Missions by Ted Slater on 08/31/2007 at 2:16 PM

I brought up the question of "short-term missions" in yesterday's Boundless e-newsletter, asking our readers to tell me a bit about their experiences.

A number of you wrote in, telling me about your time in such places as Mexico, Fiji, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ukraine, Mozambique, with Hurricane Katrina evacuees, China, Ethiopia, Asia, Slovakia and Chile. Some of you spent a week or two, others have lived for years on "the mission field."

I had several reasons for bringing up intercultural missions work, not all of which I'm going to divulge here.

• I want to affirm those who go, either for a brief time, or for an extended time; I also want to affirm those who support those who go.
• I want to "put a bug in your ear" about missions; maybe you'll consider engaging in it if you haven't yet.
• I want to emphasize such intercultural Christian engagements more on Boundless over the coming months (and years, I hope!); this serves as a kind of "kick-off" discussion.

I've got other motivations, some of which I'll address later. I'll also share my own experiences with intercultural missions work -- how with others I've been able to truly help people, and how it's changed my life.

I acknowledge that "doing short-term missions" can be both a blessing and a waste of time. Sometimes it's useless, or worse than useless and even harmful, for both the "missionary" and the national. I don't want to spend much time on that, though. Instead I want to explore take a good long look at the benefits of such intercultural service for all involved.

I also don't want to get too deep into definitions right now. Yes, we are technically all "missionaries," directed to take the gospel to our neighbors. And, yes, this is the "mission field," right where we live right now. For the purposes of this discussion, I'm talking about intercultural engagements whose goals include sharing the love of God in word and deed.

So, tell me about your experiences. How were you able to effectively minister to the folks you traveled to be with? How did it affect you personally -- your relationships, your "calling," your educational pursuits? What were highlights? What were "lowlights"?

Missions by Ted Slater on 08/31/2007 at 2:16 PM

I brought up the question of "short-term missions" in yesterday's Boundless e-newsletter, asking our readers to tell me a bit about their experiences.

A number of you wrote in, telling me about your time in such places as Mexico, Fiji, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ukraine, Mozambique, with Hurricane Katrina evacuees, China, Ethiopia, Asia, Slovakia and Chile. Some of you spent a week or two, others have lived for years on "the mission field."

I had several reasons for bringing up intercultural missions work, not all of which I'm going to divulge here.

• I want to affirm those who go, either for a brief time, or for an extended time; I also want to affirm those who support those who go.
• I want to "put a bug in your ear" about missions; maybe you'll consider engaging in it if you haven't yet.
• I want to emphasize such intercultural Christian engagements more on Boundless over the coming months (and years, I hope!); this serves as a kind of "kick-off" discussion.

I've got other motivations, some of which I'll address later. I'll also share my own experiences with intercultural missions work -- how with others I've been able to truly help people, and how it's changed my life.

I acknowledge that "doing short-term missions" can be both a blessing and a waste of time. Sometimes it's useless, or worse than useless and even harmful, for both the "missionary" and the national. I don't want to spend much time on that, though. Instead I want to explore take a good long look at the benefits of such intercultural service for all involved.

I also don't want to get too deep into definitions right now. Yes, we are technically all "missionaries," directed to take the gospel to our neighbors. And, yes, this is the "mission field," right where we live right now. For the purposes of this discussion, I'm talking about intercultural engagements whose goals include sharing the love of God in word and deed.

So, tell me about your experiences. How were you able to effectively minister to the folks you traveled to be with? How did it affect you personally -- your relationships, your "calling," your educational pursuits? What were highlights? What were "lowlights"?

Comments

[1. Jared said the following at 4:35 PM on Aug 31:]

1

I personally have been overseas on a number of occasions in a variety of countries doing a variety of activities. I have been to the Philippines on 3 different occasions, twice for three weeks, and the third time for three months. I have been in Thailand for a couple of weeks, and also just recently got back from India for two months.

My long term plan is to spend my time overseas in a third world context, I am currently working on my third degree at university (third time lucky!!) which is medicine, and i hope to use my skills as a doctor to serve those whom need it most.

After my recent time in India which involved volunteering at a hospital in the middle of nowhere for a month, I have decided that any future overseas ventures will not be with a 'Christian' organisation. I'm clearly not going to make this a hard and fast rule as who knows where God is going to lead me, but my experience was VERY disappointing. The politics, the petty bickering, the back gossip, foriegn families teaming with other foreign families (and inevitably against other foreign families) was all enough to put me off working for an organisation like this. I found it somewhat hypocritical, and noticed that alot of what went on distracted from the task at hand.

Personally, as a result of this experience, I would much rather work for a secular aid organisation, where i'm sure similar antics occur, but at least not under the guise of 'Christian mission'. Working for a secular aid organisation also offers opportunities to reach out to those whom you would work amongst who also dont yet know Christ. Also, secular agencies such as the Red Cross are better equiped and financed to pull off effective outreach than what a lot of Christian organisations are able to manage.

But, like I say, God will lead me where he will lead me. One thing I do know is that he will lead me to places where human suffering is causing God pain, where people have all but given up hope, and where God's love and service can have the greatest impact.

[2. xeres said the following at 6:33 PM on Aug 31:]

2

Mission trips and missionary work, they sound interesting but I'm not lead to doing traditional missionary work, rather long term or short term as a way to practice intercultural Christian engagement (which I love to do). I don't mind traveling and exploring culture but I'm more of a homebody.

