Trust in Me

by Allison Von Fange, Missions Director for Global Passion Ministries.

As our plane descended to the small, frozen runway, out my window I saw waiting a vast ice-land of St Michael, Alaska: white, beautiful and barren. My nose pressed and breath fogging up the window, I felt a little like a 7-year old at the Christmas window of a toy store. Alaska. The mere word conjures thoughts of wilderness and adventure. My thoughts raced with the possibilities of what God might have in store.

After 7 years on staff with Global Passion, more than 20 countries and countless trips under my belt, this trip stirred something that I hadn’t felt in a long time…a familiar and unwelcome hint of fear. I recognized it from memories of the first couple trips I took. It was wrapped in the unshakable feeling that I was going way outside of my element. To be completely honest, it wasn’t the 18-below temperature, or the six-seater plane that unnerved me. It was the full schedule of children’s ministry that had been completely handed over to my planning and leadership! Don’t laugh! I know it seems silly.  I’ve assisted with a few top-notch VBS’ and my teams have helped many missionaries run their own VBS…but that was just it. We assisted. The VBS had always been put together and lead by someone else. On this trip the missionary needed me to do it (plan it, teach it and lead it – yikes!). This was definitely outside of my comfort zone!

I have to admit, I had even tried to find another leader. I asked two different, highly qualified children’s pastors if they would lead the trip, before reluctantly saying yes. There are times when the Lord puts His loving, fatherly finger on something and there is no avoiding it. God was asking me to do this.  He was asking me to trust Him. He would give me what I needed. “I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” Psalm 32:8b.

We landed and were shuttled by snowmobile to the warm home of our missionaries, Brian and Linda Staub. What a privilege awaited us. We would spend the next week putting on a VBS for the 45 kids that regularly attend the after-school program at the Staub’s church. Linda had specifically asked us to come in January. With only a few hours of sunlight each day and the coldest temperatures of the year, the children of St. Michael have very little to look forward to in the winter months. Depression and suicide are issues that Brian and Linda address in their congregation on a regular basis.

Each day around 2:30, kids would file in and peel off their puffy layers. The hallway would pile high with miniature hats, snow gloves, jackets and snow boots. Our program would start with snack. For some this was their first meal of the day. From there it was games, worship, skits and Bible stories. Each kid was hungry for every bit of affection and attention that we could muster. I remember tickling one precocious, little eight-year old. I remember being mobbed by a crowd of kids desperate for the interaction they don’t get at home. As we shared with them the simple truth in our lessons, their pink cheeks and tired eyes would look up, soaking in the hope their lifestyle doesn’t offer.  The unspoken message to the children in St Michael is that you’ll never amount to anything, you’ll never leave this village, you are doomed to live with the same suffocating oppressions that your parents and grandparents did. But the message we brought was different. God’s message to them was the same as His message to me. “You can trust Me.”

“Trust in Me. There is hope in Me. Even though no one in your family has graduated high school…even though you have watched every grown man in your family struggle with alcoholism and addiction…even though kind and loving words are almost never heard at home…trust Me. I have plans for you. I have created you for great things.”

It is His message to all of us. God says He knows the plans He has for us,: “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) He will go before us and make a way. We must trust Him and follow.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US ON A TRIP TO ALASKA IN 2016.

The single thing most likely to spoil your mission trip

Have you ever taken a drink of something you thought was juice and it was milk instead?

The resulting taste is a mix of the two, sweet with savory, tart with bland, buttery mixed with watery. In short: it’s disgusting.

Why? Milk is yummy. It’s creamy and smooth and goes great with Oreo cookies.

But the expectation of it being something it isn’t spoils it.

