Short-Term Mission Trip = Long-Term Impact
Why should anyone go on a short-term mission trip?
This is a question that I’ve heard in one form or another. People often imply that a short-term mission trip has little impact on those being served. And they typically assume that a short-term mission trip has minimal impact on those serving other than to make them feel good about themselves for a few weeks.
I’d like to say that this doesn’t have to be the case. My recent experience is proof that short-term mission trips can have a huge impact.
Let me explain.
Missions has surrounded me in one form or another since I was a young child. In elementary school, my parents hosted a missionary in our home for a few months. In junior high, I remember my dad traveling to Haiti for a short-term missions trip with other members of our church. When I got to high school, I attended five short-term mission trips with our high school youth group. I also was the missions coordinator for our church’s vacation Bible school on summer. In college, I traveled to Chicago twice to serve with Habitat for Humanity during my Easter vacation. And I was privileged to go twice to Urbana, an InterVarsity missions conference for college students. Each one of these experiences has had an impact on me, and I know these experiences have helped to bring housing, help, and hope to those in need.
When I graduated from college, I wrestled with a mission minded decision. Should I go into full-time missions as a missionary, or should I go to work in the world of engineering? The more I grappled with the decision, the more it became clear that God calls people to the “normal” working world just like He calls people to the mission field. As I began to explore and experience the construction industry, it became more and more obvious to me the construction industry is a BIG mission field. God can use Christ followers to make a difference in the corporate world, in schools, in hospitals, and in so many arenas of every day life in America.
After nearly twenty years in the industry, I remain convinced of this. I work in a mission field today.
But there is still a place in my heart for serving others outside my company. There has been a passion in my heart to serve others in strange places. Three years ago, I nearly experienced that dream and passion as my wife and I were preparing to go to Nairobi, Kenya to serve in the slums of Mathare. Some unexpected circumstances caused us to cancel these plans, and I began to wonder and even resolve myself to the fact that this dream would never be actualized.
Fast forward to last spring.
Many of you know the story, I was asked by the high school youth pastor at my church to consider going to Guatemala with the youth group. It was a decision I didn’t take lightly. I prayed. I sought godly council from friends and family members. And I analyzed the reasons to go and not go on this trip. When it came down to it, I had to take a leap of faith.
This initial trip changed my life.
I developed a passion for the people of Guatemala. I started dreaming about going back again. And I began to understand that God could use me at home AND in strange places.
This trip changed other people’s lives.
While we were in Guatemala, our team built a house for a family (thanks to The Stretched Community for funding this project). We installed stoves in the homes of widows in Xenacoj, the community where we served. And we played with children and taught them about the love of Christ.
Many people would naturally wonder if these efforts really made any difference.
I can tell you with certainty that they did! When our family returned to Guatemala last month. We saw how the house we built last year propelled this family forward financially and also spiritually. We saw hope in the eyes of widows we had served last summer. And we even ran into children we had served last year who remembered the “gringos” who came and played with them last summer.
Our short-term mission trip was not a waste. It may have had some short-term impact, but I know it also had long-term impact.
Our family is planning to return to Guatemala to serve again. We think about the people we interacted with last month, and we pray for them constantly. We are strategically thinking about how we can continue to have an impact in Guatemala – even while we’re here at home. And we are sharing our story. We hope we will inspire others to consider similar short-term mission trips. We pray that we might be able to encourage others to find ways to help others in distant lands. And we know that our short-term mission trip will have a long-term impact.
How have you seen small actions result in large outcomes? What small step can you take this week to have a large impact in the future?
Have you ever been on a short-term mission trip? What was the impact of this trip?
What’s stopping you from going on a short-term mission trip?
Would you ever consider going to Guatemala with me on a short-term mission trip?
Children Of The King
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18
As the month of August draws to a close, I cannot get the images, the sounds, and the smells of our Guatemala experience out of me. I pray for the children we served and played with at their schools and in the streets of Xenacoj. May they know that they are children of the King!
What experience stretched and changed you this month?
Stranger In A Strange Land
The night we arrived in Guatemala, our family walked to the center of Xenacoj to enjoy the closing night in the annual Santo Domingo Xenacoj Festival. The festival features carnival rides, music, games, and a crowded market. As we walked through the market on the way to Central Park, it was clear I was out-of-place. Navigating the narrow walking paths through the market, I had to duck my head to get under the tarps that had been hung to protect the market goers from rain and sun. I immediately began to hear giggles and see people laughing and pointing at me. People were saying “Muy alto!” or “Mas alto!” or “Gringo!” as I waded through the crowds of people.
I was white. They were brown.
