Taking Your First Short-term Mission Trip

4. Ask about the emergency management procedures they have in place.
Have they thought through what they will do in the event of a natural disaster or if someone is seriously injured? I personally would not go on a trip with an organization that has not taken the time to think through how they will protect their participants in an emergency. Make sure you are comfortable with the thoroughness of their preparation.

Don't hesitate to ask them to tell you about a past crisis experience and how it was handled on the field. They can say they have a plan, but if you hear them tell you how they worked the plan, you will have more confidence. Keep in mind that if you are taking a team of youth, you will have parents raising this question. Do your homework ahead of time so the parents will have confidence that you have done a thorough job of investigating the agency with which you are asking them to entrust their kids.

These are some of the main issues for you to work through before you decide on an agency. If you still have questions, any of us at ShortTermMissions.com are glad to help you think through your decisions. We hope you have a wonderful experience!

A good first short-term missions experience doesn't happen by accident. If you do your homework and pick the right agency, as well as understand the expectations that you and/or your team bring to that first experience, then you are well on your way to experiencing new insights. Insights not only about the God you serve, but about the person He has created you to be.

Steve Collins
Steve@ShortTermMissions.com