Lindsay Hastings

Autumn Payne
3/15/16
The Importance of Foreign Missions (Rough Draft)

Foreign Missions: I believe that foreign missions have the potential to change the world. The true
heart behind missions is a selfless desire to serve. Going on a foreign mission is the choice to go outside
of your comfort zone in order to bless someone else, receiving nothing in return other than the knowledge
that you have made an impact on someone elses life. It is so rare to find this kind of selflessness in the
world. In wealthy countries like this one, we blind ourselves to the brokenness and poverty of the world.
The sad truth is that sometimes there are mission teams that go out to help with selfish ambition. In
these cases many times the mission does more harm than good. For this reason many people have a
negative outlook on foreign missions. Some say its better not to go on short term mission trips at all
because of the many teams that go out only for personal gain. However, I believe that the positive effects
of foreign missions sent out with selfless ambition far outweigh the negative effects of poor teams. In this
essay I am going to discuss a few of the problems that arise with foreign missions. Specifically with short
term mission trips and discuss why I believe that they are worth it in the end.
According to the article (Roots of the Short-Term Missionary 1960-1985 (A brief history of shortterm mission in America (Part 1).) ,Brian Howell.) The history of short-terms missions began in 19461960, after world war II after young men who had seen the world during the war felt a desire to go back
to the countries where they had fought, in the hopes of helping them after the devastation of the war. This
was a small beginning of what is now a very popular part of churches in this day and age.
The first issue I want to address is the issue of unneeded mission trips.
Perhaps the most valid point made against short term mission trips is, that
sometimes these trips do more harm than good if they are put together for the

wrong reasons. In many cases, Americans are so excited by the idea of travel, they
force themselves upon mission organizations in the name of helping others.
According to Paul Jeffrey in his article: short term missions, People are not
excited about sending their dollars off to foreign mission agencies () they want to
do missions themselves. He goes on to say: Latin American churches () have
had to learn how to host North Americans and how to tolerate their often
paternalistic behavior in order to shake money loose. In these situations
Missionaries are made to take their focus off of their goals to facilitate an American
team that wasnt needed in the first place. In I cannot defend short term mission
teams that do this. I can only say that these teams are totally missing the point of a
mission trip. As I said in the first paragraph the heart behind missions is unselfish
service, not tourism. Anyone who goes on a trip with a desire for travel should
reevaluate their motives.
The second problem with short term missions I will discuss is the issue of cost. Depending on the
destination, short term trips can cost from $500-to $5000. For many Americans this is not much of a
problem. The U.S. is a very wealthy country, and most Americans can afford a trip like this. However in
the case of short term mission trips it is very common to raise the money rather than pay the entire sum by
oneself. Full time missionaries also raise support in order to serve abroad because they are not paid for
their service. It is entirely volunteer work. In light of this many people feel that the money raised for
short term missions takes away from the support that full-time missionaries require. (insert information
from missionaries)
Also many people think it would be better for Americans to just send this money to the people in
need. Laura Parker (missionary serving in South East Asia) stated in her blog entitled On Short Term
Missions {Justifying the Truckload of Cash Spent} says that the money raised to fly an entire north
american team overseas is often higher than the yearly salary of the locals in the country of service.

In many cases the Americans come the whole distance just to do work that the locals can do themselves.
(Michelle Acker Perez( missionary in guatemala) in her blog : Things People Never Tell You About Going On a
Short Term Mission Trip.

In response to these things I would say, the beautiful part of missions is the
care and encouragement showed the people of the country being served. Think
about this: Imagine that you are poor. Your endure 12 hours of hard physical labor
every day to provide for your family, and yet it is still not enough to keep your
family out of poverty. You family is always hungry and there is nothing more you can
do to take care of them. Then imagine that one day your work is interrupted by a
vicious earthquake. Everything you have is destroyed and now you can no longer
work to provide for your family because your place of work has been crushed. For
some after the earthquake they no longer have families to provide for.
It is in cases like these that mission teams are at their most important.
Without the aid of organizations that run to help after natural disasters some
countries may never recover. Even with help these organizations send it takes years
for these countries to get back to any kind of normal life.
Though the trips I am talking about are from the church and not from (), there
mission is the same and just as helpful. Like () many churches immediately send
out mission teams when something terrible happens in another country like an
earthquake. Mission teams that go on specific missions like this bring hope and light
into situations where there is none. There is so much apathy in the world to the
suffering around us. There are also many people that care but put the suffering of
the world out of their minds because they think there is nothing they can do. This is
not true! The prosperous countries of this world have the potential to make a

difference. Mission trips is one of the very few America is takes part in to make a
selfless difference.

Bibliography
Interview with Gail Miller
Interview with Josh Howard
Blog: Why Most Mission Trips Are A Waste Of Time, (And How To Make Sure Yours Isn't), By Noel
Becchetti

Blog: On Short Term Missions {Justifying the Truckload of Cash Spent}

by LAURA on MAY 10, 2012

Article: Short term mission trips: Paul Jeffery:

(Roots of the Short-Term Missionary 1960-1985 (A brief history of shortterm mission in America (Part 1).) ,Brian Howell.)

Things no one tells you about going on a mission trip. Michelle Acker Perez.