I was 6’6″. They were 5’3″.
I was strange.
This continued to happen the whole time we were in Guatemala. It was almost like I was a celebrity alien from a distant and very different world.
It can be easy to be a stranger in a strange land. I look different. I sound different. I probably even smell different.
At home in the United States, it’s a different story.
I look the same. I sound the same. I smell the same.
But I’m called to be different. This is not my home. In 1 Peter, we are reminded that we are called to live differently:
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. I Peter 2:11-17
We all want to fit in. As I have returned back to the United States, it’s easy to slip back into the patterns and attitudes of those around me. It’s easy to go with the flow. To a certain extent, this is important. I need to do my work. I need to relate to those around me. As a follower of Christ, I’m also supposed to be different. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans that we should live transformed lives.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
There’s a song that we used to sing in church…”They will know we are Christians by our love.” I want people to know there is something different about me. I want to be a reflection of God’s love. I want to point people to Christ through my words, attitudes, and actions. When people meet Jon Stolpe, I want them to say to themselves “There’s something different about him. I want to find out more.”
We spend so much time trying to fit in. Maybe we should put more effort into being strange.
How do people know there is something different about you?
Have you ever been to a place where you were considered strange?
This Takes Faith
This is a picture of Dave Sgro and one of the kids we had the privilege of serving while we were in Guatemala earlier this month. Dave is a missionary and founder of GO! Ministries. He was a very successful businessman by most people’s perspective when God and Guatemala grabbed his heart. Dave took a huge leap of faith when he sold everything and moved his family to Guatemala a few years ago. Now, he’s turning his attention, ideas, and dreams to the people of Guatemala. It was a blessing for our family to see his faith as we worked together for a week.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 5:16-18
This takes faith.
When we hit speed bumps in our lives – health problems, financial problems, material problems, etc. – it’s easy to become bitter and discouraged. I see it every day at work as team members become frustrated by the ever-changing demands of a project, a schedule, or a customer. I see it in the news where people in our country and in other countries are fighting against each other verbally and physically. And I even see it at home from time to time when we get tired, when we face a hardship of one kind or another, or when things start breaking down.
Paul reminds us that things on earth – things that we see – are temporary.
Yet we put so much energy and stock into these things. We try to build bigger bank accounts and bigger homes. We try to keep up with the Jones’ and the Smiths’ with our cars, toys, and other material items.
When will we learn to put our energy into the things that matter?
When we die, there’s only a couple of things coming with us. I’m guessing that our memories will somehow come with us (although that’s just a guess on my part). The only other thing I can think of is relationships – we can bring others to heaven by inviting them in – by introducing them to Christ. Yet we live as if there’s no urgency to this. We keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get the next promotion, the next financial windfall, or the next achievement. When will we learn that God wants our hearts? When will we live for things that will last?
God, give me your eyes. Help me to live for things that matter. Help me to build relationships. Help me to actively share my faith in words and deeds, so others might know you. Thank you for the reminder today. I will not lose heart!
What are you building with your life that will last? How might your life be transformed by living like this?
Xenacoj – Responding to Naysayers, Doubters, and Inquisitors
We’ve received a lot of encouragement and positive comments in response to our short-term missions trip to Santo Domingo Xenacoj in Guatemala. Honestly, this is not the reason for going on this trip. While it has been nice to get some positive feedback, our trip wasn’t meant to bring the praises of man.
I guess I wasn’t totally surprised when we heard some positive comments and encouragement related to our trip. But I was a little surprised by some of the comments and questions that came as a result of our trip.
Seriously, here are some of the comments and questions that I received before and after the trip:
- Why would you go to Guatemala (or any other foreign country) when there are people in the United States who need help?
- How do you justify asking people to help fund a missions trip when you surely must make enough money to fund such a trip?
- What’s the purpose of a short-term missions trip? Are you just trying to make yourself feel good?
- That’s good for you and your family, but we could never do something like that.
- I tried volunteering, but it didn’t end up the way I wanted. I’m glad it’s working out for you though.
It’s hard to know how to respond. I certainly don’t want to come across as “holier than thou.” I have plenty of faults and things to work out. And to be honest, I’m still figuring it out.
But here are some of my thoughts:
First, I agree. There are plenty of people in need right here in the United States. In fact, there are plenty of people in need right in our area. Our family does try to serve locally. And I would encourage everyone to find a place to serve in their communities. Check out soup kitchens, nursing homes, and food pantries to start. But trust me, as Americans, we are all part of the top 1% of the wealthiest people in the world. Visiting a third world country can open ones eyes to how most people live in the world. I’m confident that our family was made a difference while we were in Guatemala, but I’m also certain that the people of Guatemala made a huge impact on our family.
