{"id":50,"date":"2009-05-12T20:47:38","date_gmt":"2009-05-12T20:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/umafrica.org\/v1\/?p=50"},"modified":"2009-05-12T21:02:28","modified_gmt":"2009-05-12T21:02:28","slug":"mission-trip-how-to-get-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/umafrica.org\/v1\/?p=50","title":{"rendered":"Mission Trip – How to get ready?"},"content":{"rendered":"

SPIRITUAL READINESS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You are not only going into another culture to talk about<\/strong> Christ; you are going to be<\/strong> Christ. The people in the country where you serve will associate your behavior, attitude and character with that of Jesus. It is not enough simply to talk about Christ; you need to imitate Him. Becoming like Christ\u2014being conformed to Him in mind, in faith and in action\u2014will not happen during a Bible-study cram session the week before your trip. It takes time, discipline and your willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart and shape you into the image of Christ.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 If you don\u2019t already have a consistent time during the day when you meet with God, commit yourself now to daily Bible study and prayer. As you spend time reading the Word of God and seeking the face of God in prayer, intimacy will follow. Find an accountability partner that will take you to task when you miss your time with God. Realize that while church attendance and involvement in a campus ministry are vital to your spiritual growth, they will not adequately prepare you for your mission. You must learn to meet with God individually as well as corporately.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 Life on the mission field is demanding physically, spiritually and emotionally. While you are in\u00a0your home country\u00a0you have several support systems\u2014your family, your friends, your campus ministry, your church, your faith\u2014to lean on when your emotional and physical reserves are spent. You can\u2019t pack up your family and friends and take them with you to the mission field. You can\u2019t run to them when you\u2019ve had a rough day on the job, when you disagree with your supervisor, when you are baffled by cultural differences, when you are frustrated by another team member. But you can lean on Christ.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 Begin depending on Christ now. He should be the first support you lean on, not the last. His strength is sufficient to meet every need you have, however deep, however immediate. Remember Zechariah 4:6
\n\u201c\u2019Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,\u2019 says the Lord Almighty\u201d (NIV).<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Work through the Bible study, God\u2019s Heart for the Nations,<\/strong> to help you understand God\u2019s passion for all nations<\/strong> to worship Him. We also included a list of topics matched with Scriptures that can help you prepare for your mission.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAs the days changed, so did our transportation. We were now riding on a tractor. A tractor here is sort of a glorified rototiller with a truck bed. It chugged and ached its way above
\nthe river below. We passed 6,000-foot mountains, white clouds resting on the ridges. There were occasional pines and rhododendron. Fingers of fog began careening through the gullies, and soon we were enveloped by fog and rain. As we rode along, we sang songs of praise to The Most High, exalting His name among mountains and nations, which have seldom
\nheard such praise.
\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI learned much about leadership on this journey.
\nUsually when leading a group I can prepare them for what to expect next, what the day might look like. I know where water is likely to be and where we might stay. After three days on the
\ntrail, I knew this would not be the case. I WAS PERSONALLY BROUGHT TO THE END OF MYSELF<\/strong>. All the guys felt the same. We came to our end. IT WAS THERE THAT THE TRIP REALLY BEGA<\/strong>N. We relied on God for everything. We needed water, food and a place to stay. Where did He want us to go next? Where were the people that He had already spoken to? We asked Him to lead us, and He did.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Russell Taylor –\u00a0Student summer missionary to East Asia<\/p>\n

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TALKING ABOUT GOD<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 One of the most significant elements of spiritual readiness for the mission field is your preparation for evangelism. You should be ready to share not only about what God has done in your life in the past but also about what God is doing in your life in the present. You should be able to share a brief testimony addressing how you became a Christian, the impact of faith on your life and the plan of salvation in less than five minutes. Sound impossible? It can be done. Refine your testimony until you are covering only the essentials. You should avoid talking about smoking, drinking, divorce, money, the cost of the trip or how God provided money for the trip. Try not to use familiar, but often confusing, expressions like \u201cwashed in the blood of the Lamb.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0 If you have never composed your testimony, consider structuring it this way:<\/strong><\/p>\n