Myth 1: Mission
trips are expensive I could never afford to go.
Fact 1: “you
can’t raise that kind of money in a few months” my parents actually told me
this about my upcoming trip. Now I am less than a month out and I have to get like
$100 to be fully funded. I know a lot of people say this but, if it’s God’s
plan, it will happen. I can’t express how blessed in knowing God is in control.
If money is making you consider not going on a mission trip then reconsider. It
is too important for you to try and get to go instead of not trying at all. As
Yoda says “Do or Do not there is no try” this is a weird comparison but its
true. If you don’t do you will never know. Just because it is expensive doesn’t
mean you can’t go, God will provide.
Myth 2: Missionary
commitment is mainly about money.
Fact 2: “I’ve
given to missions, I’ve done my part” does this sound familiar? Well it isn’t a
good framework of the mind because that isn’t fulfilling God’s commandment of
“go forth and make disciples of all men” to fulfill that you yourself need to
GO! Now the money issue, yes it costs money to go on a mission trip but if that
is your excuse that you have “contributed enough” then again you aren’t fulfilling
God’s commandments. I think that we need to get out of a mindset that
everything in the church is about money. It takes money to do just about
everything in this world, but just because it takes money to go doesn’t mean
missions equal money. Missions equal time, commitment, an investment of your
life and energy not just money. I found two websites that helped me with this
myth: https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/top-ten-myths-about-missions/essentials-world-missions/timothy-tennent
http://missionscatalyst.net/?p=146
Myth 3: There
are no job opportunities in missions.
Fact 3: Not
only are there job opportunities in missions but there are an abundance of job
opportunities. There are jobs with preaching, counseling, church planting and
I’ve even heard of people going to medical school here then move to Africa and
not only provide much needed medical care, but share the gospel at the same
time! I find it so cool that you can do anything you want at all and then go
into missions and do your passion and reach people with the gospel! Some more information
about this is at: https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/top-ten-myths-about-missions/essentials-world-missions/timothy-tennent
Myth 4: Missions
means going to live in the jungle somewhere.
Fact 4: We
have to think about where most people live in to days times. Most of the world
lives around cities. This is important because someone doesn’t always have to
go to the jungle. There are those special people God has called to go to remote
areas that I can’t even fathom exist, but this summer I am going to Daytona
Beach, Florida on a mission trip? Tell me how that works. It works because
people in our own country and countries around the world with big cities need
the gospel too. If you want more information about this go to this website: https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/top-ten-myths-about-missions/essentials-world-missions/timothy-tennent
Myth 5: There
is too much danger involved.
Fact 5: If
I am being honest there is danger involved in everything now-a-days. In every
aspect of life there is a danger for something, breaking an arm, falling off
something. There are so many reasons for someone not to do something simple and
if this reason stops you from going on a mission trip then should you consider
anything? Going on a mission trip is worth the danger because Jesus is worth
it.
Myth 6: Missions
means going overseas and planting churches.
Fact 6: Mission
trips that most people think of is going overseas, building houses, sharing the
gospel. This isn’t always true. Sometimes missions can be done in your own
community. Depending on how the person uses their gifts and abilities. There
are people in our own community that need reached by the gospel but if everyone
goes out to other countries they would never be touched and they are in our own
backyard. Everyone needs touched and that isn’t happening if everyone is going
to different countries. Also not every mission trip involves planting churches.
I mention later more about my story but I have gone on a mission trip to the
Dominican Republic and we didn’t plant churches, we went to orphanages,
villages, and ministered to locals. Not always do you have to plant a church to
share the gospel. For more information go to this website: http://missionscatalyst.net/?p=146
Myth 7: There
are needs that are so great that I couldn’t ever make a difference.