That’s what expectations can do on a mission trip. If you land in your country expecting to sail through one exotic experience to the next while remaining calmly sweat-free, you will likely be disappointed. If you expect the people to be one way, and they aren’t, you will come away with judgments that aren’t fair. If you expect the ministry to line up in nice, neat, approachable rows and for thousands to flock to hear your message, you may be shocked if, instead of the planned outreach, you spend three hours walking because your bus broke down. No matter how much we try to prepare you for your short-term mission trip, how we describe the culture, how often we tell you that you will be uncomfortable, how thoroughly we describe the ministry, your missions trip will likely be nothing like you expect.

The solution? Expect nothing but for God to show up. Leave your pallet open to the variety of flavors your mission trip could hold, untainted by expectations.

Top 10 things to bring on a mission trip

We send out packing lists to all of our teams headed out on their mission trip. They include the items we suggest are useful for your time on the missions field. But out of all of the things you could possibly bring, here are the top 10 we feel are essential.

Top ten things to bring on a missions trip:

1. A missions heart – This means being a servant. This means being humble. This means putting people and the mission above yourself. You didn’t go on this trip to get a suntan. We hope.
2. Sunscreen – Unless you want to come back looking like a lobster. The sun is more intense in many of the countries we travel to, so you will need to be more proactive to protect your skin.
3. Bible and journal – This is a time set aside to serve God. You will likely hear from Him most when you are in His Word daily and processing what you hear through journaling.
4. Imodium and other over-the-counter medicines – Hey, nausea happens. Don’t be embarrassed. As your body gets used to new food and goes through the stress of travel, sometimes our stomachs are the first to show it. Getting a little bit sick is a normal part of missions. But it’s good to bring something to address it.
5. Flexibility – We could write out a pretty little schedule for you of what we think is going to happen on the field. Chances are, it’s going to change. There is no way we can predetermine what is going to happen while you are on your short-term trip. It’s important to adopt a “go with the flow” mentality. Don’t let a little mud, a late bus, or a change in ministry plans ruffle you. Instead, embrace the opportunity it could present.
6. A positive attitude – You are probably going to be a bit uncomfortable at times. This could be all new to you. But if you keep a positive attitude, those things will fade and what lasts will be the important things. Like the fact you shared the gospel with a discouraged woman, or gave an abandoned child the love they are starved of.
7. Respect for the missionary and culture – Our pet peeve is when someone comes on a short-term mission trip and tells a missionary, who has been in the country, learning about the culture, working with the people for years, that they are doing it wrong. The truth is, you don’t have the context or background to say whether they are doing it right or wrong. It’s your job to help without judgement.
8. A passport – You won’t go anywhere without it.
9. Your A game – This ain’t no vacation. It’s going to require some sweat and maybe some tears.
10. Expectations that God will show up. Expect that God is going to do something big both in you and through you. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to more than we could imagine because His spirit is working in us. So bring the faith that God will do miracles, that there will be salvations, that God will use you in a mighty way. God is ready and able to do more than we could fathom. Let’s expect it!

Whether you choose to bring jeans or kakis, two shirts or 10, don’t leave the above behind when you leave for your mission trip.

The blessing byproduct

This is a Share Your Story post from Christopher Navarro, who traveled with Global Passion to Fiji last summer.

My Name is Christopher Navarro, and I went to Qamea, Fiji in the summer of 2013. This was my first trip that I had ever taken out of the country. I had always wanted to go on a missions trip, but never gained the courage or drive to get the information I needed to get involved. In Fiji, God showed me that my life as a Christian could either be about staying constant with my salvation, or serving others for the sake of their salvation. I chose to take up this challenge and strove for the path to serve others. My salvation in Him had already been sealed, and now He was calling me to serve His people with love and compassion.

When we were in Fiji, we met up with our guides, Aisake and Mo, who took us island to island speaking to others about Jesus. We specifically went to the island of Qamea, where we stayed with Tala Tala (Pastor) Seta and his Randini (wife) Torika, and their two children. It was here we engaged in door-to-door ministry, children’s ministry and evening services throughout. Ironically, as we served others, God showed us all many things about ourselves.

