Project 2 Draft 3

The hard work and dedication that is required for a mission trip is incredibly (and often surprisingly) demanding. Traveling and being active for more hours than usual is one small aspect most people consider, but many overlooked small details are extremely important, such as needing to have the knowledge of different languages, the ability to comfort those in pain or in need, and the physical strength sometimes required for common work projects. This is most definitely crucial in a short term mission trip. But what about long term mission trips? Countless hours are needed to be put in before even leaving for a country in many cases. I have loved being on a mission team for years, but I have never taken the leap and gone on a long term mission trip. However, some members of my usual mission team will be leaving this year on long term missions. This was the perfect opportunity to see the work that legitimately goes into training and embarking on a long term mission trip.

In an academic journal, Herbert Kane states that “Thousands of youth desiring to serve the Lord have waited and waited for some mysterious ‘missionary call’ that never came.” Many Christians feel as though they must be an "all knowing believer" in order to go on mission trips. (Kane) Although it is important to be able to share the gospel with people in other areas, it is not the only part of mission work. The mere building of a relationship and breaking down barriers between classes, races, or even languages does wonders to a person's spiritual growth. My mission team always focuses on the emotional well being of every person we come across. It is more of a priority (in our minds) to spend our time getting to know a person as opposed to building a house for nobody.

I had the opportunity to interview Jake Uttich and Jacob Garrett, two members of my mission team. They will both be going on long term mission trips in the near future. Jake brought up that, contrary to popular belief, long term mission trips are not only about evangelizing communities. Mission of Hope is a Haitian mission organization that does wonders for people on the whole island. The organization focuses on meeting the needs villagers have, as well as developing strong relationships. The goal to guide people to Christianity is most definitely important to them, but it is not merely about forcing someone to go to church and leaving the village immediately after. On the Mission of Hope website, it states that "Our goal is to impact the lives of Haiti's population spiritually, physically, and emotionally." Work projects are done to meet the physical needs of building a latrine or a home. Strategic Village Time is used in order to speak to people in the village and get to know what any troubles they may be facing are. Lastly, prayers are made for villagers, but only after asking for permission to pray over anyone. A long term mission trip is not about trying to convert as many people as possible. The concept of "quality over quantity" is vital. Getting to know villagers personally is much more impactful than simply painting houses for one week on a short term mission trip.

Jake Uttich, a twenty year old with a great deal of passion in his heart, will be leaving for a nine month mission trip to several different countries. Before leaving to go on this mission, extensive training is done in order to prepare every member for the duration of the journey. Some of this training may include how to interact with host families in a village, what to do if someone is injured or causing danger to yourself or someone around you, and the act of guiding another person and educating him or her through Christianity and the gospel. One other key part of training that is not common in short term mission work is learning how to improve one's community. Not necessarily the community of the third world country being visited, but the community the team member is a part of back home in the United States.(Uttich) The best way to explain this is with a quote from Jake, saying "mission trips don't end when you come home." What this means is serving the Lord and being a humble person is outstanding while on a mission trip. It assists people in need and builds character in oneself. But more often than not, the actions and feelings prominent in mission trips tend to dissipate after coming back home to the states. Why is this done? Because people believe that their home does not need the "improvement" associated with third world countries. However, this is far from the truth. It is important to take what a person has learned during mission work and apply it to everyone he or she sees.

So what is the difference between going on a long term mission trip as opposed to a week long trip? "It's easy to 'fake it' on a short term mission trip," says Missions Coordinator Jacob Garrett. "I can be uncomfortable or miserable for a week and cover it up perfectly." After one week, one can go back to the comfort of their own bed, and forget about the heat or the dirt or whatever other complications they may have faced. On a long term mission trip, however, there is no escaping this discomfort. It truly comes down to the men and women that have a real passion for being missionaries, wanting to go all in with no regrets. (Garrett) This ties back to my mission team. Going for one to two weeks may be fun, but it is incredibly exhausting. Having no escape for several months has never been a difficulty in my experience.

In addition to this, Jacob Garrett feels as though the best parts about mission work in a long term sense is building relationships and being able to broaden horizons. Max Müller once said "He who knows one, knows none." By only knowing one's own culture, there is no room to grow. This is why long term mission work is so crucial to personal growth. It heightens a person's ability to understand other cultures and ways of living. It also humbles people and forces them to realize the infinite opportunities and possibilities at their fingertips while living in a developed country. (Garrett)

Long term missionaries may receive a lot of rolled eyes or brushed off remarks, but a lot of hard work and dedication goes into what they do. It takes wholehearted passion to leave the comfort of home for several months at a time, and for that reason, I have nothing but respect for the men and women that decide to drop everything just to help strangers. Mission of Hope is a well rounded organization that puts the needs of Haitians before themselves. Because of this, any mission trips through Mission of Hope are very successful and impactful for everyone involved, regardless of time spent there.