Mission Minded

My church has been talking about missions a lot lately. We've got various teams roaming to various parts of the globe to serve others and share a little bit of Jesus with them. Recently, a family from our church with kids ranging in age from 13 to 2 left to serve in Turkey for...well, they may stay there permanently.

I'm of the opinion that a mission field doesn't have to be overseas or foreign - a mission field is wherever you are. A teen I know lives with a grandmother who is less than kind. Being nice to her and loving her daily - well, that's a mission field too.

But still, I also think all believers should go on a mission trip at some point in their lives. You don't have to move to Turkey, just join a trip with your church. Take a risk and step out there. It can change your life.

I went to Haiti when I was in college. Years later, there is something I learned that has stuck with me all these years - their joy was unmistakable, their faith unshakeable, even when they had next to nothing. We all know we live in a material culture but we don't really know it until we go to another culture and get a look at ourselves from another perspective. Saying we love the world, and actually loving it can be two different things. When we went we ran a Bible School, painted and built benches and ran a medical clinic. We ate raw sugar cane and played with hundreds of little kids in the courtyard of the church every day. And we visited an orphanage where every child was dying of AIDS - where the picture above was taken. It's an experience I have treasured for many years.

I've got my eye on Romania now - and I know that one day my time will come to go there.

Sometimes we feel "called" to a certain place, but there is also a time to just go. Go and be Jesus' hands and feet. I'm going to be running a new contest on my website soon - an essay contest about missions. I'll announce it when the details are available but for now I ask this - Where do you have the chance to go? Are you willing to give missions a try? I'd love to hear from those that have been on missions trips and those that want to go. It's an experience that can change your life and mark you in unexpected ways. I know - I've done it. And many of you have too. How has God marked your heart?