For me, it was learning to be slow to speak, instead, listening for His voice and allowing him to guide me through prayer and conversation. Knowing who to speak to and what to say was always something I had struggled with. But God told me to lean on Him, not on my own understanding. He also blessed me with the opportunity to preach to others at a prison and at one of the evening services. He told me to speak from the heart and share the stories of my past.

All in all, this adventure that God took me on was so impactful that I have decided to press in to His calling on a deeper level, seeking to hear where else He wants to send me. I plan on going on other missions trips, be it Fiji or other places around the world. He’s truly changed my thinking and opinion on the life I am to live. Jesus has become the director of my lifestyle and way of thought, instead of an accessory.

So, if God calls you to do something, do it. Don’t sit and wait. Do it, and allow Him to determine your path along the way. His blessings will be a byproduct of your obedience, and the outcome is worth it.

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”

Reshaping priorities

This is a guest blog by Sean O’Kelly, pastor of Re:Church in Rio Vista, Calif., and a former youth pastor who has taken his youth on trips with Global Passion.

I love missions. I love hearing stories from missionaries. I love hearing from people who have just returned from short-term trips. I love going to foreign countries to love people who are less fortunate than I. I even love giving to missions.

But it wasn’t always like this.

A few years ago, I took students from my youth group on their first-ever overseas missions trip. It was my first trip too. I’d spent years wrestling with the idea that you’re supposed to go on short-term trips, but I had no clue what to do, and quite frankly I didn’t have the time to plan a trip. Eventually the guilt of not taking kids on a trip, and really the monotony of the youth ministry cycle wore me down. So we decided to go. Thankfully, Global Passion took care of everything, and even made raising money simple.

At this point in my life, I had always raised money for missions because of the recognition – to see my name on a page with that nice dollar amount by it – and out of good Biblical obligation.

The first trip I went on changed everything. Serving people much less fortunate than I am was humbling. Being served by the less fortunate was life-shattering. Ministering in churches where people had nothing changed my perspective on God. The response at altars was like nothing I’d ever seen. The change in our team, from day one to the trip’s end was unexplainable. All I know is we went to help others for a few weeks, and instead God changed our hearts. He made egocentric selfish teenagers (and grownups) from the United States, give away all their possessions – and with joy!

We came back home from the mission field, and I wanted needed to go back. So three months later, I went on another trip, and had more life-altering experiences. Then eight months later, I went to Africa, and God continued to wreck my heart for him and for his people. When you go on a missions trip, you go to serve. But what really happens is God reorganizes your priorities. I could buy some new fancy gadgets with a few thousand dollars, or I could go on a missions trip and let God reshape my priorities again and again. And you should too.

A question of motivation

Why are you going on this missions trip?

Sit in front of the mirror, and ask yourself that question. Don’t accept a pat answer. Dig deeper, under the myriad of answers that you feel you should have.

Why are you going on this trip?

I think everyone who goes on a missions trip needs to ask themselves this. And if the answer is to change your life or to make your boyfriend or girlfriend happy or to have an international cultural experience or because that’s what good Christians do, we encourage you to sit with God about this.

Any of these answers don’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t go. It just means you should pray to God to shift your motivation. Because going on a trip should be about them, not you. It should be about the lost. It should be about the missionary. It should be about the widows and the orphans.

It should be.

But let’s be honest. We are human. We often want things for selfish reasons. We often flirt with selfish ambition. You wouldn’t be the first. That’s why it’s important to give God the space and the chance to change your motivation. Ask God to give you a heart for the people you are going to serve. Ask him to break your heart for what breaks his. We have seen he is faithful to answer this prayer.

Ironically, it isn’t until after you have reached the point at which your true, honest motivation for going is others, that you yourself are changed. Often those selfish ambitions are fulfilled. But at that point, they don’t matter anymore.

Ask yourself why. Then ask God to align your reasons for going to His reason for calling you there.

