Why Take Mission Trips

I just returned from a "mission trip" to Liberia in Western Africa.  It was a trip that I would not have considered a few years ago.  After all, why leave comfort / familiar for sacrifice / adventure?  The reason seems simple to me now, but it was a spiritual journey ~ a pilgrimage ~ that took many steps. 

I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  In my foundation of learning to apply my new faith, I engaged in spiritual disciplines of prayer, community and reading the Bible. I went to church where those gifted in teaching made the less familiar passages of holy scripture become both interesting and relevant to faith building.  I was in that phase of "growth" for quite a long time, though; seemingly without much progress of transformation.  In hindsight, I know that was because I seldom left comfort / familiar; and without much risk, there was little reward.  That changed when I chose to direct my pilgrimage steps toward more sacrifice / adventure.  It was on those pilgrimage segments that I became a much better follower and the main reason was the fear of the unknown caused me to want to follow even closer to Jesus for His presence and protection.

There are huge advantages on mission trips for Christ followers.

One is that we line up prayer supporters before the trip.  This is odd behavior for Christ followers since prayer is powerful and should be part of our everyday lives.  Yet, living in comfort / familiar dulls the senses to the spiritual warfare that rages, whether we are in developed countries or less developed ones. The enemy uses different tactics in each, but I spiritually prepare better for time spent in LDCs than the USA.

Two is that I wake up each day on a misison trip with the thought process: "I am here because God wants to do something through me and / or to me."  I have a sense of wonder and feel like I am walking behind Jesus in the very footsteps He just made just for me.  I expect miracles.  I hate to admit that is not my mindset when I wake up in my own bed and face a familar routine; a stateside regimen that has little adventure.  (Fun, yes; leisure, yes; purpose, yes; adventure...not so much).

Another advantage is being on a mission team.  For the above reasons and more, working together with people who are different but equally commited to the same goal not only builds community but also an esprit de corps that gets us through hardships...but there weren't really that many hardships, but there could have been ~ otherwise, there is no adventure.

There are more advantages, but the final one I want to mention is the feeling I have on mission trips of being more controlled by the Holy Spirit.  Because of the prayer support and different mindset, I accept things not going as planned on the mission field as my-plans-being-trumped-by-God's-better-plan.  At home, I like control.  If traffic is stopped for any reason, I take a different path to take to reach my desination / goal.  MY goal.  I forget to ask God, "What is the reason You have for me to be blocked from my goal.  Is it because you have a better plan?"

These and a few other reasons are why I went to Liberia.  I knew of the Liberians' history; of the recent war that dicimated the country. My Liberian friend Eric told me about his hardships from the war (physical abuse, separation from family, life in a refugee camp, etc.) http://canintl.org/  I developed an interest in the Liberian church taking the lead in rebuilding the country.  I was drawn to Eric's vision for rebuilding and I knew he had the leadership skills to make that happen.  I wanted to be part of a nation recovering.  Especially a nation that rose up with freed African slaves who left USA to return to their ancestors' home for the purpose of spreading the good news that Jesus had died for them as well as for their slave masters.  Liberia and the American Colonization Society was to be the light in the "dark continent." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Colonization_Society

The Liberians speak English, which is a good for mission trippers because no interpretation / translation is necessary.  We could converse with them as if we had run into them at our neighborhood coffee shop.  We wanted to help and they were grateful for our help, but it was also refreshing to be with people who had a work ethic and memory of what life was like before the war.  They wanted to get back to their "normal" where kids went to school and parents farmed, ranched or were in business.  I have been to other places in the world where the nationals had lived under dictators and although recently freed from tyranny, the current generation had no ideals toward work or education.  God loves them too and I am thankful that others to go there.  However, I felt a better match for my skill and passion to plant businesses in places like Liberia.  The country has many resources.  That helps major international corporations (like harvesting rubber for tires), but it does not help very many of the citizens. More small business and a few new large businesses will be the key to rebuilding.  The salaries of the workers and how the government uses the taxes will get the roads rebuilt, an honest police force, clean water, sanitation, and all the other services a government should provide.

Are you thinking of a mission trip?  If so, there is no need to jump to the conclusion you should go to Africa or Haiti.  There is a need in your own backyard if you are willing to leave comfort / familar in search of adventure.  There are children who need tutoring within a mile of where you live.  Volunteering to serve one's own neighbors is the best place place for beginning of your own pilgrimage, i.e., mission trip.  For most, that will be sufficient.  For a few readers, you will not find a good fit for your challenge needs and skill set close by, so take a plane to a less developed country (LDC) and spread God's love and be an ambassador to raise the international image for America ~ a country that was blessed in order to be a blessing to others.