Reflections

In our preparation for our mission trip, we stressed to team members the importance of ridding yourself of all expectations. If you have an expectation of what should happen, you will probably miss what God is doing while you stumble around in your disappointment. I am not sure if members of our team had expectations, or if they did, whether or not they were met, but I do feel each was touched with the experience.

For me, each trip is a life changing journey which manifests itself in a deeper walk with God and a strengthening my spiritual growth. Mission trips also give me the opportunity to see God at work daily. That is not to say God if not working each and every day back here in our ordinarily lives but we often lose sight of this as we go about that life.

For this reason, I have often said that mission trips are a sabbatical from life. We leave the cares of everyday life, the distractions, and the day-to-day tasks, errands, and obligations for a week of focusing on God and His children. We develop Great Commission Eyes. We are shown the needs of people who are in hopeless situations. Watching the nightly news does not give us the same perspective as seeing first hand third world culture and its poverty. Upon returning from mission trips I have a deep appreciation of all the material things I posses. It is almost so overwhelming that many people wish they had less and could give more. Last night I had to go to the store to pick up laundry soap and some other items. Sixty dollars later as I walked out of the store I shook my head in amazement at how easy it was for me to 1) get to a store – quickly and conveniently 2) how absolutely blessed and thankful I am to have sixty dollars to spend, and 3) questioning whether or not everything I bought was an absolutely necessity! Other important aspects of a mission trip are the bonds formed with other team members, new friendships made and even the trials faced while on the trip. All serve to grow me as a Christian.

Unfortunately, unless we continue to serve others in our church or in our community, this life changing sensitivity usually fades over time. That’s why it’s always in the heart of a mission traveler to make repeated trips to keep life in perspective.

God loves to use experiences like mission trips to instill His heart in ours. So if you go with an open mind and prepare your heart before you go you will come back just a little more like Jesus -- I believe our team did just that!

PS My grandson, Sebastian went with us on this trip. What a privilege to see God use this young man and to observe his obedience to God’s call – no task was too great or too small for him – he carried out each with a servant’s heart…..Ruby