Jared,

That's really sad that you let your bad experences cloud your view regarding of missionary work and missionary journeys. I hope it won't lead you to look down on your fellow bros and sis in Christ who choose to work with a Christian aid organization like World Vision, Operation Blessing or Compassion International just because a bad experience. Satan is very good at using our disappointments as evidence to never trust people ever again and I fear that you might fall for that. Although you have a point, all aid organizations aren't at less prone to greed and evil just because it's an aid organization or a non-profit organization

[3. Nicole said the following at 12:10 AM on Sep 1:]

3

I've done short-term mission work the last two summers.

The first summer I did an urban ministry stint for almost six weeks, living in community and doing urban ministry in a high poverty neighborhood. Effective ministry including helping run a preschool and tutoring children to improve literacy skills, five days a week. Highlights included taking a class in urban ministry, living in a house with other like-minded college students, and feeling like our daily work was making a positive difference in the lives of the children we worked with. Lowlights included conflict amongst ourselves (which thankfully was addressed and resolved) and often feeling like we had more questions than answers. All that I experienced changed the direction of my educational and career path, as I decide to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work (which I had not previously given much consideration). Also I grew tremendously in my ability to communicate with others and enjoy social interaction.

The second missions opportunity was a two week stint in Central America this summer. I partnered through a Christian sending organization and spent my days as a volunteer with children and adults with cerebral palsy at a hospital, and also had the opportunity to stay with a host family in a small town. Effective ministry meant interacting to the best of my ability with the patients, and trying to form a meaningful relationship with my host family. Highlights included learning to have a heart for the disabled and getting to know my host family. Lowlights included poor nutrition, very basic living conditions, feeling helpless in the midst of incessant poverty, and re-entry depression. It changed my career path in that it confirmed the strong desire that I already had to live overseas in the near future, and to be open to being called into missionary service.

In sum, my missions experiences were brief periods of intense learning that have changed the direction of my life. While I am committed to following Christ and to following wherever the Lord may lead, I am very hesitant to pursue long-term missionary work or ministry as a career because I lack oversight in my life and do not feel equipped whatsoever. Perhaps you could address next steps after short-term missions experiences.

[4. rivergreg said the following at 12:28 AM on Sep 1:]

4

I was "called" into full-time missions work before I had even been out of the country, so the overseas work I've done was an effect rather than a cause of my calling in life.

With the mission I am a part of now, I have both facilitated and been on short-term trips. Our ministry centers around providing computer technology assistance to other missions groups, free of charge, so our short-term trips are a bit "different."

Here are a few observations from my work (and contact with lots and lots of other missionaries):

• Being in another country, even for a relatively short time, can really grow your compassion for the world. Here in the U.S., in particular, partly because of geography we can tend to get an "isolationist" mindset.
• We should take care to clothe ourselves in humility and examine our presuppositions about those that we are going to minister to.
• The very fact that someone from a far away country would want to take the time to go somewhere and minister sometimes really touches the hearts of those that are being served. Although it is generally accepted that intra-cultural evangelism is usually more effective than cross-cultural evangelism, at times there is a dynamic to cross-cultural work that adds to its effectiveness.

As I mentioned, my calling into missions came before going overseas at all, but it nevertheless had a profound impact on my education, career, dating, and other choices.

A word to those out there who may sense God asking them to go into career missions or ministry work: Be Intentional. A fair percentage of people who make such decisions don't follow through. Don't confuse a personal agenda for a "calling", but if you believe God is putting before you a step of obedience, DO IT! :)

[5. Jill said the following at 10:32 AM on Sep 1:]

5

I have had a strong call of missions on my life but have only been on one "missions" trip, with Campus Crusade for Christ to Daytona Beach. God dealt with my heart and my relationship with Him more than actual leading unsaved people to Christ (but how do I know?). The Lord has put missions to the Middle East on my heart...I have no idea how He is going to make that happen or how in the world God is going to use me of all people to preach Christ in a Muslim nation, but that's what He called me to do. I need some help in figuring out what to do to make that happen, including learning Arabic and Middle East customs and what mission group to go with. The funny thing is that this call feels so much like "me", like it's the only way to define myself like some people define themselves as a music-lover or a rebel; I am a living witness of Christ to people of another culture, language, life. Granted, I still have to actually go to the Middle East to accomplish this. But you wanted our experience, and mine is a purpose yet to be fulfilled.

[6. Erin said the following at 3:47 PM on Sep 1:]

6

Since I was 13 (I am now 26), God has given me the opportunity to take at least one short-term mission trip every summer. I've been on numerous trips in the States, as well as trips to Scotland, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Peru, Zimbabwe, and China, to name a few. These trips ranged in time from as short as one week to as long as one year. On most of these trips I have seen much fruit. However, there have been a couple of trips that I have gone on that seemed a waste of time, and most of that had to do with the leadership in charge of the team.

God called me to missions--and, yes, I believe it was a real calling, like Jeremiah or Abraham or anyone else God has called--when I was on a one-week trip in SC when I was 15. I had never been overseas, but I knew He wanted me to spend the rest of my life in missions. I went on my first international trip when I was 17. I spent 6 weeks in Scotland with Royal Servants, Int. God used this time to further confirm my call.

