Mission Trips
A group from First Presbyterian Church of Paullina recently returned from a mission trip to Romania with FGCI (For God’s Children International). The group included Pastor Andrew Hilla, Sally Hilla, Philip Hilla, Peter Hilla, Kath Negus, and Harry Arrick of Primghar (our group leader). We were accompanied by three women from Missouri; Lisa Yocum and her two daughters Jodi Yocum and Lauren Haer. Our group of 9 spent two weeks in southeastern Romania, sharing Christ’s love through words and actions.
I’ve heard murmurings of the questions raised, “Why go on a mission trip, especially to such a distant place, when there are those in need within our own communities?” and “Why spend so much money on traveling to distant lands when that money could have been just donated to those people for their needs?” These are good question, which I would like to address.
I didn’t get to experience as much on this trip as I would have liked to have experienced, you see, I became ill within a few days after arriving in Romania. I was taken to a Romanian hospital, an experience that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone, and remained ill until we returned home, at which time I was admitted into Orange City hospital with pneumonia.
But even in the few days before my illness became evident, I was deeply moved by the orphaned children we interacted with and whom none of us will ever forget.
If we sent money rather than going to Romania, those children would never know our voices, they would never realize that Americans can be their friends, they would never have realized that Christ’s love can be made evident through the embrace of another human being.
There are 3 Scriptures that come to mind which support why we should go on mission trips, and why we should be concerned for the underprivileged who live on the other side of the world…
Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Christ commands us to GO, to baptize, to teach others about Christ, and to encourage them through the knowledge that our Lord is with us always.
Matthew 20:28 – “Just as the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”
The most important thing to remember is that as you obey God’s commission and say “yes, I will go”, God will use you, God will sharpen your skills and gifts and you will be utterly amazed to be a part of doing God’s work in this world.
Acts 1:8 –“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
All you need is a willing heart and a passport. God will take care of the rest.
The benefits of a short term mission trip…
1) A better understanding of what it is like in other countries.
You realize that other countries and cultures are different. That other people have different ways of looking at life and doing things.
2) A better understanding of people and their universal needs.
You find out that people, though they may look different, are the same all over the world. They have the same feelings, hopes, and desires -- they are human just like you are.
3) More empathy for missionaries and the problems they face.
When you experience it, you know what it is like. You will have a greater compassion and concern and be more likely to help.
4) A greater appreciation for what you have at home.
Most people will have a more thankful attitude, and less desire to complain about their life, after a mission trip.
5) More oriented to outreach when you return home, because of doing it there.
People are usually more inhibited around those they know. When they travel to a distant place where no one knows them, they can more easily overcome those inhibitions. Once you realize you can witness, and pray for people there, it is easier to continue doing it when you return home.
6) A greater vision for missions.
When you see the need first-hand, people there are not just statistics, but real people you know and care about. Therefore, you are much more likely to pray and to give your best.
7) A greater commitment to Christ and His plan.
Doing work for God, and seeing results, is like starting a fire. It is natural for it to continue and grow larger. Once you get a taste of it, you want more.
8) Advancement of the Kingdom of God.
Souls are usually won to Christ, churches are strengthened, pastors and missionaries are encouraged, by those taking short-term mission trips.
It is certainly possible to accomplish some of these results right here at home, where there are undeniably many needs and opportunities to serve, and it is important that we stay open to meeting those needs and filling those opportunities. As a matter of fact, this past week, a group from our church spent several days doing mission work in Cedar Rapids, helping to clean up from last year’s flooding. As the Lord leads us to make wise decisions about where to serve, we want to work on both fronts: locally and internationally, we can’t turn our backs on people in other parts of the world just because they are in other parts of the world… we are all God’s children. Recall how the parable of the sheep and the goats ends… “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
For best global results, and to be obedient to Christ’s Great Commission, we simply have to go. We can say, “We should just send the money to the field and not waste it sending a bunch of North Americans over” but experience shows that people who say that - both do not go and do not send the money. The best results come when we give, we send, and when we go ourselves as Christ’s ambassadors.
Where do you draw your “line in the sand” when it comes to missions? In Paullina, in Primghar, in Sutherland, in Cedar Rapids, in New Orleans, in Romania, maybe in Africa? The Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ teach us that if we are drawing ANY lines in the sand, we are not being true to the Greatest Commandment that Christ calls us to live by as His followers… “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” The Apostle Paul adds in Galatians 3:28 that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
We will be sharing pictures and video from our trip to Romania with the community at a future date and time, which has not yet been determined. Please watch for more information about this presentation in the near future.
In Christ's love,
Pastor Andrew Hilla
First Presbyterian Church
Paullina, Iowa
