Subscribe to the NetworkAspect Often Missed On Mission Trips
Now is the time teams are formed and beginning to meet for mission trips during spring break and summer. College students will be going all over the world, serving in every imaginable way. Millions of dollars will be invested in these trips. The lives of those going as well as those being served will be changed. Students will be excited, parents a bit freaked out. And leaders missing one of the most important aspects for college age people on a mission trip: exposure.
Serving is a crucial part of mission trips. Build a well, house, or bridge. Paint a hospital. Work with orphans. Pull together a VBS for children. Through service like this people get exposed to some amazing things. But, I’d suggest, especially if you’re going with college age people, to include days worth of exposure. I’ve found that taking multiple days to show college age people different types of missionary work is one of the most impacting things I’ve done over the years. Many of them have a skewed view of what a “missionary” is. Most don’t realize that every profession can be utilized on the overseas field. Let them see a music teacher who teaches piano in an orphanage, computer engineer working on a mission base, a marketing major seeking to help the culture gain respect for orphans in Romania. Let them see the mechanic, the house wife, the 2nd grade teacher, the electrician, doctor, nurse, and the janitor taking care of the office area on the base.
Sometimes people don’t feel right about taking days for this. I’ve done entire trips just for exposure. And the fruit of it is amazing.
Make sure you spend time with all kinds of people, observing what they do and being able to hear their heart and story. For some reason when people think of being a missionary they often fail to realize that any profession can be utilized. As you plan your trip seek to include multiple “exposures” for your students. Spend days just going around and talking with different people. Help those you bring gain perspective of how practical it is for them to become a “missionary” regardless of what field of study they’re in!
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I have a friend in college right now. When he entered college he was majoring in pre-med with the idea that he was going to become a doctor. But then he transferred to a well-known Christian school in the area. For a little bit he kept up his pre-med major, but then he “felt” God calling him to the mission field. So instead of continuing to major in pre-med, he changed his major to missions. I think this is so sad. He was doing well in pre-med and was on a path to become a M.D. Then because of some feeling he had, he changes majors. There are many people in foreign lands (and here as well) who need medical attention. He could have trained to be a doctor and then gone into the mission field to help those in need. Like you point out, “For some reason when people think of being a missionary they often fail to realize that any profession can be utilized”.