So you want to go on a mission trip…

Mission trips appeal to many people. Why? Is it the opportunity to travel… the chance to serve fellow mankind… An opportunity to hang out with like-minded people… to serve one’s God? Perhaps it is a combination of all of the above. One thing is certain, those individuals fortunate enough to go on a mission trip return home forever changed.

Today, I want to share my thoughts on how to go about selecting a mission trip to go on. There are A LOT of options out there when someone really starts looking. I will share how I got started and some of my experiences along the way.

My father is a retired eye doctor. Early in his career he had donated money for mission work. He later found out the money he had donated was mismanaged and did not end up helping those for whom he had intended it for. As he reflected on that experience he realized that he could give his time and his talents and know that people were being helped. So, that is how my father got started in short-term medical missions. He has been on so many short-term mission trips he has lost count… but it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 trips.

His passion for helping others has spilled over to my siblings and I. He felt that it would be a good experience for us to be exposed to other cultures and to see first hand the poverty and need that is still prevalent in many parts of the world today. He felt that a good age for us to go was as eighth graders and then again as seniors in high school.

So it was, as an eighth grader, having seen my older sisters go and return from their trips that I eagerly went on my first trip with my father to Honduras. We went with a medical mission group called Christian Medical Dental Society (CMDS) and provided medical care to the people of Honduras. This was a two week long trip and our in-country host was the Dole Pineapple Company. I was super excited to be going. I had seen my sisters go, and return from their trips with many entertaining and colorful stories. Plus, I really wanted to see the pineapple trees!

Imagine my dismay to realize that pineapples do not grow on trees. To hear my dad tell it… he says, I stared at the fields for a while before saying, “I am gonna get those girls!” Come to think of it… I still owe them!

I was assigned to the dental portion of the team and assisted wherever, and however, I could. There was some super-crazy pathology. Roots from the teeth were BIG! I remember one young guy who had a root that extended from one side of the mouth around the gum line to the other side of the mouth. It was rotten and infected and the dentist ended up removing it. We had to pack the mouth with gauze and kept him there for awhile to make sure he was okay. Crazy pathology! The dentist did not do many fillings… mostly it was extracting rotten teeth. I guess it is not a good idea to suck on sugarcane and never brush your teeth. That trip was a life-changing experience: I realized how blessed I was, how much need there is in the world and what true gratitude looks like! I also had a new appreciation for my toothbrush.

My family went to Honduras for quite a few years. But that was my one and only trip with CMDS. In the early 1990’s, my parents were invited to go to rural Guatemala with a dentist and his wife to ascertain the need and possibility of doing some short term medical mission work there. They found a definite need and the opportunity. The next year, my father and I returned with a larger group which provided dental and eye care, built shelters for widows and interacted with a missionary in the area. We did a pretty good job of meeting some of the needs of the people in Chajul, a village in the Guatemalan Highlands, who were just starting to recovery from a bloody civil war. Later medical teams to Guatemala were with a group called Helps International which was formed by the leader of those early trips.

So… that is a summary of how I got started going on Medical Mission Trips. What should you do if you think you are interested in going on a (medical) mission trip? Consider and pray over three things: (1) Where should I go on my trip? Are you being called to go to any one particular place? Some suggest praying over an open map. Others, like my parents, received an invitation to join a group. (2) What should I do on the trip? Consider your talents. There a lot of skills required to make a trip a success. In my case, the group I go with staffs a fully functional hospital for one week. We need all kinds of people to make that happen. From the medical staff to the kitchen workers… everyone is important to the success of the team. (3) When should I go on my trip? Think about your life stage and current commitments. You will need to budget some time to prepare. Also, what is the environment like during the time you are considering: Is it the rainy season which will make travel more difficult or impossible?

Seek the advice of others. Your decision to go on a mission trip is probably not an individual one. Who is going to support you while you are gone? Will you have family or neighbors taking care of , or keeping an eye on, your residence while you are gone? Do you have a team of people that will pray for you or support you financially? Do you know someone who has gone on a trip before? Can this person be used as a mentor to ask questions of and bounce ideas of off?

Do some research. What are the beliefs of the group? What is their vision statement? What preparation and training is necessary? Different teams have various levels of training and preparation for your short term trip. Look for an organization that will help you with logistical support, safety and security, and cultural awareness. Are there any required vaccinations? Is there a post-trip debrief? This can be helpful in processing your experiences.

Make a decision and apply. Even after going through all the previous steps listed above you may feel uncertain about going on the trip you selected. Don’t let this paralysis you from going. If everything is falling into place – just apply. If you are meant to go on a particular trip, my experience has been that it will happen!