Fact 7: Being
a light in the darkness is hard, being the one who was called, chosen, God’s
elect exile to tell the world about him isn’t easy and will never be easy. We
are told multiple times to go make disciples of all men one I mention later at
Myth 9 but I found several other verses that tell us the same thing. If you
could or want to you can go check out these verses; Acts 1:8, Acts 13:47, Mark
16:15, Romans 10:13-14, Matthew 24:14, and Psalm 96:3, these are just some of
the verses the bible has for us where we are commanded to go. The bible
shouldn’t have to tell us that we need to go, the needs in other countries are
great, monstrous, we cant even comprehend the needs that other countries have
because we are in our own bubble, but those needs can be met by doing the
little things like going. There are several different types of mission trips
someone could go on like a mission with dentistry, or doctors without borders
(I am not entirely sure if that is a Christian ministry but it serves the same
purpose), or even in the United States you could go to the inner city of large
cities and work with kids there, or go to a poorer town in America and serve
there. Any small thing you do can make a difference and it is so important to
remember that. For more information about this I would like to direct you to
this website: http://www.cfaith.com/index.php/blog/26-articles/outreach/17310-myths-about-missions
Myth 8: Short-term
missions don’t make a lasting impression.
Fact 8: Short-term
missions are the only trips I have done thus far. I am not sure if I am
thinking about a long-term mission but through my eyes this is what a
short-term mission does. I went to the Dominican Republic for a week, yeah I am
sure that the kids, families, communities I went to remember my name, mainly
because I didn’t speak to them only played games or sang with them. They don’t
know me on a personal level, but I am certain they remember the white people
that came to their village and painted their church, or the white people who
came and got stomped in baseball, who also happened to bring bags and bags of
food with a message that Jesus does love us in our small community, or even to
the non-adoption orphanage where I met little Iso Luis who stole my heart and I
will never get that back, or the family who just got a new house but had no
money to but furniture with that got $1,000 from complete strangers. Not only
does short-term missions affect the people you are ministering to but it
affects you too. If you want to know more about the impact of short-term
missions on someone go visit this website: http://www.mostministries.org/myths__facts___needs
Now, this is my little Iso
Luis. I keep this picture near to my heart because he was the only kid I was
with all day, I couldn’t communicate with him at all but we could play with
chalk, run, walk, and just be together. He is in my heart, I don’t think he
knows how much he touched me that day, as I left and got on my bus I was crying
because I had to leave him but he wiped my tears, gave me a kiss on the cheek
and said goodbye. Who knows if I will ever see him again but because of him I
want to go on other mission trips to touch other children’s lives. I have a
feeling I will see him in our eternal home.
This is a boy from one of the
villages we went to and immediately I fell in love with him. He was so fun and
full of life even if he didn’t have all that much.
This photo is from one of
the orphanages I went to, I didn’t mention in my story I don’t think but this
was an all girls orphanage and they touched my heart through song, dance,
crafts and bubbles.
Myth 9: Missions
aren’t really necessary.
Fact 9: Missions
are completely necessary, the bible says in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.” This passage tells us that we need to go out. Missions are
important and Jesus shows us that in this passage as he talks to his disciples
for the last time. This website has other information on how and why missions
are so important: http://www.cfaith.com/index.php/blog/26-articles/outreach/17310-myths-about-missions
Myth 10: Success
is guaranteed.
Fact 10: This
myth is on here because success in anything is never guaranteed. I once heard
this wise man speak at a conference I went to and he told us about this thing
called the plus one experience. He showed us this picture and he told us “each
person is in a different place on their spiritual journey and that is okay, and
if you share the gospel with them and they don’t believe that is okay too. What
matters, is you placed that seed. You told them, showed them, demonstrated to
them what you could that isn’t going to make them a believer, but the next
person that talks to them with further grow them they could go from that -10
spot to a -9 in the time you talk to them. Eventually with time and energy put
forth by you and other Christians they will believe. Don’t fret about
‘converting’ someone to Christianity, worry about having the plus one
experience.” You won’t always make someone a Christian just by talking to them,
but if you move them one step closer, that is one step closer they are to
becoming one. There is more about this myth on this website: http://churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/262798-5-myths-christians-believe-missions.html/2
This is the diagram that the preacher was talking about.
This is the diagram that the preacher was talking about.
