As many of you know, short-term mission trips have played a
very large part in my life. Show Hope,
an orphan care ministry that is very near and dear to my heart, leads short
term mission trips to Haiti and China during the summer and you can apply now.
I wish that everyone I knew would go on a trip, so I have
been pondering and praying over this blog for the past couple of days. I have
written, erased, and written again. And then I realized that there’s basically
one thing that I want to say: If God is nudging you and if doors are opening,
“Go.” Don’t overthink it, don’t wait to win the lottery, don’t wait for a
humongous sign from God, just ‘go’.
I could write an entire book on convincing you why you
should go. But the truth is that I don’t want to convince you. I want you to go
because the God of the Universe is inviting you to sacrifice your time, money,
and heart for what he has in store for you.
I am not arguing that you must go across the ocean to be
changed by God, it can happen whenever you are seeking God’s heart. But, I am
being honest when I say that traveling to a different culture to experience the
raw vulnerability of the plight of the orphan will immensely shatter your
world.
God calls everyone to care for orphans. Not everyone is
called to adopt or to give money. But, everyone is called to care for orphans. You
may not know what that looks like for you personally, but it is on a trip like
those that Show Hope conducts that you can discover for yourself what God has
gifted you with and in what ways he has called you to personally care for orphans.
I have been on three of Show Hope’s short-term trips- once
to Haiti and twice to China.
In Haiti, you partner with another organization, called
Hands and Feet Project. They have a home that cares for more than 70 children
of all ages. You will serve the orphanage in whatever way they may need and you
will participate in activities with the children.
In China, you will be staying at Maria’s Big House of Hope,
a medical care center for more than 140 children with special needs. You will
interact with the children and with their nannies and help fill whatever needs
the MBHOH staff may have.
Both trips will incorporate orphan care training that has
been developed and carried out by the Show Hope staff. It is within this
‘training’ that you will discover the facts and figures when it comes to orphan
care and adoption, you will learn how you can play a part in alleviating the
orphan crisis, and you will discover how deep God’s heart is for the
fatherless.
I have traveled with multiple other ministries and churches.
But, the method in which Show Hope prepared and trained me was unparalleled.
The reality is that these trips are in fact ‘short-term’. It takes intentional
work to make sure that they have a lasting impact on your life. Show Hope prepares
you well and keeps your focus on Jesus.
In case you’re still on the edge about whether or not to go,
I have included a list of reasons that may push you one way or another.
- Maybe you know that there are more than 150 million orphans, but you can’t wrap your head around it. GO! The minute that you hold a child in your arms the statistic will no longer be a number but a child.
- If you want to meet an awesome group of students that has the same mindset as you- Go. I have met some of my closest friends on the trips- friends who understand me and who I share precious memories with.
- Don’t let money hold you back. I have seen hundreds of students raise beyond what they needed for trips in a matter of weeks.
- Invite a friend to go with you. Sometimes it helps to have someone who you can walk through the before, during, and after of the trip with. Make sure that both of your hearts are in it.
- Don’t go if you just want to see me. This summer, I will be the intern at Maria’s Big House of Hope, along with my best friend. So yes, I am a giant perk of coming… but don’t let that be your only reason.
- Don’t go if you need to restart your spiritual life. Yes, the trip will change your life, but if you’re looking for the next high to keep your faith going, don’t go. The trip should be a stepping-stone in your spiritual journey, not a catapult from one end to the other.
The orphan is very near and dear to God’s heart. He did not
forget about them; they were not simply a second thought. So, we cannot forget
about them. We cannot shove them to the sides of our lives. We must grab them
into our arms, protect them, and fight for them. Perhaps your next step in
caring for orphans is going on a short-term mission trip.
Here is the link to sign up:
Please share this with anyone else who may be interested- we
want the teams to fill up! And feel free to ask me if you have any questions.
