The Mexi-blog pt. 6- Why I love Missions Trips

Why I love Missions Trips

Here is a list, in no particular order, of why I love to go on Missions Trips:

1) Comfort Zone. Going on a missions trip forces you to step out of your box, get away from what is familiar and raise your game to the next level. You can’t stay comfortable on a missions trip. Even driving in a van for 24 hours helps to lower your defenses and give people more of a chance to see the real you, whether they want to or not.

2) Fatigue. There is a point that everyone going on a missions trip reaches, a point where they no they can’t go on any longer. When they realize that God is going to have to come through for them and strengthen them, because in their own strength they would fail. I had a small measure of that experience tonight, as I was praying for people around the altars there were several times that I wanted to stop, and even a couple of times that I did, and yet God kept picking me up and getting me back in there.

3) Desperation. It’s interesting to see how people handle this, but I know that everyone on a trip realizes that the job is too big for them. There are too many people to minister to, too many lives to impact. The city is too big and there’s too much going on. When students see this they (1) begin to rely on God and (2) believe God to make an impact back at home.

4) Tortas. I don’t know why people back home haven’t picked up on this yet, but tortas might just be the world’s most perfect food. First of all it’s simple, just some carne asada meat on something similar to a hamburger bun with some beans, salsa, and guacamole, but there’s just something about this combination that brings heaven down to Earth. You literally hear a chorus of angels singing every time you take a bite. Secondly, there only two bucks depending on where you go, and they’re an entire meal. Just amazing. I’m tearing up just thinking about it

5) Compassion. I think Andrea summed it up best tonight when she said that God showed her that she needed to look at other people more and love them, not just look at herself and what she can gain. Tiffanney noted that a lot of people go their whole lives without hearing the message that life isn’t about me. It’s about what we can give to others. Love God and love our neighbors, that’s what Jesus wants out of us.

6) Weight loss. It hasn’t happened yet, but a breakfast consisting of a sandwich and a bag of chips, combined with all of the exercise we’re doing, should lead to some pretty good looking bodies when we’re all said and done.

7) Curveballs. It doesn’t take much to crush a fastball out of the park, but curveballs have been fooling people for years. It doesn’t matter how well we prepare for a trip, there’s going to be something that goes wrong. And we love it. We thrive on adversity. We strive for perfection, but understand our limits and pitfalls.

8) Bonding. The is a side effect of a 24 hour van ride, but you get a lot closer with everyone on the trip. There’s also something to be said for experiencing the presence of God is a powerful way with a group of your friends. God uses things like this to draw us closer together and into His presence.

We met our Pastor tonight. God is really looking out for us and putting us in a great church and a great situation. We are so pumped to see what God is going to do tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

I'll be adding more thoughts as the week progresses so check back often.

-Jeff-

Update: This was written Saturday night after the prayer meeting, but I didn’t get a chance to post it until Sunday night.