The most common comment I seem to get regarding the world race is “that’s not a missions trip, that’s a vacation”.
It’s true that this trip is my DREAM. All I’ve ever wanted was to travel the world, see the earth that God created, learn the history, meet to locals and live their way of life. That however does not make what I’m doing a vacation.
First of all, my idea of a vacation does not include sleeping in a tent on the ground and living in the same 5 outfits over and over again. No thank you. (No offense to you rugged types that live for that kind of thing) I prefer a beach resort or an upscale log cabin in the woods..
But what’s really important here is the responsibility I’m taking with me. I’m not new to this “missions” thing. I’ve done my share in and out of the US. No matter where you are, you see and experience things that will change you. You see kids starving. Or instead of going to school and making friends and having a real childhood, they sacrifice that in order to start work early to help their families put food on the table. You see girls barely 15 nursing babies because they became a victim of sex trafficking and now their entire world has changed. You meet people who are just trying to survive to the end of the day. Needless to say, the world outside of what I’m used to is a lot different. It’s no vacation. It’s the real world, and frankly, it sucks.
But that’s why we’re going. We’re going to share hope. We’re going to lend a helping hand. We’re going to tell the world about Jesus and how he loves them so much that he gave up his own life, just to save us! US! We a poor, needy, complaining, never satisfied people. He loves us so much!
Yes, this next year will provide me with many memories, wonderful friends, chances of a lifetime, and experiences I will never forget. But I will NEVER treat this like a vacation. We have a job to do, and just like any other job, I take it seriously.