These experiences have led me see that short-term trips have a two-fold purpose:

1) Short-term trips allow Christians to aid in and help validate the work of career missionaries. Just going somewhere for one week is not enough time to evangelize a whole people group, and, really, it can be dangerous considering what "mission" group may come in next and twist the message the team taught in such a short period of time. I disagree with sending short-term teams to areas where no one is actually living among the people and ministering there full-time. I believe short-term missionaries must help the full-time missionaries in their evangelistic endeavors. (If you want more specifics, e-mail me and I will give you some examples.)

2) Short-term trips allow Christians to go out into the "uttermost parts of the earth" and be witnesses. It expands on the American ego-centric, monolingual faith and creates a much larger worldview. So many American Christians enjoy the benefits of our freedom so much that they become complacent in their walks and take for granted what the Lord has given us here. Short-term trips make us realize what we have and serve to further motivate us to live an on-mission lifestyle. Sometimes this change is so life-altering that many will hear and respond to the calling to full-time missions while on the short-term mission field.

My missions experience has helped me to see the world beyond the southern Bible belt where I grew up. My calling at 15 has affected every major life decision since then--where I went to college, what I did afterwards, whom I married, etc. I am living in the States right now while my husband is finishing his seminary degree in missions so we can go back on the field. (We met in Costa Rica, where we were both short-term missionaries--he served 2 years, and I served 1.)

[7. Aaron Shackelford said the following at 3:59 PM on Sep 1:]

7

I spent the past two years living in Haiti and doing mission work for a haitian church planting ministry. My main jobs were teaching english to Haitian pastors and working with short term groups that came down from churches in the states.

This was one of the most difficult times of my life but a time filled with much blessing and seeing God work in very tangible ways. I think it was difficult for one reason because I wasn't as tough as I thought I would be. I really missed my community back home. The parts I enjoyed the most were being involved in minisrty, learning a second language and sharing the country and experience with teams that came down.
One thing that I learned for myself is that I want my ministry to be less of a vocation and more of a life style. "As you are going..." I also saw that while Haitians are very needy people, there are americans that have the same spiritual needs right in my back yard that I may be able to minister to more effectivly.

[8. Kyle said the following at 10:38 AM on Sep 2:]

8

I was very lucky (or rather blessed) to have my path cross with another group of individuals my senior year of high school. International Sports Federation, a sports missions group, moved from Texas and based their offices out of my local church where I was interning near Atlanta, GA.

The summer I graduated I was able to travel overseas for the first time, not once, but twice. I went to a small town in northern Germany called Nordenham, about 2 hours west of Hamburg. We taught some English classes in a high school and then ran soccer and volleyball camps at a park.

This turned out to be an incredible opportunity, as two years later I returned to the same town to be a semester missionary for 7 months. I worked with the same church with another American girl from Texas. We worked with two different youth groups and taught the English classes at the local gymnasium (high school).

This was a great time for me personally, as I grew more than I could ever have imagined during that time. God did some amazing things in the lives of the kids in the school and youth group primarily. I came to understand that God can work through our lives in ways we could never have imagined. It was difficult learning a new language and learning to relate to people of a different culture for an extended amount of time. That's what made my time there so different from a short term trip.

Between my first time in Germany and living there for that time, I also was able to travel to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Our team spent two weeks in the countries. We obviously could not share our faith openly, but had to trust God to do that through our actions. I personally think this can be more beneficial in many situations anyways. This is especially true when you are in an area where you are working with a missionary that lives there. They will have (or already have had) an opportunity to share with them and simply need the short term team to continue to develop existing and new relationships, not necessarily verbally share.

While we were in Pak. and Afgh. we helped develop Phys. Ed. and health programs in several elementary schools. This trip was what helped me decide to study what I'm studying now. That is public health. I want to work in developing nations in the future and have opportunities to do similar work.

I had an opportunity last summer to travel to Ghana, Africa. Our team held various sports camps in several cities including Cape Coast and Accra. We also helped a local pastor develop some relationships with a Muslim group in the area by playing several soccer games with them.

God has done some incredible things in my life through missions. I hope everyone gets the same opportunity in their lives at a younger age. It can most definitely change your life path and the desires you have, and even what you want to study, like it did mine.

[9. Justice said the following at 4:08 PM on Sep 2:]

9

Hmmmm,

Most of my missions experience has come from a couple Mexico trips as well as my involvement with YWAM for the better part of a couple years. I left college to pursue mission work. While in YWAM, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to get a business degree and when finished get involved in microfinance abroad...

Years later, I am now only 8 months away from my degree and a GF who is down to move anywhere in the world.

As for plans, I met a guy from Africa through Relevant magazine that has been helping me out and trying to score an internship with World Vision.

[10. katie said the following at 7:15 PM on Sep 3:]

10

i have been on about 15 short term trips over past 10 1/2 yrs and it has changed my life. i never had an interest in missions in high school and i had very wrong ideas about what i considered stereotypical missionaries - it was really ignorant, i won't even say it here! i just was not interested. i went on my first short term trip after college, to africa. i didn't feel called to missions just then, but it put the bug in me. if anything, i decided to go into f/t youth ministry for a while - so, it sort of got me off of the 'career path' track and being more sensitive to what god wanted for my life. the following yr, i went on 3 short term trips. after that, i felt a real call to missions, long term. i wrestled w/ it for yrs, got distracted, but the lord has brought me back around, and it is my plan to be a f/t missionary.

