Jacob Smith, of the September 2013 V Squad, visited the homeless in Malaysia and was astounded by what he stumbled upon. Something that didn’t quite fit. Something really cool.
As we approached the overpass, we spotted the small city of tents. The level of poverty struck us as the women and children ran to greet our team. We delivered food rations that day for ministry – little bags of rice for the families. The old, wrinkled matriarchs took them with joy and began to cook for the children.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone receive food with that much joy.
As the rice cooked over the fire, we spent time playing with the kids and hearing stories of their plight from the adults in the community. The average house consisted of a tarp, a stick, and dirty plastic bags for insulation. They built the ‘houses’ this way to be portable in case the river flooded and they needed to escape. I looked around and took it all in.
I then noticed two nicer tents – American tents. The dirty, old, and used tents seemed to be in fairly good condition, housing almost 12 people.
Compared to the tarps and sticks, these colorful tents were mansions.
“Where are those tents from? They look nice.” I asked my host. Admittedly, nice was a very relative word here.
“World Racers gave them to these people three years ago.”
I often get asked if short-term missions has any real value.
Spending one month in every country doesn’t save the entire world. I’m not under that illusion. But the devaluing of any ministry is detrimental.
Because even short-term ministry, when done well, bears fruit.
Fruit that remains.
Three years after some short-term missionaries decided to give up their tents, a community lives on a riverbank where little children sit comfortably as rain pounds the ground next to them. They can dwell in a better shelter. Their food stays dry.
And maybe, just maybe, years from now, those little children will want to know of this “God” who gave them a home.
Who can you bless today? Even if it’s just something small, it may be the lynch pin to someone knowing Jesus.
And maybe three years later, they’ll literally dwell in your short-term blessing.
