Do you ever wonder if short-term mission trips have a lasting impact? One of my favorite aspects of this year is meeting my brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Each month my perspective of my “family” grows. This past weekend I met Sinn and Ann, a young married couple who serve in Northern Thailand with a college campus ministry. Pastor Wasaan, our missionary contact, has been friends with Ann’s parents for over 20 years. Ann and I immediately connected over dinner as we found a common connection to Liberty University (LU) in Lynchburg, VA. Ann and Sinn attended LU for a few semesters to take courses that would equip them in their ministry in Thailand. One of my closest friends, Leigh, also attended Liberty University for nursing school around the same time. Throughout dinner, Ann, Sinn, and I dialogued about the role of Christians and missions, their experiences serving in Thailand, and my experiences on short-term mission trips. I had expressed to Sinn and Ann some challenges that I had faced in Thailand. I see the deep spiritual need of Thailand, but often I do not know where to begin addressing this need when I do not know the culture or the language. Through my observations and experiences on the race and on past short term mission trips, I believe that building relationships is the key for sharing the Gospel. The majority of Sinn and Ann’s ministry is relational ministry so I asked them the best way for my team and I to share the Gospel while we serve in Thailand. Sinn and Ann encouraged me, “Don’t let the language barrier stop you from sharing the Gospel. You never know how God will work through you while you are in Thailand. “ Then, Sinn shared with me his testimony. The first time Sinn heard the Gospel was from Steve*, a young American man on a short term trip with Campus Outreach. Steve befriended Sinn and met with him several times while he was in Thailand. One day, Steve asked Sinn, “What is your purpose in life?” Sinn did not have an answer and was bothered at his own response. F a s t f o r w a r d. Sinn heard the Gospel nine more times before he accepted Christ as his Lord and Saviour. After coming to Christ, Sinn served with Campus Outreach in Thailand. He later met his wife, Ann, and now they both serve with Campus Crusade for Christ in Northern Thailand. Steve and Sinn have remained in contact throughout the years, and Steve now supports Sinn and Ann as long-term missionaries. My conversation with Sinn and Ann was a beautiful exchange of encouragement and renewed my perspective on short term missions. Sinn’s testimony reminded me that short term missions does play a role in impacting lives for the Kingdom of God. [Sidenote: I believe short term missions is only part of the larger picture . . . more on this later]. We never know if we are the first person, third person, or the tenth person to share the Gospel with someone. Sometimes we plant the seeds. Other times we water the seeds. Other times we see the fruit. We were never promised to see the impact that we, as believers, make here on earth. However, we were commanded to be obedient to God’s word and share the Gospel with all nations [Matthew 28:19-20]. It is evident throughout Scripture that God blesses obedience. My role and your role in missions will probably look differently because we have different gifts and passions [One body with different members. 1 Corinthians 12]. I encourage you to ask the Lord how He would desire you to use the giftings, passions, talents, and resources that He has entrusted you for the Kingdom of God and be obedient to His voice. *Steve: real name not used in context.
[Meet my friends, Ann and Sinn.]
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