as far as the benefits of short term, it definitely opens your eyes to the rest of the world and helps you not be so self-absorbed. it is hard to continue to think the world revolves around you and around america, when you see the rest of the world out there and what daily life is like for some people. it also can be great encouragement for the long term missionaries, if the teams are PREPARED!!! the best teams i've been on were the ones that spent a lot of time in prayer and preparation and group building before we went. and, most important, i think it influences people to make decisions to go long term. i know for myself, i NEVER would have considered missions full time! the short term trips sort of eased me into the idea and gradually, god really burned it into my heart.

so, i'm an advocate for sure of short term trips, provided they are done well. it may not seem like a lot as far as long-standing spiritual results (but who are we to judge that?), but for sure, it def has an impact in the felt-needs dept.

missionaries are my heroes...i consider it an honor to join their ranks! hopefully next yr! it would be great to see more on missions on this website! i look forward to it!

[11. Beka said the following at 7:48 PM on Sep 3:]

11

One thing I will say about mission trips is that it has taken God calling me to serve him overseas for him to show me how to effectively evangelize in America.

Though I'm no expert on mission trips, I've been on 5 short-term trips (I'm 22) and just returned from a month in South Asia a few weeks ago.

So much of what happens on a trip is a result of the preparation that went into the trip before the person stepped onto the plane. Before my friend and I went to South Asia this summer, we got together every Wednesday night for several months to fast dinner and pray and seek God together about what he was going to do through us. Though preparation can take the form of reading about the culture and other things, that only goes so far; after all my trips, I have learned that only God can really prepare my heart for the experience.

And prayer is so important. Every morning while we were gone, my friend and I got together before the day started to pray about what God was going to do and ask Him to fill us with His Spirit. No matter what trip I go on, I try to do this, and those morning prayer times are the things I always remember the most when I look back on what God did through the trip.

I have had some bad experiences, too, culture shock and depression and exhaustion and discouragement. But I have also seen God do some amazing things. There is nothing in life -- not marriage, not a relationship, not anything -- like hearing someone say, as one college-aged Asian girl did to me this summer, "I want Jesus to come into my heart and make it clean." Or seeing a boy, after reading the Word in his own language, come to the realization that "God is in company with my heart. He can save us from the darkness."

[12. Debbie said the following at 7:32 AM on Sep 4:]

12

I am a career missionary, the Lord having worked in my heart about cross-cultural missions before I graduated from college.

Some observations out of our personal experiences on this side of the "pond"-I can only say "Amen!" to rivergreg's comments- be intentional! If the Lord is leading you into missions, that decision should have a profound impact on dating and other long-term decisions. It is a matter of practical obedience that will have an effect on other areas of life.

I think it's also important to go as prepared as possible into a cross-cultural setting, whether long- or short-term. Do your homework: do some research on the country, region, people group, culture, etc., that you will be entering. Find out some information from a local missionary, if possible. See what kind of ministry there would be effective. Can you speak the language? What does the culture say about interaction between men and women? How do they perceive Americans (in general)? Be sensitive, and don't just assume that they have to adjust to your American... everything. Of course, you won't be able to totally prepare for every situation. The point is, go with an attitude of learning, not just doing.

Don't get me wrong. I am a full-blooded American (three cheers for Iowa!) But, we have personally had different short-term teams and individuals, and the responses of the nationals here are directly correspondent to those who have come over. An attitude of superiority or pride shouts louder to these dear people than any words or works (see 1 Corinthians 13). An attitude of humility and service, as well as being culturally sensitive, are probably the most important planks in building the bridge to those you desire to minister to.

[13. Cara said the following at 10:58 AM on Sep 4:]

13

A good book to check out that I read for my Introduction to Mission class at Calvin College is "Christianity Rediscovered" by Vincent Donovan. He was a Catholic priest who spent time with the Masai people and tried to help the church return to its mandate to feed people both spiritually and mentally as well as physically, as when he first arrive in Africa, the Catholic mission group working with the people was little more than a humanitarian camp.

[14. Shanda said the following at 9:03 PM on Sep 4:]

14

I grew up going to Mission Friends every Wednesday night. My family had a globe bank that we saved our change in year round for missions offerings. My parents taught me about famous missionaries. My uncle, aunt, and cousins became missionaries and moved to the Philippines. I enjoyed seeing missionary's slide shows when they came home. I knew it was important to pray for missions and to give money to support missionaries... but that was where it ended. Until…

I went to a Christian University that was very globally minded. I sat in chapel one day and listened to a man speak about people like me spending their summers serving in Asia. As I heard stories, my eyes filled with tears and I thought… “I’m so glad people are taking the message of Christ to those who desperately need to hear it.” That thought came along with the assumption that it would never be me. I wasn’t made that way.

Then God nudged my heart… “Why not you?” I ignored it because I, at the time, was a very picky eater and absolutely hated rice and noodles of all kinds. “I would never go to Asia. It’s not me.” God had other plans though and I couldn’t ignore the burden he put on my heart. I had to go!

I spent that summer in Vietnam teaching English to a room full of 8 year olds. I ate lots of rice and noodles (and dog and chicken heads). I sweat more than I ever had before. I smelled things I had never smelled. I learned what it meant to be lost, without Christ. I learned what it meant to love. I fell in love with Jesus as I had never loved Him before. I built amazing friendships that would last a lifetime. God opened my eyes. I came back an entirely different person…

I went back to Vietnam the following summer and have gone to other places since..

