IYF Missouri: Just A Little Different Than Honduras

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

That statement is probably the best thing you can remember when you’re reentering your home country after being gone for a long time. Yes, there are things you like more about your home country. Yes, there are things you liked more about your host country. You can sit around sorting those things out all day—or, you can just try to live your life.

Reunited with my mom! 

Katrina and I arrived in Kansas City around midnight on Friday, July 11. My parents greeted us in the airport, bearing gifts: Chipotle burrito bowls. There was joyful hugging, there was exited jabbering and there was the cramming of over-sized suitcases into my mom’s car. We were home.

We spent our first few days in the country catching up on things: talking with our family, investigating new phone plans and drinking in some American culture. We made a point to attend a Royals baseball game.

Katrina and I with some friends at a KC Royals game! 

And after a few days to recover we were off and running again for the International Youth Forum (IYF) in Missouri. Now, naturally, IYF Missouri and IYF Honduras were vastly different. For starters, there were about ten times more kids at IYF Missouri than at IYF Honduras (which made the sleeping arrangements rather different—there was no giant dorm room where 350 girls could sleep.) IYF Honduras had three different countries in attendance, IYF Missouri had more: South Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Spain, Canada, Tahiti and more. The venues and budget were also vastly different: IYF Honduras was at a humble little campground called La Buena Fe; IYF Missouri was in World Church Headquarters.

The Temple, where IYF Missouri was held. 

For reasons like these, and many more, IYF Missouri and IYF Honduras were vastly different and, at times, that difference was painful for Katrina and I. We had come fresh from touching and beautiful experiences in Honduras and couldn’t help but compare those kids to the ones at IYF Missouri. Without delegation attachments the bonds we formed so easily in Honduras were challenging in Missouri. The kids had different priorities and different ways of expressing their faith. Was one group better? Simply, they were just different.

Katrina and I’s roles in IYF were different was well. We both helped out with a World Service Corps class that was held twice during the week and we also helped out with “small” groups. While our small groups in the United States were at least twice the size of our small groups in Honduras, it still broke things down for us and gave us a better opportunity to connect with the kids.

Katrina and Eben at the WSC booth. 

Our final day of small groups, our kids were given the symbolic task of washing each other’s feet. While many group leaders were skeptical of how this activity would play out, my group rose to the challenge and had absolutely no problem with washing their neighbor’s feet. My entire group participated, without questions, and even lightly chatted during the activity.

Perhaps Katrina and I’s biggest task during the week was giving a brief testimony during one of the worship services. While Katrina and I had grown accustomed to giving testimonies, this was our first testimony in front of such a large crowd (more than 600 people.) This was also my first testimony in English, which, somehow made the task seem even harder.

Yet, when the time came, Katrina and I partnered with Emile, a World Service Corps rep from Tahiti, and Eben, a World Service Corps rep from India and stepped up to the plate. Katrina and Eben read a prayer and Emile and I shared testimonies. The stage lights were slightly blinding, but perhaps the weirdest part of the experience was seeing yourself on the tv screen. After the testimonies and prayer, Emile led a quick song with the audience and we scampered off the stage.

Saying goodbye to Emile--he was headed home to Tahiti. 

As IYF came to a close, I felt the tugs of the real world calling me back. I had to miss our final worship service to fill out paperwork and take a tour of my new school, which were exciting things to do, but with unfortunate timing. I finished my tour, drove back to Independence, said a few goodbye and picked up Katrina.

A final difference of the two IYFs was that IYF Missouri was significantly shorter than IYF Honduras. It had felt as though we were just starting things and they were already over. Our first week in the States was full, a little overwhelming and slightly confusing. People kept asking us what it was like to be back in the States and we’d always admit, “I don’t know yet; I haven’t had time to process it.” And it was an issue that wasn’t going to change anytime soon—we had less than a day off and then we were Lamoni bound: SPECTACULAR camp was up next.