As for fundraising, this was a tough part of our trip for me. If you know our story, Leanne and I were scheduled to go to Kenya three years ago. We had raised nearly $8,000 to cover the of the trip when we had to cancel the trip due to health concerns. So many friends and family had donated generously to our trip, and we didn’t have trip insurance, so we pretty much lost everything that people had contributed. Asking again three years later seemed like quite a risk to me. What would people think? It was a tough decision that required faith. The other side of it was related to my pride. Yes, God has blessed me with a good job. An engineer in the United States surely makes more money than many, but here’s the reality – it would be pretty challenging for us to pay for this trip on our own. Was I embarrassed to ask for funds to help with this trip? Yes. Maybe. But there are reasons that we could not afford such a trip without a little help that don’t necessarily require justification. Past financial decision. Current giving habits and commitments. The cost of raising a family in our area. All of these things and more could be used as justification for our decision to ask for support. But there’s a little more to this decision. Many people in our area aren’t ready to take a trip to Guatemala (or any other strange land), but they want to help. I hope that we were able to give people a sense that they were helping. I also help that we inspired people to consider how they might take their own next leap of faith.
Before this trip and definitely after the trip, I felt a renewed sense of calling to my job and to our area. There are plenty of lost people in our area who need Christian influencers in their lives. A short-term missions trip certainly doesn’t solve all the problems of a third world country or village. But it does make a difference. As I stated before, the trip made a huge difference in our family. Trust me, our kids have a different and broader view of life, poverty, thanksgiving, and love as a result of this trip. The Bible is clear that we are called to go into ALL nations baptizing and teaching people to follow Christ. Following the Great Commission requires some stretching. A short-term missions trip may be just what you need to get a new perspective on life. It will stretch you beyond your comfort zone, and it will open your eyes to a whole new world in need of God’s love.
Yes. It is good for our family. But it can be good for you too. You can go to Guatemala, but you can also serve right where you are. Don’t become paralyzed by the patterns and temptations of this world. Get outside your comfort zone. Make a decision today to help someone who really needs help.
Stop making excuses. Stop living through others. It doesn’t matter how old or young, how fat or skinny, how rich or poor, or how cool or not you are. You can make a difference. You can do something to forever change the lives of others. You can serve. Don’t let another day go by without making a decision to be a change agent for someone in need.
I’m sure we’ll get other questions along the way. I’m sure I’m still figuring it out. But I’d rather be active, uncomfortable, and stretched than inactive, lazy, and full of excuses.
Choose today to make a difference in someone’s life. Maybe it means overseas missions. Maybe it means going next door. Don’t wait to have all the answers. Don’t wait for things to fit cleanly in a nice box. Serving can be messy, but it’s so worth it!
What can you do today to make a difference for someone in need?
Xenacoj – A Family Transformed – Zuli’s House
Last year, you may recall my leap of faith decision and the big ask associated with this decision. To refresh your memory, I decided to go to Guatemala with our high school youth group. Then I asked The Stretched Community to join together to build something big – a house. The Stretched Community put their heads, hearts, and wallets together to pay for the materials used to build a house in Guatemala.
Our team of 25 teenagers and 6 adult leaders arrived in Xenacoj to a piece of property with a small dirt floored hut and a dirt yard. Two and a half days later, we had finish a brand new house for a little girl (Zuli) and her family. It was an amazing experience for our team and for The Stretched Community.
When we returned to the States, I often wondered how this family and their new home was doing. Did they use the paint that are team had purchased and given the family right before we left the village? Did the house help the family? Did they keep up with it?
Many of my questions were answered when we returned to Xenacoj last week. We were able to visit the house and Zuli’s family multiple times. It was clear that our efforts last summer had made a big difference for this family. Not only did they use the paint for the house but they also extended the front porch overhang, and they installed a concrete front porch. They cleaned up their yard, and they built two other buildings and a kitchen on the property. They were proud of their house, and they were taking care of their property.
Our family was welcomed back with open arms by Zuli’s family. We talked together about our families and about God’s love. We encouraged Zuli to keep learning. And we prayed together. Before we left, the family came and saw us at the Center where we were staying. They wanted to make sure we knew that we were always welcome at their home, and they expressed hope that we would return again next year. It was a very touching moment.
It was great for me to see how our help was a real springboard for this family. Sometimes a little boost is all that is needed to help someone stand on their own. Sometimes a little help is just what will get someone moving forward. Seeing Zuli’s house and her family last week was also a great reminder to me that there is tremendous power when a few people get together to do something good for someone. Thank you Stretched Community for being part of something good in Guatemala!
