There are moments in life that don’t really announce themselves as big deals when they happen. It’s after, when things go quiet again, that you realize they left a mark. That’s how I feel about my time in Plazuela, in the Valparaíso region of Chile.
It wasn’t about going somewhere new just for the sake of it, or ticking off some achievement list. It was about showing up — being there — and in the middle of that, finding parts of myself I hadn’t really seen before.
(The mountains of Plazuela, vast and peaceful)
Before heading out there, I wouldn’t have described myself as the type of person who just walks up to strangers and starts talking. That’s never really been my thing. I’ve always watched people who do that with a kind of quiet admiration. But something changed out there in Plazuela. Maybe it was the stillness in the air, or maybe it was because deep down I felt what we were doing really mattered whatever it was, it nudged me out of my shell a little.
The first times I tried talking to people, sure, there was hesitation. That typical nervousness. But once I cracked that first layer, I realized something: human connection is powerful. Real, simple, no-pretense kind of connection. You say a word, you listen — and suddenly, there’s a bridge where before there was just silence.
The first few times I approached people, there was that hesitation, the usual nervousness. But once that first layer cracked, I realized: there’s something powerful about human connection. Real, simple, no-pretenses kind of connection. You listen, you share a word, and suddenly you’ve crossed a bridge you didn’t know was there.
A street scene with fellow missionaries in Plazuela
We stayed in a school, probably a primary school. That’s where we lodged during the mission. It wasn’t fancy — far from it. During the day, the sun hit hard, and at night, the cold crept in quietly but sharp. I remember waking up one night with my fingers feeling a little numb from the cold. But strangely, it didn’t bother me much. My body just adapted. What mattered wasn’t the little discomforts. It was the reason we were there. It was what we carried with us — in our hearts, not in our hands.
( Inside the school, where we stayed for the nights)
There’s a phrase that keeps coming back to me now: mission needs. What does a mission really need? You can have all the plans, the logistics, the supplies. That’s important, sure. But at the end of the day, what a mission really needs is people willing to show up. People willing to be present even when things aren’t easy or comfortable. It needs hearts open enough to meet others as they are — not with judgment, not with some hidden agenda, but just open.
And maybe even more than that, a mission needs honesty with yourself. I went to Plazuela thinking I’d be bringing something, offering something. But the truth is, I received just as much — maybe more. The place, the people, the quiet moments when you just sit and think... they leave a mark on you.
If there’s one thing I brought back with me from that experience, it’s that showing up for others isn’t just about them. It’s also about what it wakes up in you. That’s the quiet beauty of mission work. It’s never just about the mission. It’s about finding new dimensions of yourself along the way.
That’s why I say, I found myself in Plazuela.
Disclaimer _ All Images and reflections in this post are Original to me.
Have a Lovely Day!