About two weeks ago I was hit with a massive reminder of the importance of short term mission trips. There’s a lot of controversy around this topic and while I fully believe that people should check their hearts and intentions behind going, I still stand firm that there is such value and power in going and having face to face, human interactions with people.
I recently received a message from my friend Athanas, who I met in 2012 on my first World Race journey. I was in a very rural village in Tanzania partnering with a local church in the community. Our days consisted of house gatherings and church services. We taught the Bible, prayed for people, and invited people to church wherever we went. One afternoon, my squad mate and I went out for a walk. We were strolling along the dirt roads in Mwanza when we saw the cutest little boy at a nearby coca-cola stand. We stopped to say hello and buy a drink. His older brother, Athanas, came out from the back and was astonished to see us standing there. He was excited to practice English with us and asked us to come inside. He opened the gate and showed us around his home. We talked for a long time and instantly became friends. We shared the Gospel with him and asked if he knew Jesus. He said no, but he had lots of questions. His mother went to church, his father did not, and Athanas was lost somewhere in between unsure of what to believe.
(Athanas and his brother at the entrance of their home)
(Me and Kelly with Athanas and some of his family back in 2012)
Kelly and I made their house a normal part of our daily routine. We would go to church services and then stop by Athanas’ house afterwards. We spent a lot of time talking about Jesus and answering any of Athanas’ questions to the best of our ability. He was like a sponge. Soaking it all up. He just wanted to know the Truth. One night, they invited us over for dinner. Kelly and I really felt like God had opened a door for us to minister to this family. When we arrived, everyone was there. His father, mother, brother, sister, some friends, and Athanas. After the meal, Athanas urged us to tell his father about Jesus. He was excited for him to hear all that he had been learning. His father was not very open at first, but warmed up to us throughout the conversation. We wanted to show him the love and kindness of our Savior. We simply shared the truth with him that has transformed our lives. As we were getting ready to leave, we asked if there was anything we could pray over them. Athanas’ mother smiled and said she had suffered from shoulder pain for a very long time. It would be nice if we could pray for her shoulder. We asked if we could lay hands on her shoulder and she immediately said yes. We prayed healing over her and for God to reveal Himself to her in a new way. We asked blessings over her and her household. When we finished, we asked her to test it. See if she could lift her arm and asked if the pain was still there. A look of astonishment washed over her face. She lifted her arm higher and higher as she realized there was no more pain. She stood up and started laughing. She began to clap her hands and dance. We joined in as we praised God for the healing she had received. Pretty soon, we had a whole worship session breaking out right there in the living room. Athanas could not believe it. He had never seen anything like it and was so intrigued by this Gospel we had been sharing. He was ready. He stepped forward and said he wanted to receive Christ as his personal Savior. He wanted a relationship with him.
That evening, on the dusty streets of Tanzania, Athanas gave his life to the Lord. We connected him to the local church there and exchanged contact information to keep in touch. About two years later, I received a message from Athanas that his father had passed away. It was very sad, but the joyous news came when he told me his father had accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior before he died. That encounter we thought was intended only for Athanas, reached far beyond what we could have imagined.
Simple obedience stretched all the way into eternity.
Fast forward five years later. Athanas and I have kept in touch and most recently he sent me this encouragement:
You see, I have gone back and forth for many years about the significance of short term trips. I have wondered and questioned whether or not I have made a difference along the way. I have had thoughts about how the money spent on these trips could be better used elsewhere. Then things like this happen and I realize, it was never about me. It’s not about whether or not I am making a difference. It’s about being available and willing to be used by the Holy Spirit wherever you go. The church we partnered with was just right around the corner from Athanas’ house. He knew it well. He had heard of it and even been a time or two, but when two missionaries showed up at his doorstep ready and willing to share the good news of Jesus Christ, THAT is what got his attention. He was full of questions. He just wanted some face to face interaction. He wanted someone to listen and care. It’s not that the local church wasn’t doing its job. It’s that Athanas needed something different. He needed to be pursued in an unexplainable way for it to be real to Him. God knew that, so the Good News came knocking on his gate. Holy Spirit led us there. All he had to do was open the door and it changed his life for all eternity.
Some people need to hear Truth from a perfect stranger in order for it to ring true and strike a chord in their hearts. Would you be willing to be that stranger?
No amount of money in the world can substitute being the hands, feet and mouthpiece of Jesus Christ. Do not be fooled that the answer to all the worlds problems is money. The world has been saved by Jesus Christ. His blood and righteousness has conquered sin and death. It is by His stripes we are healed and it’s time to tell the world. Be on mission. Be a missionary. Tell someone about Jesus. Go next door. Go down the street. Go to another state, another country, any place He leads you and TESTIFY. Tell your story of how He has changed your life. If you aren’t sure of how He has changed your life. Sit with Jesus. Ask Him. He’s got a lot to say.
Go.
It will be well worth your time, your money, and your investment. Remember, it’s not about YOU making a difference, it’s about Holy Spirit working through you to advance the Kingdom of God.
Let it be, Lord. Amen.
