have, like, the same culture, but there's, you know, a couple of different things there.
Yeah, that's awesome. That's so cool.
Memorable Moments from the Trip
I want to go back to the trip a little bit and talk about simply just what was one of your favorite moments from the trip from the two weeks you were there. What's one memory or moment where you know that that will stick with you for the rest of your life?
Yeah, one of the last days we were there, we had funds set aside to send a homeless pilgrim back home. Um, in Spain, there's a trail called the Camino de Santiago, and it takes about a month or a month and a half to travel. It starts at the bottom of France and goes and ends in Santiago. I think he traveled The Camino in hopes of going to Santiago starting a job and earning the money to go back, but he ended up not being able to. And we had, we used those funds to be able to get him a bus ticket and send him back home. And we happened to be there on the day that, he was going back home. Um, so another one of my teammates and I went to the mall and got him some clothes, some toiletries, like a blanket and pillow. and just like being able to see the joy on his face to be able to go back home to his brother. It was, it was just like a God moment.
Yeah, that's so beautiful. I think that's an amazing story. Wow, that that's so cool.
Spiritual Reflections and Lessons
So moving from that powerful moment, I also want to talk about the spirituality of these trips and how we see God work and move. And so how has God kind of been working in you since the trip as a result of your experience?
I think God has taught me a lot on the trip. We were there. It was very much the ministry of presence. We listened to a lot of people's stories. We listened to the culture there for the majority of the trip. Um, and I think that was a little difficult for me because I wanted to do something. I wanted to like be given a task to take off their agenda. But God taught me like be patient like you just being here is good.
Yeah, the Ministry of Presence. Going to be a bumper sticker one day. I love that. And I think a lot of people go on these trips expecting to do so much when sometimes you don't do a lot and it's just as powerful and I think that's super cool.
Future Plans and Advice for New Travelers
so now after the trip, now that you've kind of recovered and recuperated and processed it all, um, what is something that you is there something that, like, do you want to keep practicing, um, is there something else that you took from the trip that you're trying to implement in your own life?
I think God wants me to do missions in some shape or form Um, so after this next school year I'm going to be working with that office Um that sent us out and just working locally in Azusa and being like an intern in the office It's called local engagement where like you're a missionary in azusa basically where we live yeah, and I think definitely during the trip, I was wondering if God wanted me to send me overseas and if Spain was still in the equation of me going somewhere, um, if I wanted to be. An intern in Spain. It's just something that I'm going with the flow and just waiting for God to be like, yes, do this.
Yeah, that's awesome. I love that you're getting more involved. Do you see yourself going on a trip in the future or doing more work behind the scenes in kind of administrative, like, in your internship?
I think I see both this next year. I don't think I'm going to do a trip, especially with just how, heavy my workload is, um, with two jobs and being a full-time student. Um, but maybe in my junior year, I might go.
Yes, That's amazing. Do you ever see yourself going somewhere different than Spain or would you want to kind of stick to Spain?
I do. I think opening up to different options. I think I might go on a trip that's there for longer. I thought two weeks was a little short. Um, wanted to stay there for a little, like a week longer.
We love to hear that. That is amazing. We love that so many people want to keep coming back and stay for longer. We love that. Um, the other question I have is about those who are now getting involved in these trips. You were once, um, trying this for the first time, doing this for the first time. And so those who are going on a trip or have signed up for a trip, what advice would you give to them? How should they prepare for trips like this?
I mean, you are going to be with your teammates 24 seven. Um, whatever alone time you can get, take it. Like you are going to want that alone time. Um, And just to be with God and journaling. I'm not a big journaler, but I like being able to write down like what I did that day, um, and all that because then I could actually share with people and just remember what, like, happened? And just like in detail. Mm-Hmm.
Yeah, a lot of people had mentioned journaling as a way to process the trip and understand the trip Tell me a little bit more about like why it's so important to process this experience and to remember this experience
I think as you, as like the weeks go on after your trip, you forget those little details and you're like, oh, I remembered. Like that event, like every little second of it. Cause I mean, I have those memories where I'm like, Oh, I wish I wrote down everything about it. Um, and then I can go back and look like, Oh yeah, that's what we did. Or, Oh yeah, that, that was cool. I forgot about that.
Yeah, that's super cool. And did you share this journal or those memories with other people?
there was a group, a women's group that supported me. Um, I went and shared in one of their meetings and I brought my journal with me and was able to like, share a little bit. A couple of the events with me there just like when I was preparing to speak to them. I was like, okay, I'll talk about this Oh, yeah, I'll talk about this part, and it just like they came back to me.
I love that. That's so cool. Got to relive the moment.
Technology and Communication During the Trip
What is the technology like? Like when you guys are there, you guys like off your phones the whole time. Like, what does that look like?
spain's pretty much like a very developed country. It's it's very much. Um, Not like America, but technology-wise like America um, they're not like You They're, they're way more active and, I mean, we were on our phones, we were taking pictures. We, if we needed to message our hosts, we messaged them. If we needed to message each other, we messaged them. Um, since, uh, my parents went to Spain like a week before I did, uh, I was able to get a phone plan there. And so did my host, and I think all three of us had a phone plan there. So it was pretty easy to just access our phones.
Amazing. Did you ever use it to translate, or did you guys have a translator?
We did, but like I knew enough Spaniards since living in Spain to be able to get around,
that's fair. I love it.
Building Relationships and Final Thoughts
the last question I have for you is just. Um, what's one relationship that you, uh, got from this trip? Someone that you bonded close with or someone that, um, you have just a really good connection with? What is one person, one relationship that you will look back fondly from this really, from this trip?
Yeah, um, so we, uh, there was a pilgrim house where, like, at the end of the trail, if any Americans, like, it was usually Americans who came in or people who spoke English, um, but an intern was working there. She was from the States. She was there for three months. Um, and she just wanted to hang out with us more. She was more. Involved with the other Spain team, um, but she made the effort to come and hang out with our team and Um, I got to have a one-on-one with her and we shared our testimonies Yeah, she was a really sweet girl.
I love it. That's amazing. I'm so glad you had such a positive experience, and you have a lot of great thoughts, clearly have processed this trip and understood it, um, and had such a good experience that hopefully you'll return and come back, which we here. So thank you so much for joining us. We loved hearing your story and hearing, um, how you have, um, experienced this trip and experienced it well. And I'm sure this will help future short-term team workers as they prepare to go into the field. And ultimately, it's always a testament to who God is and how he's worked through the world. So thank you so much, and we will talk to another person soon. Bye!