And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Mark 16:15
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
It was already chilly in November of 2014 when my wife and I packed our bags for a trip to South Africa. When we stepped into the brisk early morning air, boarded our plane, and took to the air, we were confident we were prepared.
It was around 30,000 feet when a shocking thought hit me: “It’s nearly summer in South Africa.”
In all my strategic packing, I had failed to consider that while it was getting colder in the U.S., the opposite would be true when the plane landed. I was about to spend 10 days in a hot environment with a bag full of winter clothing.
Ultimately, my misstep was easy to address, though any who have traveled to a new place know that a lack of knowledge or mindfulness can cause major issues. What is true with a typical trip can be even more problematic when we are traveling as “Ambassadors of Christ”; our missteps can misrepresent him, or harm those he loves.
We don’t want to scare you, but prepare you.
2 Corinthians 1:7 says “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” There are many reasons to be anxious about a missions trip – especially if it is your first, or you are planning it – and fortunately God has given us:
a spirit of power than can equip us to prepare and engage in ways not limited to our understanding and capacity
a spirit of love that can equip us to function in ways that may be sacrificial so that we can better “love God and love others”
a spirit of self-control that helps us be intentional before, during, and after our trip.
Last week I led a session with nearly 50 people who serve with YWAM River City to create this resource. Though we share in common a commitment to being full-time volunteer missionaries, we are an incredibly diverse group; we represent a wide range of ages, cultures, experiences, and gifts, which allowed us to explore this topic widely. In terms of missions trips, individuals had served in anywhere from two to over fifty countries. Many in the group have experience leading teams, and others hosting.
Somehow this wealth of knowledge and wisdom had to be captured in less than two hours, and condensed into a book in less than a month!
We started with the broad prompt, “What do you wish you knew before your first mission trip” and proceeded to crowdsource dozens of ideas, which we then narrowed down to 6 that were honed in groups.
In the following pages you will find much of that knowledge and wisdom, as well as stories; it’s our gift to you as you embrace Christ’s “Great Commission.” We are so blessed by your willingness to serve in new places and ways, and excited for how God is about to work in and through you. This is our small way of supporting you on this journey, and we would love to hear the stories God writes!
This is not meant to be words on pages, but an opportunity to invite the Spirit into your preparation. While we are sharing our missteps and revelations, the Spirit can share even more. Turn these pages prayerfully, listening for what God might have beyond the text. The goal here is not to help you perfect missions trips – we haven’t! – but equip you to know how to position yourself for the work God will do.
The practical tips do more than enhance the experience: they allow us to be better “Ambassadors of Christ”, reliable representatives of the One who sent us!
