I am always amazed at the excitement and nervousness from those going on their first short-term mission trip, most of the time they don’t know enough to know what they need to be nervous about. There is an excitement in their eyes as they head into the unknown. They prepare testimonies and lessons, not knowing how God will use them or if they will be effective. They pack what is recommended and wonder if it will be enough. They comfort their parents and loved ones, and try to reassure them everything is going to be alright, while at the same time not knowing what the future holds. But through leading and prayer, the journey begins.
A lot of mission team members, especially those who have never been on mission before usually become broken spiritually sometime during the week of the trip. They discover a new outlook on sharing, faith, trust, and God. Why is this? It is simple, during the week they are constantly hearing the word of God either from others sharing or through the preaching or their own study. They also see the word of God come to life. That doesn’t mean that the bible gets up and starts walking around. But they see the Spirit of God begin to work in the lives of the people they come in contact with. They walk the streets with a single purpose, to find the person of peace with whom they can share the good news of the gospel. Some are hit with the hard truth that not all will accept the gospel, so they plant a seed not knowing the condition of the soil. Other times they begin to pour out water onto unknown soil, unaware that a seed exist and has been waiting for the moisture that God will use to bring it to life. They get excited and don’t know what to do when out of the ground springs forth life. A miracle, they get to see cold dead bones come to life. After that experience, they have a drive to share and no longer need to be pushed in front of people to share with. Oh what it would have been like in Acts to walk the streets and see God work, bringing people to life through the proclamation of the Gospel. But wait, could that still happen? And could it happen here?
After returning home and a couple weeks of rest, life returns to normal. The mission was accomplished, people were saved and now we are back comfortable, safe, fed, and loved. Or are we? There is always a sense of completion at the end of a mission trip. Not that that would be wrong in the short term, but there is a since of that was where we were on mission at, but now we are back and we have things to get done. Real stuff, school, work, friends, problems, and you know life. Right?
One of the greatest tragedies we have is short-term missions. I know you saw a bunch of people get saved, and God really “showed up”, but stay with me. There is a since of awe and wonder during the week of a mission trip. And we look forward to the next year when we can go and feel that same since of awe and wonder. But let’s compare it to a race shall we. Anyone who runs foot races understands that you have different splits. These are markers throughout the race to gauge your progress, and to ensure you are on pace. A short-term mission trip is sort of like a split. It is a time to see if you are where you need to be in your spiritual life, in your reading and study of the word, apologetics, doctrines, and if you can articulate them to the world around you. The shortness of the week gives you the opportunity to push yourself hard and to evaluate yourself. The tragedy is that the short-term is looked at, as the race itself. We return with a sense that we ran and will rest up to run again next year.
The race however is not over. In fact it is just beginning. When you return home, it is like passing the first mile marker. The street is no longer filled with cheering fans, the road narrows, and the reality of the race sets in. Here is where we must work our hardest. This is where we must pull from prayer and scripture, the strength to press on. Where most might sit and rest, we must run to win. We don’t just return to normal life, we return with a renewed sense of awe for what God has been doing and we must now trust even more so that He will continue His work. We saw on foreign soil God work in others lives. Now we must trust that He will work in ours for His glory and to reach those around us. We are home; this is where we must turn from our sins, where we must love God more than mother and father, more than friends and things. This is where we live out what we preach, if we believe that which we have taught. Did we believe it? Do we believe it? If so, then are we disciplined for the miles ahead? Paul tells the church at Corinth “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. Are we disqualified or are we still in the race?
There are no short-term missionaries; there are only missionaries in different context. When we return to our Jerusalem, let us seek the hope that is only found in Christ. Let us not lean on our own understanding, our own wisdom, which is foolishness. Let us not fall victim to busyness and the lure of shiny objects that promise fulfillment. Let our knees be worn out for those nearest to us. Let our time be determined by the cross and His call, trusting that He will provide the time for work, family, fun, and ministry, as we continue the race. We have found our greatest joy in walking by faith; let us not check our faith with Homeland Security as we return home. But let us be reminded daily where our ultimate security is found and where our joy is greatest. Wherever you woke up at, wherever you find yourself, wherever you stand today, then that is your mission field. Time to get running.
