Your First Mission Trip

I am trying to remember when the first mission trip I took was! It has been a long time ago.

I was a summer missionary two summers, but it wasn't a group thing on my part. It was an individaul thing. But from those experiences, I would say "make sure that you know that is what God wants you to do, then turn the schedule over to him."

Be flexible. Things can change every day, every moment.

Make plans, but plans can change. Let God be in control.

 

My first mission trip was to Honduras in 1987. I went with a bunch of folks that I didn't know. They were building a new sanctuary at a church in Tegucigalpa. I helped build forms to pour the concrete foundation. On the fifth day, I came down with a huge case of Montezuma's Revenge. I was out of commission for the rest of the trip and was sick for a month after.

I went on another trip in '92 with a medical team. It was the greatest experience of my life. We went to small villages in the northern mountains of Honduras. It was a real adventure; like something out of National Geographic. Donkeys, parrots, stewed iguana, deer hunting at night, and a woman who delivered twins that we medivac'd out by a U.S. Army chopper were just some of the things I experienced.

These trips gave me an appreciation for the foreign missionaries and their work and why the local church support of that work is so important. It also showed me that EVERYONE can be a missionary. I didn't have any special skills other than a willingness to serve Christ. That's about all it takes. All we do is show up. God does the rest!

 

The first one I took was also to help a small church started by one of the members of my church.

I went the summer after my 8th grade year - so, '97.

Before you leave make sure you are firmly rooted and grounded in God and His word. I would even suggest a "media fast" for a few days before you leave to make sure you don't have any distractions. Spriritual warfare hits hard on the mission field.

If you're going as part of a team - my best advice to give you is to make sure that your team spends some time every day together in prayer. It's extremely vital!

Also, everyone needs to make sure that they are spending plenty of one-on-one time with God - that should be a daily habit no matter where you're at - but it's definately important on a mission trip.

Be flexible, relax, have fun! Oh, and get lots of sleep whenever possible

 

Inner city Chicago in 10th grade. Talk about scaring a country girl. God really used the trip to deepen my heart for the lost. And I got to use my Spanish to share Christ! Totally hightened my desire for overseas missions to Spanish speaking countries!

 

Warm Christian greetings!

My first mission trip was in 1979 when I did a beach mission in Broadstairs, Kent (England). I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot. My advice to someone going on a mission is three-fold:

1) Be humble enough to recognise you don't know it all and need to learn.

2) Be willing to get on with believers who don't share your views on everything

3) Enjoy yourself! Evangelism should not be a drudgery, it should be a joy.

Kind regards

 

My first mission trip was in the Philippines. We visited different missionaries in Manila, Cebu, and Caviti(sp).

It was a blessing to see God working in the hearts of thes people, and to see them excited about the Word fo God.

It would do well for anyone to spend time at some overseas mission work to see how people can get excited about the Lord's work instead of worldly activities.

Ernie

 

My first missions trip was one of the greatest experiences of my life! We went to Franklin, Va to help clean up after a flood. We didn't really know where we were staying and we didn't have much money. I had never done anything like that before but they needed chaperones because youth groups from two churches were going. The whole way there I was thinking... what am I doing?!! Once we got there everything just fell into place. I felt God's presence in everything we did that week. I don't know what type of work you will be doing but as long as you look to Him for guidance I'm sure your trip will be a success.

 

I've never been on a mission trip. It is sad, I know. My Church is not big enough to have those kind of events....

 

I went with my BSU to Florida during 1987 Spring Break. Since Greyhound was running a promotional fare of 59 cents one way anywhere in the US, that is how we traveled for the most part(we also rented church vans). We spent two nights in Tallahassee, four nights in Orlando, and two nights on a Greyhound bus. We stayed in churches in both Tallahassee and Orlando. While in Tallahassee we drove down to Panama City to do beach evangelism; I had the joy of winning a woman to Christ while there. While in Orlando we did visitation for the church we were staying at, as well as beach evangelism in Daytona. We also got to spend time at Disney World, while some of my friends took a church bus and went to Smyrna Beach. Great experience.