I have caught the vision! - - - God’s vision! - - - His heart is that all nations will see His glory and worship Him. His desire is that none would perish! May all the people praise Him! If I am following Him, I can not neglect being a part of God’s drawing the nations to Himself! It is my passion to GO and to STAY, wherever God desires! It is my passion to help others catch the vision… to lead them to an understanding that we can and should be doing so much more than just occasionally praying for a missionary or sending money! It’s a heart matter. Not everyone has to go, but everyone who follows Christ should develop a heart for all nations… because that is God’s heart!

I am no longer content to call just one place my home… or to live from day to day in a routine that keeps me from risking and reaching out to the world around me. There’s a whole world of people out there who need to hear the truth… the grace, the love, the mercy, the freedom… that comes in knowing Christ. So, whenever and where God leads, I will go. My life now looks nothing like I once planned it would. Saying yes to God my Sophomore year of college has shifted everything. I am currently in Seminary and I can’t tell you what will come next. Only God knows and that’s just fine with me!

(I apologize for the length of my post... I'm a writer... and I get very excited about this topic!)

[15. R said the following at 2:00 AM on Sep 8:]

15

I believe that building relationships out of love is a great evangelistic 'tool'. I also believe it is important for the ministry leaders to love one other. Love, love, love. One of the most important ingredients in ministry, I think.

A few years ago, I was quite involved with local international student ministries here in the states. Often int'l students are quite open and eager to make friends. I believe these intercultural ministries and relationships were a major influence in my educational and career decisions (teaching ESL overseas and in the states).

As intercultural ministry/relationships here in the states greatly influenced my education/career moves, I believe that short-term mission trips could probably work similarly in shaping the passions and sensitivity of the participants. Perhaps often with the increase of international/intercultural exposure, experience, and education/training comes an increase in sensitivity and openness to God's work.

[1. Jared said the following at 4:35 PM on Aug 31:]

1

I personally have been overseas on a number of occasions in a variety of countries doing a variety of activities. I have been to the Philippines on 3 different occasions, twice for three weeks, and the third time for three months. I have been in Thailand for a couple of weeks, and also just recently got back from India for two months.

My long term plan is to spend my time overseas in a third world context, I am currently working on my third degree at university (third time lucky!!) which is medicine, and i hope to use my skills as a doctor to serve those whom need it most.

After my recent time in India which involved volunteering at a hospital in the middle of nowhere for a month, I have decided that any future overseas ventures will not be with a 'Christian' organisation. I'm clearly not going to make this a hard and fast rule as who knows where God is going to lead me, but my experience was VERY disappointing. The politics, the petty bickering, the back gossip, foriegn families teaming with other foreign families (and inevitably against other foreign families) was all enough to put me off working for an organisation like this. I found it somewhat hypocritical, and noticed that alot of what went on distracted from the task at hand.

Personally, as a result of this experience, I would much rather work for a secular aid organisation, where i'm sure similar antics occur, but at least not under the guise of 'Christian mission'. Working for a secular aid organisation also offers opportunities to reach out to those whom you would work amongst who also dont yet know Christ. Also, secular agencies such as the Red Cross are better equiped and financed to pull off effective outreach than what a lot of Christian organisations are able to manage.

But, like I say, God will lead me where he will lead me. One thing I do know is that he will lead me to places where human suffering is causing God pain, where people have all but given up hope, and where God's love and service can have the greatest impact.

[2. xeres said the following at 6:33 PM on Aug 31:]

2

Mission trips and missionary work, they sound interesting but I'm not lead to doing traditional missionary work, rather long term or short term as a way to practice intercultural Christian engagement (which I love to do). I don't mind traveling and exploring culture but I'm more of a homebody.

Jared,

That's really sad that you let your bad experences cloud your view regarding of missionary work and missionary journeys. I hope it won't lead you to look down on your fellow bros and sis in Christ who choose to work with a Christian aid organization like World Vision, Operation Blessing or Compassion International just because a bad experience. Satan is very good at using our disappointments as evidence to never trust people ever again and I fear that you might fall for that. Although you have a point, all aid organizations aren't at less prone to greed and evil just because it's an aid organization or a non-profit organization

[3. Nicole said the following at 12:10 AM on Sep 1:]

3

I've done short-term mission work the last two summers.

The first summer I did an urban ministry stint for almost six weeks, living in community and doing urban ministry in a high poverty neighborhood. Effective ministry including helping run a preschool and tutoring children to improve literacy skills, five days a week. Highlights included taking a class in urban ministry, living in a house with other like-minded college students, and feeling like our daily work was making a positive difference in the lives of the children we worked with. Lowlights included conflict amongst ourselves (which thankfully was addressed and resolved) and often feeling like we had more questions than answers. All that I experienced changed the direction of my educational and career path, as I decide to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work (which I had not previously given much consideration). Also I grew tremendously in my ability to communicate with others and enjoy social interaction.

The second missions opportunity was a two week stint in Central America this summer. I partnered through a Christian sending organization and spent my days as a volunteer with children and adults with cerebral palsy at a hospital, and also had the opportunity to stay with a host family in a small town. Effective ministry meant interacting to the best of my ability with the patients, and trying to form a meaningful relationship with my host family. Highlights included learning to have a heart for the disabled and getting to know my host family. Lowlights included poor nutrition, very basic living conditions, feeling helpless in the midst of incessant poverty, and re-entry depression. It changed my career path in that it confirmed the strong desire that I already had to live overseas in the near future, and to be open to being called into missionary service.