детска кухня ам-ам
Nicely put, Many thanks!
Sbpfor
cheap finax generic – buy cardura for sale order uroxatral 10mg online cheap
Alex
I know this web page presents quality based content and extra data, is there any
other web page which offers these kinds of information in quality?
銈炽儵銉炽儉銉犮儨銉笺儷銇娇鐢ㄣ亴蹇呰銇偡銉娿儶銈仺銇紵
Our glove boxes provide a secure environment for handling hazardous materials, protecting both operators and the environment.
pabrik bola planet vertikal mini
Optimize your milling processes with our cutting-edge ball mills, featuring advanced grinding media and container options.
philadelphia trucking accident lawyer
An Easy-To-Follow Guide To Truck Accident Injury Lawyer philadelphia trucking accident lawyer
evisa for travel
Quality posts is the crucial to invite the
visitors to pay a quick visit the website, that’s what this
web page is providing.
Keeley
Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it
from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog stand out.
Please let me know where you got your theme. Appreciate it
apply evisa vietnam
Hi, just wanted to say, I loved this blog post. It was practical.
Keep on posting!
Double-pane windows Jacksonville
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up plus the rest of the website is also
very good.
bokep terbaru
Asking questions are really nice thing if you are not understanding something totally,
except this article offers fastidious understanding even.
evisa for vietnam
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually
recognise what you are talking about! Bookmarked.
Kindly also visit my web site =). We will have a hyperlink alternate arrangement between us
Franklyn
9 Signs You’re The Window Repairs Near Me Expert upvc window repairs near me (Franklyn)
Klára Havlíčková
Your style is very unique compared to other folks I have read stuff from.
I appreciate you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this site.
Lottery Defeater Software
Howdy! This post could not be written any better!
Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept chatting about this.
I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read.
Many thanks for sharing!
my blog post; Lottery Defeater Software
birth defect lawsuit
How To Beat Your Boss On Birth Defect Legal birth defect lawsuit
online-learning-initiative.org
Thanks. Quite a lot of advice!
my webpage – https://online-learning-initiative.org/wiki/index.php/I_Do_Not_Want_To_Spend_This_Much_Time_On_%EC%B6%9C%EC%9E%A5%EC%95%88%EB%A7%88._How_About_You
문화상품권 매입
I’ve been exploring for a bbit ffor any high-quality
aticles or weblog posts in this sort oof area .
Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this site.
Reading this info So i am satisfied to show that I’ve a very
excellent uncanny feeling I found out just what
I needed. I ssuch a lot surely will make sure
to doo not omit this website and give it a glance on a continuing basis.
문화상품권 매입
Maryannhap
Regards! Fantastic stuff!
navigate to this site https://luclaeven.com/software/bdwm-kml-lfwrks-ltjr-mlyzy-l-lntrnt
see this here [url=https://golabstesting.com/bitcoin/nft-trading-cards-trump]i thought about this[/url]
bokep japan
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely believe that
this site needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably
be back again to see more, thanks for the advice!
gambling promotions
Definitely believe that which you said. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the net the simplest thing
to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get irked while people think about worries that they just don’t know about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also
defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people could take a
signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
moinho de bolas planetario com ecra tatil microcomputadorizado
We specialize in custom-designed roller ball mills, optimized for fine grinding of various materials, ensuring efficient and precise results.
별풍선 할인
I’m not sure why but thks site is loading incredibly sslow for me.
Is anyone else having this issue or is it a problem on my end?I’ll check back later
on and ssee if thhe problem still exists.
별풍선 할인
Tobias
14 Cartoons About Hyundai Replacement Key Cost That’ll
Brighten Your Day hyundai verna key replacement cost (Tobias)
exness mt4
Hello! I want to start by saying my name – Ewa. What The way we
wish enjoy doing is caving but I can’t make it my profession really.
Interviewing is how I make money. My house is now in New
Jersey and I’ve everything which i need so now.
에볼루션 바카라 규칙
125% Equity Home Loans 에볼루션 바카라 규칙
ig 增加 粉絲
Definitely believe that which you said.Your favorite reason seemed to be on the web the simplest thing to be
aware of. I say to you, I deinitely get irked while people consider worries that they plainly don’t know about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined
out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal.
