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Sunday, September 4, 2011
On A Mission
Just yesterday, the SixtyFeet mission team departed for Uganda. Included on this trip were several of my girlfriends from Atlanta -- Joy, Cathy and Laura, my pastor, my husband's dear friend, Judd, and a handful of other crazy, amazing folks from all over the country.
I organized this trip myself and I'm so proud of the precious souls traveling this week. The team is made up of everyday, ordinary people with an extraordinary thirst for God. It consists of moms, dads, businessmen, medical professionals, young singles and the like -- who desire not just to hear the gospel but to go forth and live it.
There are people who claim that short-term missions trips are not about rescuing, fixing or saving. These same people will tell you that short term missions are a foolish waste of money -- how could one possibly expect to accomplish anything with real and lasting results by spending a week or two in a foreign country?
And to those people I'd say this: you're dead wrong. Because short term missions do rescue, fix and save. Just not in the way you might think. Short term missions rescue us. Me and You. The people who travel on these trips. The people who raise the money and take the time out of their lives to go and see, firsthand, how the rest of the world lives.
They rescue us because they cause us to see the world in a new and better light. They cause us to recognize the value of overseas ministry and to embrace our responsibility to our Christian brothers and sisters in the third world. They cause us to live more simply and to use our money more wisely. They cause us to make better choices and to live for something bigger than the American dream.
These trips change us forever. They rescue us from ourselves. They keep us from wasting our lives. And that is money and time well spent -- because it's a eternally invested.
I'm headed back over to Uganda myself in one month. It's about time. My spiritual batteries need some recharging and, personally, I think Africa is the best place to do it.
Later this week, one of the trip participants will be blogging live from Uganda, right here on the Crazy Blog. She'll give you a taste of SixtyFeet missions work and share some personal stories about our team on the ground the children we serve.
If you're so brave to consider joining us for such a trip, check out upcoming trip information on our partner site Visiting Orphans. Dan is leading the trip in January 2012 and I'm hoping to lead a mother-daughter trip in the spring of 2013, along with my daughter, Madeline.
Go and visit. See it, smell it, taste it. You'll never be the same.
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27, emphasis mine
I organized this trip myself and I'm so proud of the precious souls traveling this week. The team is made up of everyday, ordinary people with an extraordinary thirst for God. It consists of moms, dads, businessmen, medical professionals, young singles and the like -- who desire not just to hear the gospel but to go forth and live it.
There are people who claim that short-term missions trips are not about rescuing, fixing or saving. These same people will tell you that short term missions are a foolish waste of money -- how could one possibly expect to accomplish anything with real and lasting results by spending a week or two in a foreign country?
And to those people I'd say this: you're dead wrong. Because short term missions do rescue, fix and save. Just not in the way you might think. Short term missions rescue us. Me and You. The people who travel on these trips. The people who raise the money and take the time out of their lives to go and see, firsthand, how the rest of the world lives.
They rescue us because they cause us to see the world in a new and better light. They cause us to recognize the value of overseas ministry and to embrace our responsibility to our Christian brothers and sisters in the third world. They cause us to live more simply and to use our money more wisely. They cause us to make better choices and to live for something bigger than the American dream.
These trips change us forever. They rescue us from ourselves. They keep us from wasting our lives. And that is money and time well spent -- because it's a eternally invested.
I'm headed back over to Uganda myself in one month. It's about time. My spiritual batteries need some recharging and, personally, I think Africa is the best place to do it.
 |
| Shelly and Joy with Boaz, Uganda Fall 2010 |
Later this week, one of the trip participants will be blogging live from Uganda, right here on the Crazy Blog. She'll give you a taste of SixtyFeet missions work and share some personal stories about our team on the ground the children we serve.
If you're so brave to consider joining us for such a trip, check out upcoming trip information on our partner site Visiting Orphans. Dan is leading the trip in January 2012 and I'm hoping to lead a mother-daughter trip in the spring of 2013, along with my daughter, Madeline.
Go and visit. See it, smell it, taste it. You'll never be the same.
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27, emphasis mine
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9 comments:
I love the idea of a mother-daughter trip! Friends of ours adopted from Uganda and subsequently were entrusted with an amazing ministry to an entire orphanage. They recently led a trip including all ages and afterwards Tonya wrote: "I’m learning how vital it is to include children on mission trips. They can be changed very young and have a lasting change sparked that will help build great hearts of compassion and leadership for service. I am seeing how vital my work will become to offer families this experience, not just adults. Family missions…. Just might be my niche."
Praise God that He uses each of us in unique and special ways!
friends and i have been throwing the mother-daughter trip around for the last year and praying about it. would absolutely love, love, love to do it, but it just hasn't been time. 1 1/2 years until yours? seems too far off to me, but i know we'll need a transition time around here for awhile, so how fun would that be?!
thanks for saying this about short-term missions. i realize the 'harm' they can do when done flippantly or pridefully, but the 'rescuing' that comes? undeniable and lasting.
amen. tired of the same old "short term missions don't work" argument. Thanks for a great post...
You know Janie and I will be there 2013. She's dying to go! :)
Love you!
YAY! Can't wait to hear an update from the trip! Some our good friends from Mississippi are there with 60 Feet this week! Praying!!!
Thank you for speaking truth on how missions save us from living a wasted life. I went to Haiti earlier this year and came back with a changed worldview that then began to change my lifestyle. I pray that more believers take the step in faith and go so that they can experience God in new ways that are truly life changing.
I am praying for the Lord to open a door for me to go on a missions trip. I have never been on one. Just started the process to adopt from Uganda so I would love to go on a VO trip there!
I'll continue to pray!
Oh Girl! This post has set my mind to whirling! My girl and I...what a blast that would be!
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