Taking Your First Short-term Mission Trip

2. What type of experience do you want?
Short-term mission trips can involve you in construction, evangelism, teaching, medical work, ministry to street kids or other areas. Do you have a particular skill that will enable you to contribute something to the team when you participate? Don’t feel like you have to be a gifted carpenter to work on a construction project. You will be amazed at what novices can do when you add the right amount of on-site coaching and the motivation to serve the Lord. Most mission agencies are happy to have anyone who has a servant heart. Oftentimes, just your presence on the project brings the intangibles such as encouragement and support to the folks you work with. But if you do have a particular field of interest or experience in an area of work, you may want to find a project that gives you the best option of serving a specific need. The more you feel that you made a significant contribution, the more you will be motivated to participate on a second and third project in the future!

Let me say one word about cross-cultural evangelism projects. Be realistic about the depth of evangelism you will be able to do in the particular cross-cultural setting you are involved in. Many people expect that their cross-cultural efforts during a 2-week period will result in conversions for Christ. Realistically, a group of high school students working cross-culturally without foreign language skills probably will not see many people accept Christ personally. This should not diminish the impact their participation will have in a process that brings those individuals to receive Christ as Lord.