Why should we do short term mission trips?

I recently sent some my students out on a short mission trip. While preparing it all, I did wonder if all of this time, money and effort was worth it to send 13 people for a week. Many may say it's not.. I disagree.

Not only did the students come back with great stories of how they had brought the gospel to new areas and had seen families receive Jesus, something else took place..

I truly believe that every person should experience a mission trip, especially while they are young. It's an eye opening experience. I thought my life was tough when I was 17 years old, until I walked among the crowds living in a garbage dump in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I came home.. and something had happened to me.

Before I knew my plans had all changed and I was off to Bible College to become a missionary - Missions had stolen my heart.

Last month we brought some of our cell group members on a mission trip to Cambodia. These were not people called to the mission field - yet, missions caught their heart. And they came home making plans of how to take part, support and do what they could.

Short term mission trips may not have a huge influence on those we go to reach.. It often takes more than one visit to change a life. Yet, that one visit can change ours.

And that's exactly why we need them.. the short term mission trip will make a long term missionary. And I am the proof.

Last week I asked my students all that had happened, and they all had different answers: some were accepted and some were rejected. But then I asked whose heart had been gripped by missions? And the answer was unanimous as every single hand was raised.

MISSIONS - IT WILL STEAL YOUR HEART, BECAUSE IT'S GOD'S VERY HEART

Be part of something extraordinary.

Feel God's heart.

Susan