Guest Blogger: Cora Friend
Posted on May 2, 2024
Editor’s Note: We are excited to introduce TCS junior Cora Friend as a guest blogger this week. In addition to being a missionary kid, Cora is an aspiring writer, plays soccer, and runs track. In this post, Cora shares how a recent family mission trip impacted her.
The view of Armenia from the Friend’s apartment.
Back in March, my family had the opportunity to lead a mission trip to Colombia, South America with a group of college students and it was an incredible experience. As a life-long missionary kid, I love to travel, and I spent my freshman year in the capital city of Bogotá so I was thrilled about the idea of returning to Colombia. We traveled for a week to the city of Armenia to work and share the gospel at the local college campus, Universidad de Quindio.
A lot of the people I had the privilege of meeting while in Armenia were curious about my impression of their city, and wanted to know what I liked best about it. I was a little hesitant the first time I was asked this question, because there were so many things I enjoyed about the city, like the beauty of the Andes mountains that surrounded it, the uniqueness of the college campus we visited daily, and the delicious granizados (iced coffee drinks).
The best thing about Armenia, however, wasn’t the new and exciting things I saw and did. By the end of our trip, I could confidently answer that the best part was the people there. A cliché response, I know, but it was so true. I was amazed by how kind and engaging they were, and how willing to make time for others. It was very unlike our culture in the United States, and I realized that there was so much that all of us on the trip could learn from this great part of their culture. There seemed to be a certain higher regard for others there that I wished I saw more often in our own country.
Cora (back left) helping at an English Club.
Since coming back from the trip, I’ve tried to apply the things I learned from the lovely people on the Colombian campus to my life in the United States. I wanted to have a heart for others, just like they did, a heart that was as big as God’s for the world. It’s amazing to be able to travel to a place that may be entirely new and foreign to me and still be able to see the same great, loving God I know working there. As I poorly attempted to share the good news in a language that was not my own, and as various unexpected hardships and trials met us, it was incredible to know that God was still there, still working out all things for good.
The experience grew my heart and faith so much, not because I knew what I was doing, but because I knew God knew what He was doing. Because of my travels, I can better see and understand the complexities and vastness of God’s love for the entire world, and I hope that He continues to grow my own heart to be more like His.