In sum, my missions experiences were brief periods of intense learning that have changed the direction of my life. While I am committed to following Christ and to following wherever the Lord may lead, I am very hesitant to pursue long-term missionary work or ministry as a career because I lack oversight in my life and do not feel equipped whatsoever. Perhaps you could address next steps after short-term missions experiences.

[4. rivergreg said the following at 12:28 AM on Sep 1:]

4

I was "called" into full-time missions work before I had even been out of the country, so the overseas work I've done was an effect rather than a cause of my calling in life.

With the mission I am a part of now, I have both facilitated and been on short-term trips. Our ministry centers around providing computer technology assistance to other missions groups, free of charge, so our short-term trips are a bit "different."

Here are a few observations from my work (and contact with lots and lots of other missionaries):

• Being in another country, even for a relatively short time, can really grow your compassion for the world. Here in the U.S., in particular, partly because of geography we can tend to get an "isolationist" mindset.
• We should take care to clothe ourselves in humility and examine our presuppositions about those that we are going to minister to.
• The very fact that someone from a far away country would want to take the time to go somewhere and minister sometimes really touches the hearts of those that are being served. Although it is generally accepted that intra-cultural evangelism is usually more effective than cross-cultural evangelism, at times there is a dynamic to cross-cultural work that adds to its effectiveness.

As I mentioned, my calling into missions came before going overseas at all, but it nevertheless had a profound impact on my education, career, dating, and other choices.

A word to those out there who may sense God asking them to go into career missions or ministry work: Be Intentional. A fair percentage of people who make such decisions don't follow through. Don't confuse a personal agenda for a "calling", but if you believe God is putting before you a step of obedience, DO IT! :)

[5. Jill said the following at 10:32 AM on Sep 1:]

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I have had a strong call of missions on my life but have only been on one "missions" trip, with Campus Crusade for Christ to Daytona Beach. God dealt with my heart and my relationship with Him more than actual leading unsaved people to Christ (but how do I know?). The Lord has put missions to the Middle East on my heart...I have no idea how He is going to make that happen or how in the world God is going to use me of all people to preach Christ in a Muslim nation, but that's what He called me to do. I need some help in figuring out what to do to make that happen, including learning Arabic and Middle East customs and what mission group to go with. The funny thing is that this call feels so much like "me", like it's the only way to define myself like some people define themselves as a music-lover or a rebel; I am a living witness of Christ to people of another culture, language, life. Granted, I still have to actually go to the Middle East to accomplish this. But you wanted our experience, and mine is a purpose yet to be fulfilled.

[6. Erin said the following at 3:47 PM on Sep 1:]

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Since I was 13 (I am now 26), God has given me the opportunity to take at least one short-term mission trip every summer. I've been on numerous trips in the States, as well as trips to Scotland, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Peru, Zimbabwe, and China, to name a few. These trips ranged in time from as short as one week to as long as one year. On most of these trips I have seen much fruit. However, there have been a couple of trips that I have gone on that seemed a waste of time, and most of that had to do with the leadership in charge of the team.

God called me to missions--and, yes, I believe it was a real calling, like Jeremiah or Abraham or anyone else God has called--when I was on a one-week trip in SC when I was 15. I had never been overseas, but I knew He wanted me to spend the rest of my life in missions. I went on my first international trip when I was 17. I spent 6 weeks in Scotland with Royal Servants, Int. God used this time to further confirm my call.

These experiences have led me see that short-term trips have a two-fold purpose:

1) Short-term trips allow Christians to aid in and help validate the work of career missionaries. Just going somewhere for one week is not enough time to evangelize a whole people group, and, really, it can be dangerous considering what "mission" group may come in next and twist the message the team taught in such a short period of time. I disagree with sending short-term teams to areas where no one is actually living among the people and ministering there full-time. I believe short-term missionaries must help the full-time missionaries in their evangelistic endeavors. (If you want more specifics, e-mail me and I will give you some examples.)

2) Short-term trips allow Christians to go out into the "uttermost parts of the earth" and be witnesses. It expands on the American ego-centric, monolingual faith and creates a much larger worldview. So many American Christians enjoy the benefits of our freedom so much that they become complacent in their walks and take for granted what the Lord has given us here. Short-term trips make us realize what we have and serve to further motivate us to live an on-mission lifestyle. Sometimes this change is so life-altering that many will hear and respond to the calling to full-time missions while on the short-term mission field.

My missions experience has helped me to see the world beyond the southern Bible belt where I grew up. My calling at 15 has affected every major life decision since then--where I went to college, what I did afterwards, whom I married, etc. I am living in the States right now while my husband is finishing his seminary degree in missions so we can go back on the field. (We met in Costa Rica, where we were both short-term missionaries--he served 2 years, and I served 1.)

[7. Aaron Shackelford said the following at 3:59 PM on Sep 1:]

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I spent the past two years living in Haiti and doing mission work for a haitian church planting ministry. My main jobs were teaching english to Haitian pastors and working with short term groups that came down from churches in the states.

This was one of the most difficult times of my life but a time filled with much blessing and seeing God work in very tangible ways. I think it was difficult for one reason because I wasn't as tough as I thought I would be. I really missed my community back home. The parts I enjoyed the most were being involved in minisrty, learning a second language and sharing the country and experience with teams that came down.
One thing that I learned for myself is that I want my ministry to be less of a vocation and more of a life style. "As you are going..." I also saw that while Haitians are very needy people, there are americans that have the same spiritual needs right in my back yard that I may be able to minister to more effectivly.

