To be honest about my preparation for this trip, I don’t feel ready. Part of me is ready to hop on a plane but the other part of me is so afraid. Spreading the good news and love of Christ has always been heavy on my heart and is something I try hard to do here at home. Now I have the opportunity to go to another country to share this love and it still doesn’t seem real to me. I have been fighting the battle of not feeling good enough, not feeling creative enough, not feeling equipped. It is in these moments I have to remind myself that it is the Lord who is sustaining me and will continue to do so throughout this trip.
We are reading a book during our preparation for the trip called When Helping Hurts, written by Steve Corbett and Ryan Fikkert. This book is centered on avoiding the potential harms that can come from short-term mission work. What often happens during short-term missions is a short-term solution. These solutions do not help alleviate poverty in the long run and do more harm than good. There are systemic issues that bind people into a cycle of poverty in North America and abroad. These systemic issues call for systemic changes, which means that handouts and quick fixes will not fix the problem that is so evident in our world today.
As I am reading and learning more about the practical side of mission work, I am reminded of who is calling me there to meet Him. In one of my favorite passages of this book the author states, “We are not bringing Christ to poor communities. He has been active in these communities since the creation of the world, sustaining them ‘by His powerful word’ (Heb. 1:3).” We may not immediately recognize His work but it is crucial to remember God has not forsaken these people. He has not forgotten them. We are not bringing Him there; we are merely introducing the people to Him.
I have a few more weeks before I embark on what will be one of the craziest adventures of my life into unfamiliarity and a completely new culture. Follow along with me as we discover what the Lord has already done and what He will do in Pretoria, South Africa this summer!
We are reading a book during our preparation for the trip called When Helping Hurts, written by Steve Corbett and Ryan Fikkert. This book is centered on avoiding the potential harms that can come from short-term mission work. What often happens during short-term missions is a short-term solution. These solutions do not help alleviate poverty in the long run and do more harm than good. There are systemic issues that bind people into a cycle of poverty in North America and abroad. These systemic issues call for systemic changes, which means that handouts and quick fixes will not fix the problem that is so evident in our world today.
As I am reading and learning more about the practical side of mission work, I am reminded of who is calling me there to meet Him. In one of my favorite passages of this book the author states, “We are not bringing Christ to poor communities. He has been active in these communities since the creation of the world, sustaining them ‘by His powerful word’ (Heb. 1:3).” We may not immediately recognize His work but it is crucial to remember God has not forsaken these people. He has not forgotten them. We are not bringing Him there; we are merely introducing the people to Him.
I have a few more weeks before I embark on what will be one of the craziest adventures of my life into unfamiliarity and a completely new culture. Follow along with me as we discover what the Lord has already done and what He will do in Pretoria, South Africa this summer!