Before the Race, I think I had heard the word “hostel” maybe once. I knew it was different from a hotel, and cheaper, but had no other ideas about what that word meant. Now, after staying in 8 hostels in 6 different countries, I’d like to think of myself as a hostel pro. An aficionado, if you will.
For those who don’t know, a hostel is like a hotel, but with MUCH less private space. There’s a communal living room and kitchen area, and bedrooms can range between 2 people and 12 people. In these larger bedrooms, your privacy is often courtesy of a curtain hiding your bed from the rest of the room. For the bathrooms, picture the hall bathroom in your college dorm and you won’t be far off.
I get it. Some of you are probably thinking this sounds horrible, while some are probably thinking it sounds like a blast. Hostel life isn’t for everyone. But it’s perfect for World Racers with a lodging budget of $5 per night and a desire to tell people about Jesus.
In a hostel, there’s always people coming and going, and English is the common language. People come from all over the world, with a shared desire to meet other travelers and gain new experiences. I don’t think I’ve ever walked through the common space of a hostel and not seen it occupied. So what do we get to do in this situation? Easy. Start a conversation.
Typically, it starts with your basic questions: Where are you from? What do you do for a living? Why are you traveling? As missionaries, this last question is usually where we dive in. We get to explain how we left America for a year to travel around the world and “volunteer” with people. We get to talk about how it’s the love of Jesus that compelled us to give up money, friends and family, and any worldly possessions for the chance to bring others into His kingdom.
Throughout our time, we’ve met people from all over the world in these hostels. Some we only see for one night, some we get to stay with for an extended period. Many people that we meet are not Christians. They may have heard about Jesus through their upbringing or travels. Some proclaim to be Muslim, some follow more “New Age” theology, and some that fall under the “universalist” mindset. Thankfully, the people we’ve met have more often than not had an open mind when it comes to the gospel. We get asked deep rooted questions, like what we believe about sex and marriage, or if all religions worship the same God. We can spend hours talking about what the Bible says, our personal testimonies, and how we get to have an intimate relationship with the Most High God.
A huge advantage to hostel ministry is that we are truly living with the people we’re telling the gospel to. It’s not just some random person you have a conversation with on the street and then never see again. The people living in the hostel with us are around when we have devotionals, team meetings, prayer and worship, or just hang out at the end of the day. We get to show them what life with Jesus looks like and how, as the body of Christ, we are called to be different from the world.
Ministry never stops in a hostel, especially when everyone is curious about the large group of Americans practically taking over the building. We are always being watched, always a representation of Christ to the people around us. So many times we’ve been asked simply about why our group is different. In the little things like our conversations during down time, our love for one another, and service for others, they are experiencing something they’ve never seen before. Jesus himself said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35.) And that’s exactly what we’ve experienced.
It can be so easy to think of home as “off time,” a time when I can check out and not think about being an example of Jesus for someone. The idea of “me time” says that when I clock out of ministry at the end of the day, I get to be selfish and do whatever I want to do. But something I’m learning this year is that my life is my ministry and my ministry is my life. Jesus didn’t ask me just for 6-8 hours of serving him each day, but to serve him with all that I am. Every part of my life is his. And the best way for someone to see Jesus in me is to let them see my life up close and personal.
