Why I Love Missions

This is the first time in three years that I haven't taken an international mission trip over the summer, and I've definitely been feeling the absence. It's hard not to miss traveling when you love it so much! But missions is really about so much more than just traveling. For me, doing missions is like participating in the greatest adventure you could ever be a part of. I love it for so many reasons, but today I'll just share a few of my favorites with you ;)

I love missions because it allows me to see God at work in a different culture. When you've grown up in the same country your whole life, it can be easy to assume that Christianity is done the same way around the world. But our God is so much bigger than we realize, and He relates to people in so many different ways. I love getting to see that when I travel overseas, to open my mind and realize that God is not confined to any language, worship style, or church building. I always learn more about God when I take a mission trip. I learn to see His love and grace for how big and unfailing they really are. Few things can allow us to really understand that like mission trips do.

I love missions because it is about people. The outreaches and projects we American Christians are so fond of doing are nice and useful, but they don't compare to building one-on-one relationships with people and learning to understand them as our equals despite our differences. I have met some of the kindest, happiest, most beautiful people during my mission trips. They always teach me so much more than I could ever teach them. Whether it's a little child sharing Swahili phrases or a ministry leader telling us his testimony, I always come away from mission trips so impacted by the amazing people of God's kingdom.

I love missions because of the fellowship it creates. This is certainly not exclusive to mission trips, but it's something I've always loved so much about them. Being in a foreign country for days really forces you to have to bond with the people you share rooms with. But despite the lack of privacy and occasional tension, it is so, so worth it. Mission trip debriefs are where I've had some of the best conversations about Jesus. Meals during trips are also where I've laughed harder than any other time, and created new friendships that went beyond that trip. Fellowship is one of my favorite things in the world, and I love that it's so rich and so real during mission trips.

I love missions because nothing else reminds me so much of how Jesus lived on this earth. I remember a day on one of my trips to Kenya when we were sent out in small groups to evangelize within a small village. As we walked through the red dirt roads along with new Kenyan friends, I suddenly got this overwhelming impression that Jesus was walking right beside us. I felt just like the disciples when Jesus sent them out to evangelize in small groups. That is exactly the kind of thing that Jesus was doing while he was on this earth- ministering in villages, staying in unfamiliar homes, and making new friends along the way. It is so amazing to be able to experience ministry so similar to what Jesus did.

To me, missions is the best way to see the gospel come alive in its simplest form. It's about love and people and understanding God in new ways. It's about putting aside your own self-centered mentality and learning to see things from a different perspective. It's about realizing that we cannot save people- only God can- but we can love them and learn from them and create new friendships with them.

I know that missions isn't for everyone, in terms of actually going out on the field for weeks or months or even years. But we can all do something to participate in it, whether it's praying for missionaries or giving money to organizations that support them. I believe missions is one of the closest things to the heart of God. And it will always also be close to mine.

#missions #travel #2015