When gifts hurt

Photo: Haiti, 2012

Since the 2010 earthquake, Haiti has received billions of dollars in foreign aid. And yet, it remains the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Shanty towns of blue tarps remain huddled within pockets of open area in Port-au-Prince and outside the city. Rain has carved out ruts in the capitol’s roads. Garbage fills the rivers until they are but trickles of brown and disease-ridden water.

Obviously, the reasons behind this are complex and multi-faceted. But one lesson is clear: throwing money at something doesn’t solve the problem. In fact, it often creates new ones. It creates dependence. It cultivates greed and corruption. It deprives people of a chance to learn how to help themselves.
This is gift-giving on a grand scale. But the same principle often works on a smaller level.

Every time we lead a team, we hold an orientation. During this, our leader goes through the normal rules and guidelines we ask teams to subscribe to. Among them: please don’t give gifts directly to the people without asking the missionary first. Many assume that rule is cruel and selfish. We have so much. Why would we deprive the people we are going to help of something they desperately need, or at least would make their desperation a little brighter?

Gift giving on the mission field, unless it is done in the right way, can do harm to the recipients long-term. It is also unsafe for the giver.

One of our team members once watched several girls be pressed up against a van by a mob of children at a school because they were giving out small toys. She watched the look in their eyes turn from joy to fear.

She also once saw a crowd of school kids descend on our team during an assembly after one team member had given a child a dollar during an illustration. With her arms out, she had to hold back children so my team could grab the sound system and flee to the van.

Another team leader was on a team where a team member gave a young boy a hat. That boy was later mugged by older boys.

This is what gift giving says to the people we are going to minister to: Americans are rich. Americans will solve our problems for us. If we manipulate, ask, push, shove, they will give us stuff. We don’t have to do things for ourselves. Gifts can feed a poverty mindset that so many missionaries are trying to break. They can work against what our missionaries are trying to accomplish and, sometimes, actually usurp their authority and influence.

The minute the team member handed the child a dollar, we lost any opportunity to build relationship with the children at that assembly. We lost the chance to pray with them afterwards. All the team could do after that is leave.

And here’s the thing: A toy won’t change anything for a child. A dollar will not feed a family forever. All gifts have an expiration date or a limit on their usefulness. All gifts break or wear out or are lost or are stolen.

A gift simply makes us feel good because we have done something sacrificial.

The truth is, the best gift we can give them is the love of Christ. The best sacrifice is the one Jesus made. Prayer is more powerful than a dollar. A relationship with God is what will sustain people when they don’t have anything else.

This doesn’t mean we never give anything tangible to people in need. But it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t work against a missionary’s goals and feed the poverty mindset. We are not serving people if all we do is give them “stuff.”

Give them an open door to a better gift: a relationship with Christ.

Now what?

We talk to people all the time who are fired up for missions. They have a place in mind or a ministry they want to be a part of. Those are fun conversations. Every time one of our staff members gets off the phone, we are plotting and planning how we can help that team.

But then sometimes, something strange happens.

Nothing.

When this occurs, it is always a little perplexing. What happened to that passion and resolve? What stopped them? We have realized that sometimes the fire dies in the face of the enormity of tasks presented by getting ready for a trip. It seems too great. Too overwhelming. They aren’t sure what to do next or where to start.

The reason we exist is so we can take on that burden for you. If you are one in that situation, take this one next step: fill out the application. Start here.

Once we get that, we will walk you through the process step by step. Need to fire up your youth? We’ll come speak at a service for you. Need help with fundraising? We have a manual. Not sure what to bring? We’ll send you a packing list. Not sure how to explain your trip to your parents, your leadership, your pastor … (insert applicable title). Have them call our office and we’ll explain it.

Don’t worry about the heaping pile of details that goes into planning a trip. That’s our job. Just take the first step and apply.

It could be one of the greatest steps you ever take.