How have you seen a little help change the course of your life or someone else’s life? How could you change someone’s life today by a simple act of generosity or by a basic word of encouragement? What questions to you have about Zuli, her family, or the house we built?
Xenacoj – A Stretching Experience
Guatemala was life changing.
Trying to find the right words to capture my experience is challenging and perhaps even impossible.
I will continue to reflect on this trip for a while. I was up in the early hours of the morning thinking about it. I think about it when I’m driving in the car. I think about Xenacoj when I’m eating my meals, when I’m talking to people, and when I’m running. This experience is on my mind all the time.
The people of Xenacoj have left a permanent mark on me.
I was stretched in making the decision to go in the first place. It took a lot of faith and trust for me to take my whole family there. Would they be safe? Would they stay healthy? How would they respond to the poverty, the language, and the living conditions? How would we pay for a trip of this magnitude? Would people really support us after what we went through three years ago? All kinds of questions went through my mind when we initially decided to pursue a trip to Guatemala.
I was stretched during the trip. Three of our family members experienced illness while we were there. I had to sleep on a bed that was about a foot shorter than me. Sleep in general was tough for me most of the trip (the rest of my family seemed to sleep fairly well). We slept right in the village where we heard fireworks, roosters, dogs, music, talking, snoring, and church at all hours of the night and morning. The language barrier was initially a challenge. It took a couple of days until we actually felt like we were serving. Once we started serving, we saw some pretty deplorable conditions and desperate poverty. We couldn’t fix everything.
And I obviously continue to be stretched following the trip. How do I respond? I don’t want this trip to simply be a “nice” experience. What is next for our family? When can we go back to Xenacoj? How should we live our lives differently now that we are home in the States? How can we continue to help GO! Ministries and the people of Xenacoj and Guatemala? How can we inspire others to stretch outside their comfort zone and consider missions? Questions, thoughts, and ideas permeate my mind constantly.
And yet, it’s difficult to fully capture what we experienced. Perhaps the easiest way to show you is through a video that Dave Sgro (founder of GO! Ministries) put together using our pictures. There are a few inside jokes and stories in the video, but the video does a pretty good job touching on many of the things we did on the trip.
How have you been stretched by a missions experience? What questions do you have for me (or my family) about our experience in Guatemala?
Saturday In Xenacoj (and Antigua)
As I indicated yesterday, I am still getting my U.S.A. Legs under me. With this in mind, allow me to share the details of our day on Saturday in Guatemala. I’m hoping to add pictures into each of these posts, but you can hop over to my personal Facebook profile if you want to see all the pictures.
Saturday in Xenacoj (and Antigua)
This was a tough day for me as it was my turn to pick up some type of bug. I woke up anticipating the feeding program and VBS which would be taking place at the Center where we stayed in Xenacoj. Unfortunately, I spent the whole morning in bed fighting a fever and sleeping. I woke up around 11:30 just as everyone was leaving. I was able to see Blanca, a young girl we met last year, who has a rare allergy to the sun. It will be exciting to share pictures of her with those on our trip from last year. I also met one of the doctors in town who confirmed that I should continue with Cipro and ibuprofen to fight the bug/bacteria that I must have picked up.
I gathered enough strength to journey with our team to Antigua where we did some sightseeing and shopping. Honestly, I was pretty weak as we wandered trough this popular tourist area. The kids enjoyed bartering for souvenirs.
At night, GO! Ministries hosted an appreciation dinner for our group. Dave cooked five different kinds of shrimp, and we also had salad, tortillas, and cake. If I had been feeling better I’m sure I would have enjoyed the food portion of this dinner very much. Dave showed us a video that he put together highlighting our experiences. And then we each had an opportunity to stand up and share with the group about our week.
This trip was a huge deal for our family. Many of you know that Leanne and I had to cancel a planned trip to Nairobi, Kenya three years ago when Leanne was dealing with some significant health problems. I am so proud of her for stepping outside her comfort zone into Xenacoj. While the beginning of the week was challenging, it was obvious as the week went along that she was in her element experiencing the joy of serving in and around Xenacoj. Isaac and Hannah both did a great job as well this week. They both served with full effort, and they engaged with our team and with the people of Guatemala with such compassion. I am so proud of them. It was so great to meet the Spooner family (Jeff, Amy, and Sharett). In a week’s time, we went from complete strangers to wonderful friends. I love the spirit and spunk of their family. German is the man, and his family left a huge mark on our family. Never before have I met such a servant and servant-family. German’s prayers throughout the week were some of the most beautiful and powerful prayers that I have ever heard. He is truly a man after God’s own heart. Jesse Sgro was our team manager, and he did a great fob leading us from his devotion on Monday night to his translation to his constant comedy. And to Dave, thank you for inviting our family to walk alongside GO! Ministries for a week. This is a week that has clearly left a mark on our family.
