Missions has always been part of my life as long as I can remember. I grew up in the Nazarene church and I remember reading missionary books that came out every year about missionaries around the world. It was fascinating to me how you could so easily see God working in the lives of those called to work in other countries. Then, there were the stories of those coming to believe in God because someone answered the call to leave this country and go beyond what they knew as their norm. How wonderful, I would think, and then I would get sad because I knew I was not called to do that. I would not be able to know the experience of impacting others’ lives in that way.

If you are reading this blog, then you most likely live in the United States and have not been called to be a missionary in another country. Welcome to my world! Yet, as I wrestled with the fact that I was not called to be a missionary, I felt a deep impression that I was to support those who were called: with my prayers, my finances, and my actions. This began my getting involved with sharing the stories from the missionary books and magazines I would read. The telling of the stories helped to ignite passion in others’ lives for missions.

Going to another part of the world, especially a third world area, makes you:

• get out of your comfort zone
• realize we are all people and not really that different from each other
• come face-to-face with how much we have and how much we take for granted
• reset your priorities
• love people as God loves them

There is nothing like a missions trip, a time where you serve others, to help you reset your life and how you think. It will expand the way you think about the rest of the world for the rest of your life. Those far away countries will have names and faces now instead of just a picture on a map. You’ll put hearts and souls with them and not just random numbers and facts. Your ability to pray for their needs will pull at your heart’s strings in a more tangible and real manner. Your faith will come alive when you see how others with so much less than you can be fully content with where they are placed in life; they don’t need stuff to complete them.

This past week, our girls both left to go on their first international missions trip. I know it will be a powerful time in their lives as well as those on the team. I’m excited for them to be able to experience all of the above! I can’t wait to hear their stories of how God used them and how God used others there to strengthen their relationship with Him.

If you’ve been on a missions trip, I would love to hear what it was that you learned. What changed in your life? What was the biggest impact you had from your trip? Any act of service can have an impact on you. Can’t afford the time or money to go internationally? Take a day each week or month to volunteer to the homeless, take a meal to an elderly couple or do their shopping for them, or tutor a child and help them love to learn again.

Missions is about serving. Serving is about loving. Loving is about God. Our God is missional!

© 2017 Susan M. Sims

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