5 Scary Reasons You Don’t Do Mission Trips (and the NOT so scary reality of them all)
Missions…
I remember being in youth group and thinking that missionaries were old and ancient, maybe like Moses, older holy men and women that might look down on me, and that me going on a mission trip was impossible because I just wasn’t near as holy. No one ever told me that. Somehow I just thought that. No one actually ever told me anything about missions. AT ALL. Just that in such and such month there was a trip across the world to an impoverished nation to spend a week doing good things for people. But because of my lack of knowledge or understanding about missions, I was unable to even consider a trip a possibility let alone be in the presence of a “missionary”.
Well, we don’t want you to NOT do missions because of a lack of knowledge/understanding, so we have compiled a list of 5 SCARY things about Mission Trips that we have heard and the “not so scary” realities of them.
- The Unknown
Many people are afraid of the unknown in general. The psychological term for fear of the unknown is “xenophobia.” It’s a real thing. We checked. ONLINE. In fact, in an article written by the BBC, it says “not only does fear of the unknown scare us, but… it can even fuel anxiety.” Yikes!We’ve all been there, What if I get sick? What if I am all alone and don’t have a friend with me? What if I am uncomfortable and want to go home? What if the missionaries are weird. What if..What if…What if… And you know what, all of these things are possible, but following the call to GO is so much more fulfilling than these unknowns and should not be enough to hold you back.
The reality is that missionaries are NOT Moses. And even if they are, what’s wrong with Moses?! About the weird part, we’ve been called worse 😅. But, in reality, missionaries are just people like you and me, who love the Lord and want to do their part in serving Him in whatever way they can. Don’t be afraid of the missionaries. 😬 Sure, the missionaries might be weird but odds are you’ll love them to pieces by the end of it.If you get sick, you will absolutely be taken care of. We’ve had people get sick on quite a few trips, and you know what, you get special love, some chicken noodle soup, a warm bed, and someone who will take care of you & do whatever you need. You may actually be alone but chances are it’s highly unlikely. Our locals and volunteers LOVE to talk and get to know you and involve you in all the things. And there are a lot of things. You won’t be bored. Oh and free time…what’s that?
- Evangelism & Other Things You’re Uncomfortable With
We all have different gifts and talents. Some of those gifts involve us being in the limelight shining brightly with our eloquent speaking skills, while others (like myself) do better behind the scenes and behind a screen 🧑💻.It’s not crazy to think that someone somewhere would totally throw you out there and make you do things you are absolutely not qualified or capable of. Like “hey you, come teach this class on worship” but you don’t even know how to play an instrument or sing…or “hey you, go preach this message to the congregation” but you are 15 years old and a new believer. We get it. There are MANY things that every believer, young and old, new or seasoned, would say “That’s just not my strong suit”. Guess what, that is TOTALLY ok!
In our ministry in particular, but not exclusively, missions intentionally provides situations that allow you to exercise your gifts. The goal is that you are able to see that every talent you have can be used for the glory of God. Do you dance? Do you paint? Are you an accountant? Are you a developer? Are you a construction worker? EVERY SKILL can be used to glorify the Lord, and we as believers should absolutely try to use them as such.
However, we should also remember that sharing our faith is required of us as believers, so learning how to do that naturally, using our own personal toolkit, is something we should all aspire to become better at.
Evangelism isn’t scary. It doesn’t always look like a Billy Graham tent meeting. Sometimes it’s sharing a testimony over coffee about how God got you through something very similar to what the other person is going through. It is what you make it. And we are here to make sure you are not uncomfortable about it.
- Monsters…ok, well maybe just parasites & gut monsters
Montezuma’s Revenge! Every human dreads the thought of holding up the entire team because you are stuck in a thin walled bathroom with your feet hanging out from under the stall door smelling of humiliation. All because you washed your face in the shower and a little bit of water got into your mouth. THE. WORST. We get it.Or the undercooked meat for lunch from the “Roach Coach” on the side of the road with week old refried beans and a questionable topping of moldy cheese?? or is the Bleu Cheese 🤷♀️ Who even knows, just bless it and move on.
The reality is, that no matter where you go, whether it be your best friend’s Auntie Sue’s cook out or Mexico, you can get the gut monsters. Knowing the protocol before you go is the best way to prevent any problems.
In many places, for example Costa Rica, the water is safe to drink. And even if you wanted to take extra precaution, it’s not too much to stop at a store and buy bottles of water for added precaution. Also most food nowadays is cooked to order, prepared for you specifically or even from a restaurant with permits for sanitary cooking conditions.
Parasites are definitely scary, but they are not real monsters or something that holds you back from missions.
- No Social Media for a WEEK?!
Oh no! I won’t be able to see what is going on with my friends while I’m gone.They will forget about me!
What will I do when I’m bored or on breaks…Talk to people?! Ew!
We won’t hate on social media like you may think. I mean come on, it’s how we mainly stay in contact with you! But, while there are loads of advantages/disadvantages of social media, there are undeniable benefits to taking a short break from it here and there. I think we can all agree on that.A mission trip would be the perfect opportunity for us to reset our priorities, a little detox so to speak, and take some time to break unhealthy cycles which can include but are not limited to:
> Constant Irritability
> Comparison (that nasty thief of joy)
> Wasting Time/Lack of Productivity
> FOMO
You won’t die without your phone, and while I hate to let the cat out of the bag, you will probably have wifi wherever you go anyway. I mean, it IS 2022. - Language Barriers
Que?! Como voy a comunicarme? Como puedo conectar con la gente? Me voy a morirrrrrr!!!It’s a thing, not being able to communicate. I’ll admit, when I see a human from a different country that doesn’t speak English, my default is Spanish…and they don’t speak that either…it’s super awkward, for me mostly.
It’s hard. It’s definitely a challenge. Like what if I get lost? or have an emergency? Remember, a mission trip is a highly controlled environment, designed to keep you safe, protected, healthy, and able to serve freely without fear or concern. You will have a translator for any activity requiring one in most cases. If you are doing service work that may not require it, then you are still with leaders and people that can help translate if you find yourself needing one. It’s also highly unlikely that you would ever be alone or needing to call for help.
Not all mission trips are equal but generally speaking, you will never be in a serious situation where translation is required.
Another cat I’ll let out of the bag > English is a popular language, and many people worldwide speak it 🙈
Have any other Scary Reasons why you don’t do missions? Comment below with crazy ideas you have!!
