Jun 4, 2025 Showers of Blessings

Why is it that as soon as we get home from a mission trip, we stop expecting God to show up the same way He did while we were away? 

During our orientation for the mission trip to the Dominican Republic, our team leader, Randy shared something simple but profound: “In order to see God at work, you must be willing to look for Him.” On mission trips, that feels so natural. We are expectant, on the lookout for Him in every conversation, every encounter, every moment. And the beautiful thing? We found Him everywhere, because He is. 

But back home… that expectancy fades. Life goes back to “normal.” Routines return, and somehow, our vision narrows. It’s not that God has stopped working. We’ve just stopped looking and expecting. 

It reminds me of when you’re shopping for a new car. Suddenly, the car you’re interested in is everywhere. The car didn’t become more popular overnight—your eyes were just trained to see it. The same is true with the presence of God. On the mission field, our hearts are tuned to Him. 

But what would our lives look like if we kept that same lens when we returned home? 

Every mission trip has its quirks, those inside jokes that no one else quite understands. On this trip, ours was a funny (and slightly soggy) one: every time the song “Showers of Blessings” was sung, it would literally rain. Without fail. We’d all point fingers and launch an “investigation” to find the guilty singer. It became a running joke, but one with a deeper truth behind it. 

Yes, it rained. A lot. Plans shifted, as they always do in the mission field. But the rain never stopped the work from getting done. In fact, it became a symbol—a reminder—that blessings sometimes fall in unexpected ways. That God’s presence isn’t hindered by the weather, or by our altered schedules. That He is just as present in the interruptions as He is in our plans. 

Maybe the real takeaway is this: if we want to experience His showers of blessings, we need to look for them—at home, not just abroad. We need to train our eyes to see His hand in the ordinary, the familiar, the messy and mundane. Because He hasn’t stopped working. He’s still right here, waiting to be seen. 

During our time in Dominican Republic, we were truly showered in his blessings, lives were given over to him (11 so far!), everyone made it safely home, people were introduced to the Adventist Church, and lives have been changed.  

So, whether it’s sunshine or rain, let’s keep singing. Let’s keep looking. Because God never stops showing up. There is always a rainbow after the rain, right? 

Check out our mission trip photo gallery!