Why You Should Go on a Short-Term Missions Trip

Remote locations far from our places of birth, people who look vastly different from us and speak languages we have never heard. There is extreme poverty, both spiritual and economic. We are interacting with people who have never heard of the good news that is the work of Jesus Christ. Large numbers of people declaring Jesus as Lord and getting baptized are just some of the images that come to mind when we think of mission trips. We hardly ever think of getting in our cars and driving a short distance (10 hours, to be exact) to a place in our own backyards.

Quebec has a rich history of spreading Christianity in the North American continent. It is full of beautifully built houses of worship where, for many years, people came to worship the name of Jesus every Sunday. This is where I ended up going for my first mission trip.

Unlike other trips I had heard of, we didn’t have an itinerary full of trips to refugee camps, prisons, or schools to tell people (who more than likely had never heard of Jesus before) about the wonderful, beautiful, and gracious Lord who laid down His life so that we could have hope. Instead, we had an itinerary full of projects that included painting, building furniture, and doing whatever other tasks might be needed.

The prophet Isaiah writes, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.” This is true of the people who go away to far places, telling those who have never heard of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Isaiah further writes, “Who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.” This second part is especially true of those missionaries who stay close to home.

The psalmist writes, “I sought (prayed to) the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” In our mission, we came to a small (by U.S. standards) church called the 180, nestled on Laval, a river island that is the largest of the Montreal suburbs.

The people of 180 Church serve in a community that is indifferent (which is worse than hostile) to Christianity. This is the kind of environment that makes ministry work difficult. It takes ten times or more effort to make community connections and overcome suspicions when you step in and offer help. As one 180 Church members put it, “Because of the difficult relationship that the people of Quebec have historically had with the church, we spend most of our time apologizing for bad behavior that we were not responsible for.” It is not hard to imagine the silent prayers of the staff and volunteers asking God for some kind of relief in an environment that is physically, mentally, and spiritually draining. That is where missions step in. While some are called to missionary work to the unchurched, the under-reached communities of the world, I and the people on my team were called to serve the people who are out there already being the hands and feet of Jesus.

During our trip, we helped the 180 Church revise their kid’s area, providing a much-needed facelift to walls (painting), building new furniture, and creating a dedicated space for the staff of the church to gather and plan out ministry. We had the opportunity to serve a Christian community center (that provides before and after school services in a primarily immigrant community to elementary school students), which receives no government funding (non-religious charitable organizations are eligible to receive funding), helping the staff paint their community rooms during the limited window they had when they were closed.

Before our trip, the Montreal/Laval area received historic rainfall (in fact, they received a month’s worth of rain in one day), causing flooding in many areas and damaging the basements of homes. One such home was that of one of the 180 Church members. Our team was able to step in quickly (Flood Mitigation companies were overwhelmed with the number of homes that needed services), carrying out damaged furniture and removing soaked carpet, alleviating the fear of dangerous mold growing in the house.

We also had the opportunity to serve alongside the pastor of 180, as we helped the principal and teachers of a local school set up; this included building storage units and student desks and getting them set up and placed in their appropriate locations. This act of service helped open a relationship between the principal and the church that normally would not be possible, as he could see our heart for serving all people in need. These are just a few examples of how God used us to serve those serving Him.

As you reflect on missions (whether to give to missions or to participate as a missionary), remember that the success of a mission trip is not determined by the number of baptisms and the number of people committing themselves to Jesus. While these are great and important things, the “success” of a mission is whether we reflected the love and light of Jesus in the areas we went to serve in. As my team and I learned over our time in Quebec, we must be okay with planting a seed, letting the local body water, and trusting that God will provide the growth. As our host pastor said, “You must be prepared to plant a seed of a tree you will never sit under.”

So, where will you go? If you are interested in a Short-Term Missions Trip, click here!