(posted : Tuesday Jun 21, 2011)
I just returned from 11 days in Peru. For those who do not know, in October 2008, our church adopted Matucana, Peru, and since have sent 4-6 teams there each year. This was my second time in Matucana, and my 15th or 16th mission trip since 1990. One of my favorite things to do has been to take students (and leaders) to another country on a mission trip for the first time! I love watching culture shock. That may sound odd and even mean, but really I think it is so important. We are taking these student out of their context, away from their Xbox 360, cell phones, Facebook, friends, family, nice houses, nice cars, etc., and showing them the physical and spiritual needs of others around the world.
I just returned from 11 days in Peru. For those who do not know, in October 2008, our church adopted Matucana, Peru, and since have sent 4-6 teams there each year. This was my second time in Matucana, and my 15th or 16th mission trip since 1990. One of my favorite things to do has been to take students (and leaders) to another country on a mission trip for the first time! I love watching culture shock. That may sound odd and even mean, but really I think it is so important. We are taking these student out of their context, away from their Xbox 360, cell phones, Facebook, friends, family, nice houses, nice cars, etc., and showing them the physical and spiritual needs of others around the world.
As we gathered with the first service on the Sunday morning that we left, I told the congregation that my prayer was not just that we would have a good trip, be safe, be healthy, and reach people for Jesus. My prayer was that most, if not all, of the students we were taking would then dedicate their lives to reaching the unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Many would ask, "Can't we teach the same things right here in the United States? After all, there are lost people here, too. Why spend all the money and face dangerous travel to go to some other country?" That is true. There are lost people here. We can (and do) teach them to reach the lost here. But first of all, Jesus commanded us to go to the ends of the earth. (See the Great Commission). Second, if we don't go, who will? We have the answers of forgiveness, grace, mercy and eternal life! If we don't take those answers to all the peoples of the world, who will?
One thing that made an impact on me this trip didn't actually even happen to me. One of the days, we split up and sent two smaller teams into two mountain villages. Steven Colwell led the team to Collana. There, he met the principal of the school there who was saved 17 years ago. He told Steven that Peru didn't need any more religion; Peru needed the true Gospel. Later in the week, we ran into that man two times in Matucana. Both times he asked, "When are you coming back?"
In Acts 16:9-10 is what we refer to as "The Macedonian Call". This is the vision that Paul saw while in Troas. "During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, 'Cross over to Macedonia and help us!' After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them."
God may not necessarily be calling you to go to Collana or Matucana, Peru, but He is calling you to reach the nations. Get out of your context and take the Gospel to places that it is not readily accessible.
The nations are crying for us to bring them the true Gospel.
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