Will probably be back to get more. Thanks
ig 增加 粉絲
프라그마틱 무료스핀
Three Ways To Put Fresh Spins On Old Marketing Concepts 프라그마틱 무료스핀
top 10 laboratornich horizontalnich mlynu
Discover the advantages of our roller ball mills for large-scale production. We’ll share the technical details.
AliceSwile
Fernande Feichter from Austin was on the hunt for senior thesis political science
Helga Lyerly discovered the solution to a search question senior thesis political science
dissertation sur le roman de personnage
freelance magazine writers wanted
[url=https://englishessayhelp.com/]how to write an argumentative essay[/url]
[url=https://helpwithdissertationwriting.com/]top dissertation writing service[/url]
[url=https://argumentativethesis.com/]writing papers[/url]
[url=https://domyhomeworkformecheap.com/]pay someone to do my math homework[/url]
[url=https://apoldent.pl/pl/component/k2/item/20-doctor-or-assistant-doctor/]plan de dissertation pour les nuls[/url] e9c4a53
6 Shoe store
Lucky Feeet Shoes Anaheim
5761 E Santa Ana Canyopn Rd ste ϲ,
Anaheim, CA 92807, Unitred States
+17142821000
6 Shoe store
walmart severance pay policy
I’m gone to convey my little brother, that he should also
pay a quick visit this weblog on regular basis to get updated from hottest news.
Hausarbeit schreiben lassen
Awesome issues here. I’m very happy to look your article.
Thanks so much and I’m taking a look ahead to contact you.
Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
상품권 매입
Link exchange is nothing else but it iss only placing the
oher person’s web site link on your page at suitable place and other person will also do same in favor of you.
상품권 매입
Local Window Manufacturer Bolton
Someone essentially lend a hand to make severely articles I would state.
That is the very first time I frequented your website
page and to this point? I amazed with the analysis you made to create this
actual post extraordinary. Magnificent task!
My web blog :: Local Window Manufacturer Bolton
situs bokep jepang gratis
Hi! I could have sworn I’ve visited this web
site before but after looking at some of the articles I
realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely delighted
I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!
인천출장안마
Really many of wonderful info!
my web site: https://stcall.co.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=free&wr_id=43777
moinho de bolas planetario totalmente direcional para laboratorio
We are proud manufacturers of attritor mills, suitable for a wide array of wet and dry grinding needs. Get in touch for customized solutions.
porn xnxx
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is
a very well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to
read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely comeback.
the growth matrix reviews
Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with hackers?
My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months of hard work due to no backup.
Do you have any solutions to stop hackers?
Feel free to visit my web site: the growth matrix reviews
argent
A person essentially lend a hand to make critically articles I would state.
That is the first time I frequented your website page and so
far? I surprised with the research you made to make this particular put up extraordinary.
Wonderful task!
Jamescax
Found captivating reading that’s worth your time – take a look https://xn--80afhaldssmk6g.xn--80asehdb/user/gunnightun
hosting roger trustpilotcom
Hey! I realize this is kind of off-topic but I needed to
ask. Does running a well-established blog like yours require a massive amount work?
I’m brand new to operating a blog but I do write in my journal daily.
I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience and
views online. Please let me know if you have any kind of recommendations
or tips for brand new aspiring blog owners. Thankyou!
laboratuvar tam yonlu planet bilyali degirmen
Ensure accurate and repeatable results with our precision-engineered mixers, designed for stringent quality control standards.
Truffle pour la chasse
Hello there! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to
give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy
reading through your posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same topics?
Thanks for your time!
axio88 pro
I dugg some of you post as I cerebrated they were very helpful very helpful.
Lan
Hey there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was
wondering if you knew where I could find a
captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog
platform as yours and I’m having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!
도매사이트 위탁판매
It is in reality a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared his helpful info wirh us.
Please stay us up to date like this. Thank yyou for sharing.
도매사이트 위탁판매
Milf Cams
Thank you for this very interesting. Have a great day!
personal Injury
What’s The Job Market For Personal Injury Attorney Professionals?
personal Injury