After everyone had a chance to speak, we closed the evening in prayer. In Guatemala one mode or method of prayer involves everyone praying out loud at once. Our team was placed in the middle and the leaders and locals surrounded us and put their hands on us as they prayed. It was another beautiful moment.
Friday In Xenacoj
Our family arrived home very early this morning from Guatemala. I’m guessing that it might take me a couple of days to get back into the blogging routine and to catch up on some of the things I have missed this week. With that in mind, here are some of the details from our Friday activities in the village of Xenacoj.
Friday In Xenacoj
We drove up to El Calvario this morning to serve 50 of the poorest children in this school which is one of the largest schools in Xenacoj. Hannah and I had been here last year when we hosted a football/sports camp with our high school youth group. I was excited to make a return visit to this school. As soon as we got close to the school, I was amazed to see a brand new roof structure over the soccer field of the school. I’m sure this will be a major help in giving the kids a better place to play.
During our visit, the school was having a huge festival/fundraiser. We fed meals to the kids first. Leanne and our kids each had a chance to share about God’s love for each of the children. From there, we wandered by a couple of classrooms. Leanne and I stumbled upon a classroom full of 18 four and five year old kids without any adult supervision. The kids started running around their classroom screaming when they saw “the Gringos” standing at the door. Soon the young teacher showed up at the door. Leanne and I were able to talk with her about her class and about her training. She definitely has her hands full as she leads this class without any assistants.
We then made it to a playground/courtyard where kids were running around and playing. I ended up playing basketball with some of the kids. It was fun to teach some of the younger students how to bounce pass. Our group of Gringos were clearly a hit with the kids.
We spent most of the afternoon packaging beans and rice and sorting out goodies to give to the widows. We assembled over 150 baskets that included: corn, rice, beans, sugar, ibuprofen, toothpaste, toothbrush, potatoes, soap, oil, granola bar, chocolate, hairbrush, hand sanitizer, Chapstick, t-shirt, and matches. These goodies were all donated by our H.O.P.E. group back home in Pennsylvania. H.O.P.E. stands for helping other people everywhere. Most of our service projects are directed towards local outreach opportunities. The “everywhere” part of our group took on new meaning with these baskets which truly made a difference in the lives of the widows.
After packaging up the baskets, we walked back over to Zuli’s house where we dropped off three bags of beans, rice, and sugar. It was neat to show Dave Sgro and Jeff Spooner the house that Hannah and I helped to build last year. Dave was very interested in building some similar homes in the town in the future.
Friday night, we threw a big party for the widows of the community. We handed out bread, coffee, and ice cream. There were several speeches given by important people in the community. I had an opportunity to share as well. It was an interesting expense having my words translated into both Spanish and Kaqchiquel.
Thursday In Xenacoj (and San Pedro and Santa Clara)
We woke up in the lap of luxury this morning along the rising shores of Lake Atitlan, and we’re now ready for bed back “home” in Xenacoj.
Today featured many amazing things.
We served a meal to approximately 50 children in a school in San Pedro. These kids were very engaging. I went into most classrooms and had a great time talking with the students and teachers. We learned some sad things about the support of the teachers and the school. While we were in San Pedro, we also visited the town Central Park where we wandered into a special education school. We witnessed a few children with pretty significant deformities. Leanne was able to speak French with one of the volunteers at the school. It was an interesting and unexpected stop on our journey.
Before leaving San Pedro, Isaac took a dip in Lake Atitlan. How often can you say you swam in One of the most beautiful lakes I the world. A sad part about the lake is that it is rising several feet each year, and homes are literally being submersed. Local residents are actually hoping for a major earthquake that could help drain some of the water.
On our way back to Xenacoj, we stopped in a town called Santa Clara. Our main purpose for stopping here was to give one of our sick team members a chance for fresh air. What was initially planned as a 15 minute stop turned into a couple of hours as we scoped out the town for future ministry opportunities. It was amazing to watch things fall into place as we ran into a local pastor who shared with us about the town. The details of this,meeting is probably something for another post. It was a clear reminder to me that our detours can sometimes be God’s Devine Appointments.
We are doing well. The adventure and serving opportunities have been incredible.
I expect tomorrow will be a huge day as well.
Stay tuned!