A Beginner's Guide to Short-term Missions

By Sammie Jo Barstow

One phone call from my church's missions pastor was enough to plunge me into a mixture of heart-stopping fear and wild excitement.

"We're making plans for next year's mission trips, and I wanted to talk with you about your availability to go. What do you think?"

Me? What did I think? Well, here's what I think: I have no skills. I'm too old. I'm out of shape for physical work. It would be too hot. Or maybe too cold. I might faint. I haven't been to seminary. I don't know enough. I don't do children, you know. Me? I'm a first-class wimp!

What I actually said, in my weakest little voice, after a couple of big gulps, was: "Well, I dunno. Tell me more."

He told me a lot, and then I heard someone using my voice say, "Yeah, well, yeah, I think I might could, uh, maybe go."

I decided to poll my friends. "What," I asked them in one of those obnoxious email messages addressed to a whole herd of people, "do you wish you'd known before you went on your first mission trip? What do I need to know before going?"

Their answers were incredible. Of course, some items were on everyone's list, and some were unique. Being a compulsive list maker, I began writing.

1. Learn about the culture. This was high on almost every list. It would seem obvious on an international trip, but what about stateside? Still important, they said. There's a definite difference in culture between inner-city Detroit and Slapout, Alabama. Think about Native American missions, ethnic communities, geographic differences. Do your homework, my friends said.

2. Know as much as possible about religious attitudes and traditions-especially if you're going to minister in an ethnic community. The trip my pastor proposed was discipleship with the women in a newly-planted inner-city church with a large ethnic population. Although we wouldn't need a passport for our journey since we'd never leave the United States, he assured me religious traditions were still important to this community of new believers as they took their first Christian baby steps. I would also want to be prepared to witness to non-Christians, of course, and knowing about their beliefs would help me be more effective.

3. If the people you're serving speak another language, learn at least enough phrases to be friendly. "You're not going 'til next year, for Pete's sake," said one friend. "Study the language! You won't be sorry."

4. Pack sufficient health and hygiene items to last the duration of the trip-hand sanitizer, tissues, cough drops, nausea and diarrhea medication, sunscreen, band-aids, pain reliever and hydrogen peroxide for cuts and scrapes. My friends pointed out that, even though these could be obtained at a local store, I would waste precious ministry time making trips to buy items on an as-needed basis.

5. Try to determine what age group you'll be working with and what your assignment will be. By knowing ahead of time, you can plan object
lessons and recreation activities to fit appropriate age groups. Plan to take little novelty items for the children or hygiene items for the adults.

6. If possible, you may want to ship ahead bulky items you'll be using. This, they say, works only if you have a local pastor or missionary contact where you're going. Renting or borrowing a pull-along trailer or a passenger van is another option.

7. Take water and snacks. In a few areas, local water may not be purified or simply may not be available. One friend told me about getting stuck somewhere for several hours without water or snacks. He recommended bottled water, peanut butter crackers and dried fruit.

8. Take a towel, washcloth and bar of soap. Facilities may be minimal in some locations. Also, several people told me about mission trips where they were housed in a local church's fellowship hall, using cots or sleeping bags supplied by church members. Even if you stay in homes of church members, they'll appreciate your thoughtfulness in bringing your own toiletries.

9. Get a short haircut before you leave to make everything simpler if you find yourself in one of those minimal-facilities situations. (This tip was from a male friend!)

10. Don't over-pack. No one cares if you wear the same things over and over. Maneuvering through airports, trains, buses or by pack mule will be much easier with less baggage.

11. Take a journal, and write every day. You may think you're too tired at the end of the day, but if you don't write it down in sequence, you'll forget the small details. A journal also will help you remember names or keep contact information about friends you make along the way.

12. Take more film than you think you'll ever need, and take extra batteries, too. If you shoot digital, you might want to take an extra memory card.

13. Take a few small, lightweight gifts. Some people will endear themselves to you-interpreters, local pastors, church members, children-and you might want to say a special thanks to a few of them with a gift or card.

14. Keep safety in mind at all times. Depending on where you are, it may be a good idea not to venture out alone but go with another team member or local person. On the flip side, take full advantage of visiting an unfamiliar area-even if you stay on the North American continent, you may be surprised to discover the amazing amount of diversity within the borders of the United States and Canada. Take in as much as you can with the time you have. Enjoy the music, eat the food, see the sights and soak up the culture. 

15. Finally, all my pals told me that re-entry into their day-to-day lives was extremely difficult. One would think that days of rough travel, inconveniences, bugs and insects, things that smell, hard work and maybe less than wonderful food would make anyone grateful to be home, but it doesn't seem that easy. One friend recommended reserving a day or two after you return to stay close to home, have some time to think about your trip and examine how the experience has impacted your life.

I think my friends might have thought I'd be ready to bail out after all this information. Actually, their passion did just the opposite. I'm signing on.

Now, where does that missions class meet?