MY BLOG POSTS

What does it mean to be a long-term missionary overseas?

I used to think it meant living in the jungle eating bugs. Ewww and eww.

But that isn’t it. Well, except for some. Being a missionary overseas means doing what God has called you to do in another country. You can be a teacher overseas, a librarian, a counselor, a contractor, a sports director; you can work in an orphanage, a college, a community center. And, of course, you can be a pastor, a preacher, an evangelist. Some missionaries go to remote areas where the people speak languages that have no Bible. They learn the language and then translate God’s word for those people  so they can have it. Others go to countries where openly talking about Christ is illegal, so they serve the people in other ways, showing them Jesus while working alongside them.

Whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it overseas. Maybe you go over as a businessman or woman rather than a “missionary.” You don’t need the title to be able to be a light in the darkness.

Living overseas has so many advantages. You get to experience other cultures, you get to see God work in ways you’ve never imagined, you get to meet amazing people. There are many sacrifices involved in leaving the known for the unknown, but the blessings you receive from making that move are so incredibly worth it.

Just in case you were wondering…we don’t have to go anywhere to be part of missions. There is plenty that needs to be done in our own back yards. People in my church, for example, have adopted an inner city school, making sure every student has clothes, supplies, mentors, even class parties and Christmas gifts. Others visit – and some adopt – local children in the foster care system and children’s homes. My daughters’ youth choir serves in a variety of ways throughout the year – visiting homeless shelters and nursing homes, providing food, love, and music to the people there. There are support groups for those who are hurting, struggling, or recovering from addictions. There are English classes for those wanting to learn this very complicated language. Twice, I have been part of Feeding Children Everywhere – a ministry whose goal is just that: providing meals for hungry children here in the USA and around the world. There are thousands of ways to serve our community – to meet very real physical and emotional needs.

But, as I said before, meeting those needs is just the start. We also want to meet spiritual needs. As we care for kids, feed the hungry, visit the elderly, teach, sing, and mentor, we should also share the greatest source of wealth we have — the Good News of Jesus. He offers eternal life! While we certainly want to do all we can to make this world a better place – starting with our own back yard – we can’t forget that this world, this life, is temporary. And, as unpopular as this may be, the Bible makes it clear that there are not many ways to heaven. There is just one. But Jesus isn’t withholding that way from anyone. Romans 10:13 says “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That is good news! It is news worth sharing, news worth proclaiming. And we don’t need to get on a plane to share it. We can do it right where we are.

Today I want to talk about Short-Term Mission Trips.

Many churches take short-term mission trips – to a variety of places for a variety of reasons, serving a variety of people.

I have a friend who spent a whole summer in Uganda serving orphans. My dad recently spent a week in Guatemala helping construct churches and homes. My brother-in-law oversees all the mission trips at their church, sending people all over the globe in service to the Savior. Friends at our church went to India, Nepal, and Mali last year, helping provide for the needs of the poor in those countries. Another group stayed here in the states, going to a multicultural center in New York City to help teach English. Good friends went to a remote village in Costa Rica, serving the church there in a variety of ways. Full-time missionaries we know live in Nicaragua and facilitate short-term teams that come through that country, overseeing several important projects that help the people there. Below is a picture of my daughters with our friend, Nate, leading a VBS lesson at a school in Costa Rica on a trip we took in 2008.

Serving others is a key component of short-term trips. But that is not all — Jesus called us to meet the physical needs of those around us. That is a clear mandate. But he didn’t want us to stop there. Our human bodies won’t last forever. Our souls, however, are eternal. Those who take short-term trips care for the physical needs of people, but they also help meet spiritual needs. Giving someone a hot meal, fresh water, or a home is vital. But giving them the truth that Jesus loves every part of them, loved them so much that He came to this sin-torn world to be our Savior, that is eternal. Short-term trips allow you to meet physical and spiritual needs, getting you out of your comfort zone to do it.

If you have never gone on a short-term trip, GO! If you’re not ready to go quite yet, find someone who is and pray for them as they prepare and go. Help them raise the money they need to go. Find out what they need to bring — clothes for children, building materials, canned goods — and send them along. They are so many ways to be involved in short-term missions. It is rewarding, exciting, and everyone who has been can tell you – you’ll get far more out of it than you give. you go to be a blessing, but you find that you were, in fact, the one most blessed.

Today at church, we started our Global Impact Conference. I am so excited about it, I want to continue that theme here in my blog.  I am a big fan of missions – all kinds of missions in all kinds of places. I believe we are called to meet the spiritual and physical needs of people all over this planet, and I am so grateful for the individuals, churches, and ministries who live out the Great Commission everyday.

Today, I want to introduce you to an amazing ministry for missionaries: Mission Training International (MTI) in Palmer Lake, Colorado.

Being a missionary is tough. Many missionaries have to learn a new language, most have to learn a new culture.  There are adjustments for couples, for kids, for extended family. It isn’t an easy occupation. MTI exists to help missionaries prepare for service overseas and to “debrief” them upon return.

The folks at MTI help missionaries do what God has called them to do. They prepare them, encourage them, and equip them. They are an amazing group of people doing amazing work, and hardly anyone knows anything about them. But that’s all right with them, because they aren’t seeking fame. They are simply doing what God has called them to do.

Missionaries need care before, during, and after their terms. If you know a missionary, pray for them daily. They need it! Drop them a note, give them a call, send them a care package – let them know you love them. Take a page from MTI’s playbook: Care for those who are caring for others. Minister to people in ministry.