[8. Kyle said the following at 10:38 AM on Sep 2:]

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I was very lucky (or rather blessed) to have my path cross with another group of individuals my senior year of high school. International Sports Federation, a sports missions group, moved from Texas and based their offices out of my local church where I was interning near Atlanta, GA.

The summer I graduated I was able to travel overseas for the first time, not once, but twice. I went to a small town in northern Germany called Nordenham, about 2 hours west of Hamburg. We taught some English classes in a high school and then ran soccer and volleyball camps at a park.

This turned out to be an incredible opportunity, as two years later I returned to the same town to be a semester missionary for 7 months. I worked with the same church with another American girl from Texas. We worked with two different youth groups and taught the English classes at the local gymnasium (high school).

This was a great time for me personally, as I grew more than I could ever have imagined during that time. God did some amazing things in the lives of the kids in the school and youth group primarily. I came to understand that God can work through our lives in ways we could never have imagined. It was difficult learning a new language and learning to relate to people of a different culture for an extended amount of time. That's what made my time there so different from a short term trip.

Between my first time in Germany and living there for that time, I also was able to travel to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Our team spent two weeks in the countries. We obviously could not share our faith openly, but had to trust God to do that through our actions. I personally think this can be more beneficial in many situations anyways. This is especially true when you are in an area where you are working with a missionary that lives there. They will have (or already have had) an opportunity to share with them and simply need the short term team to continue to develop existing and new relationships, not necessarily verbally share.

While we were in Pak. and Afgh. we helped develop Phys. Ed. and health programs in several elementary schools. This trip was what helped me decide to study what I'm studying now. That is public health. I want to work in developing nations in the future and have opportunities to do similar work.

I had an opportunity last summer to travel to Ghana, Africa. Our team held various sports camps in several cities including Cape Coast and Accra. We also helped a local pastor develop some relationships with a Muslim group in the area by playing several soccer games with them.

God has done some incredible things in my life through missions. I hope everyone gets the same opportunity in their lives at a younger age. It can most definitely change your life path and the desires you have, and even what you want to study, like it did mine.

[9. Justice said the following at 4:08 PM on Sep 2:]

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Hmmmm,

Most of my missions experience has come from a couple Mexico trips as well as my involvement with YWAM for the better part of a couple years. I left college to pursue mission work. While in YWAM, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to get a business degree and when finished get involved in microfinance abroad...

Years later, I am now only 8 months away from my degree and a GF who is down to move anywhere in the world.

As for plans, I met a guy from Africa through Relevant magazine that has been helping me out and trying to score an internship with World Vision.

[10. katie said the following at 7:15 PM on Sep 3:]

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i have been on about 15 short term trips over past 10 1/2 yrs and it has changed my life. i never had an interest in missions in high school and i had very wrong ideas about what i considered stereotypical missionaries - it was really ignorant, i won't even say it here! i just was not interested. i went on my first short term trip after college, to africa. i didn't feel called to missions just then, but it put the bug in me. if anything, i decided to go into f/t youth ministry for a while - so, it sort of got me off of the 'career path' track and being more sensitive to what god wanted for my life. the following yr, i went on 3 short term trips. after that, i felt a real call to missions, long term. i wrestled w/ it for yrs, got distracted, but the lord has brought me back around, and it is my plan to be a f/t missionary.

as far as the benefits of short term, it definitely opens your eyes to the rest of the world and helps you not be so self-absorbed. it is hard to continue to think the world revolves around you and around america, when you see the rest of the world out there and what daily life is like for some people. it also can be great encouragement for the long term missionaries, if the teams are PREPARED!!! the best teams i've been on were the ones that spent a lot of time in prayer and preparation and group building before we went. and, most important, i think it influences people to make decisions to go long term. i know for myself, i NEVER would have considered missions full time! the short term trips sort of eased me into the idea and gradually, god really burned it into my heart.

so, i'm an advocate for sure of short term trips, provided they are done well. it may not seem like a lot as far as long-standing spiritual results (but who are we to judge that?), but for sure, it def has an impact in the felt-needs dept.

missionaries are my heroes...i consider it an honor to join their ranks! hopefully next yr! it would be great to see more on missions on this website! i look forward to it!

[11. Beka said the following at 7:48 PM on Sep 3:]

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One thing I will say about mission trips is that it has taken God calling me to serve him overseas for him to show me how to effectively evangelize in America.

Though I'm no expert on mission trips, I've been on 5 short-term trips (I'm 22) and just returned from a month in South Asia a few weeks ago.

So much of what happens on a trip is a result of the preparation that went into the trip before the person stepped onto the plane. Before my friend and I went to South Asia this summer, we got together every Wednesday night for several months to fast dinner and pray and seek God together about what he was going to do through us. Though preparation can take the form of reading about the culture and other things, that only goes so far; after all my trips, I have learned that only God can really prepare my heart for the experience.

And prayer is so important. Every morning while we were gone, my friend and I got together before the day started to pray about what God was going to do and ask Him to fill us with His Spirit. No matter what trip I go on, I try to do this, and those morning prayer times are the things I always remember the most when I look back on what God did through the trip.

