Short term missions: Tears of awesomeness vs. "What just happened?"

Many of us have been a part of both.  The mission trip that leaves us in tears of awesomeness, and the mission trip that leaves us wondering "what just happened?"  The truth is, it's sometimes hard to tell just what kind of experience you are going to have before the trip.  The BIGGER truth is that ultimately your "experience" isn't what matters.  What matters is glorifying Christ. 

To be real, we all want to go into missions knowing that the end result will be tears of awesomeness AND a glorified GOD.  So, without reading a book recently or searching all over the internet, I have put together what I feel are 5 ways to set yourself up for DISASTER:

          1.  Take a team of 30 to visit your church sponsored missionary. 

Agree with me or not, I believe this is one way to set your team up for a "what just happened?" moment.  The struggle is, it seems to make sense!  Your church financially supports this couple, they have visited your church many times, you seem to be already connected.  You ask the missionary couple if they would host your team next summer and they say yes.  Perfect!  What happens next is where I think the train falls off the tracks.  The missionary couple isn't used to having teams visit.  They are gifted at building relationships in their community and spreading the Gospel, not at preparing for and looking after a church group.  They invest their time leading up to your trip preparing for you, instead of fulfilling the calling that God has sent them there to do.  They do all of this for your team, but yet, it still seems like things weren't ready.  Unfortunately, I have heard many times from full time missionaries that the hardest week of the year is when the mission team comes.  Have there been successful mission trips to serve alongside fulltime missionaries?  YES.  Have I heard more "what just happened" stories than "tears of awesomeness" stories?  YES. 

          2.  Pick a new country every year.  See the world! 

Missions cost money and we all like to travel.  Why not pick a new country every year to go on your mission trip?  Everyone wins.  You get to see a new country, people are served, God is glorified.  We'll call it: voluntourism.  Or maybe you're part of a youth group that has a tradition of allowing the seniors to pick where they go each year.  A new country, a new organization, and everything else that goes with it.  This model might be fun, but each year you are setting yourself up for a potential "what just happened?" moment.  How much more effective would your missions be if you developed a partnership?  If your group went back to the same community, the same church, the same people, every year!  And partnered with them!  They prayed for you, you prayed for them.  You sent teams each year, they sent their pastor to come preach at your church.  You can still allow the seniors to pick where they want to go, but if you cast the vision, your seniors will pick that partnership community every time. 

          3.  Have no say in what your team does that week.  The mission organization knows best, right?

If what you do on your mission trips relies solely on what the mission organization or missionary does, then your are setting yourself up for a "what just happened" moment.  Let me explain.  Each person has been gifted differently...correct?  Your job is to find an organization that provides opportunities for your team to use those God given gifts in an EFFECTIVE manor!  Sure, someone who is gifted at construction might play with kids a little and someone who is gifted with kids might do some construction, but don't sign up for a mission trip that has your church's allstar children's ministry team building a house for an entire week just because it was cheap.  In the same way, don't sign up for a week of children's ministry when you have a team full of construction workers. Use your gifts, that's why God gave them.

          4.  Allow cell phones on your trip.  After all, the world doesn't stop just because you're on a mission. 

I have seen this DESTROY mission trips.  I understand that the world doesn't stop.  That people have jobs, and businesses, and family.  I understand that technology can be used for GOOD.  And what about if there's an emergency?  My response: I get it. You don't have to tell me all the GOOD reasons why cell phones should be allowed on the trip.   I will however, tell you what could go wrong.  Johny gets a stomach bug.  Nobody has a cell phone on the trip except the group leader.  Little Johny gets some rest, gets some fluids, and is good to go in 24 hours.  Mission trip moves on.  Same scenario:  Little Johny gets a stomach bug.  Entire team pulls out their cell phones.  Church is notified, parents are notified, American doctors are notified, prayer chain goes out, George calls church, read about killer virus that was in country 10 years ago, this could potentially be it, team gets notified, church and group leader decide the only responsible thing to do is evacuate the kid, $20,000 evacuation helicopter is scheduled, it's their only choice, how can this be happening, ahhh!!!.  Sounds crazy and exaggerated doesn't it?  I've seen it almost get to this point before!  Is it worth it?  Will the world keep turning without that cell phone in your pocket?  YES! By all means, make sure the trip leader has a cell phone for emergencies, besides that, enjoy your week away from that pesty piece of technology. 

          5.  Love em' and don't tell them why. 

I stole this one from a blog of a good friend of mine, Josh Skogerboe.  (You can find his post here: Francis of Assisi was wrong.)  In his blog, Josh says this: "Love and service are a natural and healthy RESPONSE to the Gospel, but can never be mistaken for the message itself."  The key to any mission trip is to not just love on people, but to tell them WHY.  Because Jesus DIED for our sins, was BURIED, and RAISED on the third day.  If you forget to leave this message through words and not just actions, you missed the boat.

Now, after writing these 5 ways to set yourself up for a "what just happened?" moment, I want to clarify something:  God leads.  Your job as a mission goer is ultimately to go where God leads.  God is truth, what I wrote above is opinion.  God trumps me everytime.  Before planning your trip, I ask that you spend time in prayer, time in His Word, and time seeking Godly counsel.  After that, if you feel that God has confirmed your calling to go serve alongside a missionary couple, or visit a new country, DO IT.  With that, as you plan your next trip, do your RESEARCH and please consider the things I have written in this blog. My desire is for every mission goer to come home with TEARS OF AWESOMENESS.