The Joys of Intake

Just recently, as I sat in our little home prayer room in Costa Rica, my heart and mind were filled with gratitude for what an awesome life I’ve been living, especially in these last eight months. As a brand-new missionary, I think about the huge blessing that Intake (FMC’s missionary training) was for me, and I am filled with joy and enthusiasm as I think of all the amazing experiences, all the awesome people who have become friends, and all the opportunities to learn and grow in my relationship with Jesus!

My opinion about Intake? Everyone should do it.

Well, this is somewhat of an exaggeration, as I know there are definitely some cases where dropping everything to become a foreign missionary maybe isn’t such a great idea. But if you’re a Catholic adult or family who wants to love their faith and live it out, and you are trying to figure out what to do with your life (and especially if you like adventure), then you should really consider joining Family Missions Company.

Even if I wasn’t interested in becoming a foreign missionary, I believe Intake made me a better person, and a better Christian. (Note the use of the word “better,” instead of good or perfect. I’m still quite imperfect.) After living and praying in community, having consistent and frequent prayer times, learning through the formation I received by way of instruction and through serving others, it feels like it would be almost impossible for a person to come out of training and NOT be closer to Jesus.

My opinion about Intake? Everyone should do it.

Living and growing in a community has been one of my favorite parts. Playing with kids, learning from the adults, and laughing with both. Praying as one voice, singing as one voice. Sharing joys, sharing sorrows. Having people for dinner and eating at other families’ homes. Community potlucks and big soccer games. Crawfish boils and Limited Edition Intake 2024 community snowball fights. Learning what a community on fire with the love of Jesus really looks like (it looks like the early church community in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles!). Bible studies and swimming with alligators (don’t try this at home). Constant joy, constant laughter, constant love.

How could I ever want to live alone after that?!

Oh, did I mention that the chapel, with Jesus present in the tabernacle, was right next to our home? Nothing got in my way from visiting Jesus whenever I felt like it. Early morning, late at night, or anytime in between, Jesus was always right there. What a place to be trained as a missionary!

Through formation, I learned not so much how to be a missionary, but how to be a Christian in the way Jesus taught us. And being a missionary is just one part included in that package! I say everyone should join FMC just for the formation, just to realize the radical life every Christian is called to live out. If you weren’t quite sold on foreign missions before formation, you sure as heck will be by the end of it!

In addition, we got to put all the things we learned in formation into action each week on Fridays, where we physically served others through nursing home visits or “treasure hunting,” when we would spend time in the chapel praying for words and visions describing people God wanted us to encounter and then we went out into town and found those people to pray with and uplift them. Not to mention a whole amazing month in Mexico, to get a good feel for missionary life firsthand!

With the Holy Spirit, coupled with the tools I learned in formation and through the wisdom of people wiser than me, I was able to grow so much in my relationship with Jesus. I learned more about Him and more about myself. He showed me His great love in ways I had never known before, and He showed me the awesome adventure my life is going to be if I follow Him.

It doesn’t end at Intake, of course. Here in Costa Rica, I can’t even count all the blessings we’ve received. To name a few: an awesome community, beautiful nature, exciting feast days with new traditions, and about twenty birthdays (complete with cakes for each one). I can’t wait to see what the Lord does for the remaining time I’m here!