I have had some bad experiences, too, culture shock and depression and exhaustion and discouragement. But I have also seen God do some amazing things. There is nothing in life -- not marriage, not a relationship, not anything -- like hearing someone say, as one college-aged Asian girl did to me this summer, "I want Jesus to come into my heart and make it clean." Or seeing a boy, after reading the Word in his own language, come to the realization that "God is in company with my heart. He can save us from the darkness."

[12. Debbie said the following at 7:32 AM on Sep 4:]

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I am a career missionary, the Lord having worked in my heart about cross-cultural missions before I graduated from college.

Some observations out of our personal experiences on this side of the "pond"-I can only say "Amen!" to rivergreg's comments- be intentional! If the Lord is leading you into missions, that decision should have a profound impact on dating and other long-term decisions. It is a matter of practical obedience that will have an effect on other areas of life.

I think it's also important to go as prepared as possible into a cross-cultural setting, whether long- or short-term. Do your homework: do some research on the country, region, people group, culture, etc., that you will be entering. Find out some information from a local missionary, if possible. See what kind of ministry there would be effective. Can you speak the language? What does the culture say about interaction between men and women? How do they perceive Americans (in general)? Be sensitive, and don't just assume that they have to adjust to your American... everything. Of course, you won't be able to totally prepare for every situation. The point is, go with an attitude of learning, not just doing.

Don't get me wrong. I am a full-blooded American (three cheers for Iowa!) But, we have personally had different short-term teams and individuals, and the responses of the nationals here are directly correspondent to those who have come over. An attitude of superiority or pride shouts louder to these dear people than any words or works (see 1 Corinthians 13). An attitude of humility and service, as well as being culturally sensitive, are probably the most important planks in building the bridge to those you desire to minister to.

[13. Cara said the following at 10:58 AM on Sep 4:]

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A good book to check out that I read for my Introduction to Mission class at Calvin College is "Christianity Rediscovered" by Vincent Donovan. He was a Catholic priest who spent time with the Masai people and tried to help the church return to its mandate to feed people both spiritually and mentally as well as physically, as when he first arrive in Africa, the Catholic mission group working with the people was little more than a humanitarian camp.

[14. Shanda said the following at 9:03 PM on Sep 4:]

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I grew up going to Mission Friends every Wednesday night. My family had a globe bank that we saved our change in year round for missions offerings. My parents taught me about famous missionaries. My uncle, aunt, and cousins became missionaries and moved to the Philippines. I enjoyed seeing missionary's slide shows when they came home. I knew it was important to pray for missions and to give money to support missionaries... but that was where it ended. Until…

I went to a Christian University that was very globally minded. I sat in chapel one day and listened to a man speak about people like me spending their summers serving in Asia. As I heard stories, my eyes filled with tears and I thought… “I’m so glad people are taking the message of Christ to those who desperately need to hear it.” That thought came along with the assumption that it would never be me. I wasn’t made that way.

Then God nudged my heart… “Why not you?” I ignored it because I, at the time, was a very picky eater and absolutely hated rice and noodles of all kinds. “I would never go to Asia. It’s not me.” God had other plans though and I couldn’t ignore the burden he put on my heart. I had to go!

I spent that summer in Vietnam teaching English to a room full of 8 year olds. I ate lots of rice and noodles (and dog and chicken heads). I sweat more than I ever had before. I smelled things I had never smelled. I learned what it meant to be lost, without Christ. I learned what it meant to love. I fell in love with Jesus as I had never loved Him before. I built amazing friendships that would last a lifetime. God opened my eyes. I came back an entirely different person…

I went back to Vietnam the following summer and have gone to other places since..

I have caught the vision! - - - God’s vision! - - - His heart is that all nations will see His glory and worship Him. His desire is that none would perish! May all the people praise Him! If I am following Him, I can not neglect being a part of God’s drawing the nations to Himself! It is my passion to GO and to STAY, wherever God desires! It is my passion to help others catch the vision… to lead them to an understanding that we can and should be doing so much more than just occasionally praying for a missionary or sending money! It’s a heart matter. Not everyone has to go, but everyone who follows Christ should develop a heart for all nations… because that is God’s heart!

I am no longer content to call just one place my home… or to live from day to day in a routine that keeps me from risking and reaching out to the world around me. There’s a whole world of people out there who need to hear the truth… the grace, the love, the mercy, the freedom… that comes in knowing Christ. So, whenever and where God leads, I will go. My life now looks nothing like I once planned it would. Saying yes to God my Sophomore year of college has shifted everything. I am currently in Seminary and I can’t tell you what will come next. Only God knows and that’s just fine with me!

(I apologize for the length of my post... I'm a writer... and I get very excited about this topic!)

[15. R said the following at 2:00 AM on Sep 8:]

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I believe that building relationships out of love is a great evangelistic 'tool'. I also believe it is important for the ministry leaders to love one other. Love, love, love. One of the most important ingredients in ministry, I think.

A few years ago, I was quite involved with local international student ministries here in the states. Often int'l students are quite open and eager to make friends. I believe these intercultural ministries and relationships were a major influence in my educational and career decisions (teaching ESL overseas and in the states).

As intercultural ministry/relationships here in the states greatly influenced my education/career moves, I believe that short-term mission trips could probably work similarly in shaping the passions and sensitivity of the participants. Perhaps often with the increase of international/intercultural exposure, experience, and education/training comes an increase in sensitivity and openness to God's work.