How was your trip?  What did you do?  What did you eat?  Where did you sleep?  Were you scared?  What were the people like?

I am sure that my teammates have received plenty of questions like this since returning home.  These are all experience questions.  And in part, that is what a short term trip is about.  It is hard to get past the experience, especially the first time in a country and this was a rookie trip for everyone!

As we sat with different missionary couples, the question arose, “Why do you do short term teams?”  And many different answers were given.  But for the 28 persons who are currently permanent with Adonai, each one has their roots on a short term team.  The face of missions has changed over the last decade.  Those who are leaving to serve on the field more often are from short term experiences then were raised on the field.   Adonai strongly believes that teams have a purpose and a place within the ministry.  And they recognize the different roles we have towards the global missions challenge.

It is those who step away from their home culture, into another culture that God grabs ahold of and meets them right where they are.  No matter where it is, if it is twenty miles from your house, a new ministry in the states, or around the globe.

And so answering this questions on what was “done” on the trip are tricky.  Our main focus was to encourage the missionaries who are here permanently on the field and come alongside of them in their daily ministry tasks.  To encourage is to be present.  To remind locals and missionaries that they are not alone.  What God did past that on a personal level is how God wanted to impact each person personally.

There were things that we “did” that were tasks that needed done from cleaning, to painting to joining in of worship sets and observing clinic.  All of these gave perspective of what it meant to live here and be a part of the ministry.

A shapshot of that..

Plenty of painting from clinics to houses ….

Joining in the local ministries….

Growing together as a Body of Christ and being stretched…

Joining the ministry where we could…

And creating fellowship and opportunities for others who want to join in Kingdom Reach to be able to come alongside and be a part of what God is doing globally.

May you rest in the truth today that we are all part of the Kingdom reach whether it is at your kitchen table or half way around the globe.  We are called to love and be a light.  May those two things never be extinguished.