I am writing this blog from Calama, Chile where I am finishing a month on the field with a World Race Team. For months I’ve researched the World Race, dreaming of all the things it might mean to live life with the Lord on the race. I’ve spent hours vlog stalking, reading blogs, and following Instagram posts. I have become quite familiar with one of Adventure in Missions’ slogans, The World Race: More than a Mission Trip.
Naturally, I thought this was fairly cheesy advertising and simply moved on. But after only one month of learning from World Racers, experiencing life with them, and witnessing what life on mission looks like, I couldn’t agree more with the slogan.
This is my first experience with overseas mission work. For many years, I’ve dreamed of the day I would get the opportunity to cross borders and encounter the global church. It has been an absolutely breathtaking experience. But I’ll be the first to tell you, it has not been what I expected.
There are so many things I’ve been told, so many stories I’ve heard, so many encouraging words that led me to many false impressions of what mission work looks like.
I expected to be tested spiritually, mentally, and physically. And while that has been the case to a certain extent, this month has not looked like the sun up to sun down evangelizing, service work, ministry that I expected. I (pridefully) thought I would be returning with stories of miraculous healings and have the opportunities to tell others all about what my team and I had done & how we watched the Kingdom in Calama grow. I expected to see the Lord work in clearly extravagant ways.
Perhaps these assumptions were a result of my slight Word Race vlog obsession, or my years of fantasizing about overseas missions. But I believe that society has also played a role in these expectations.
Now let’s be clear about what I am not saying in this blog. I am not, for one second, saying that the Lord doesn’t work in mind-blowing ways. I’m not saying I haven’t seen the Lord do beautiful things this month. And I’m not saying the Body shouldn’t support mission trips. I simply want to challenge our perspective.
For some reason we hold the belief that God will work in more extravagant ways when we are on the mission field, almost as if we expect the Lord to reward us for our obedience to His call with amazing stories to tell our friends back home. In this desire, we are often seeking approval or trying to impress our fellow brothers and sisters. We quickly forget that God often works just as miraculously on our daily commute to work as He does in foreign countries.
As I was fundraising and updating people about my trip, many said things along the lines of “you’ll reach so many people on your trip”. These things were said with the kindest intentions and I appreciate all who encouraged me. However, I give warning that we don’t confuse God’s ability to save with our feeble attempts to further the kingdom. This month the Lord has been teaching me to sit still in His presence, to press into Him, and solely rely on His ability to work wonders. Official ministry opportunities have been fewer than expected, and because of this all the beautiful occurrences can only be attributed to God’s goodness.
Mission Trips have a beginning and an end, just as most other things in this life do. This leads to the misconception that our work as missionaries is over when we return from our trip. When in fact, our mission begins when we accept the Lord as our Savior and begin to cultivate our relationship with Him. Likewise, the mission doesn’t end until we meet our Maker face-to-face. We, as the Body of Christ, are called to a life on mission. This includes ministry at our home, in the workplace, and down the street, not only around the world. It is dangerous if we choose to see overseas mission work as the pinnacle of evangelism.
I appreciate the approach I’ve seen taken during my exposure to the World Race. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to join this group of beautiful strong women of God and meet other Racers along the way. I have been blessed to watch them embrace Ministry as a lifestyle rather than a job listing, seeking the Lord in the little things as well as the bigger ones, being content to meet with the Lord when given some extra free time, and caring more about loving others and leaning into the Father than the tasks they’ve completed.
Brothers and sisters, this is why I believe the Kingdom needs less mission trips. However it needs more missionaries. More believers willing to say “Yes” to Christ’s call on a daily basis. Followers who are more concerned with loving people well and less concerned about the position they hold at church. More people who will take up their cross and follow Christ no matter how hard the path and regardless of where it leads. You may find yourself traveling the world in pursuit of the One who saved your soul, or perhaps He’ll simply lead you to the house next door.
Whatever the case, I challenge you to live a life on mission. Expect the Lord to do the extravagant where you are. Seek the Lord daily as you would if you were in a foreign country, and if God calls you overseas, Go. But remember that when you cross the borders, the Lord does not change. He is the same amazing God and He always works in ways you’ll never expect.
