5 Things That Made Our Mission Trip Awesome
Last week, we returned from a mission trip to Sucúa Ecuador. It was probably the most rewarding student trip I've ever led or been a part of.
Here are 5 things that made our mission trip so special:
I. Discipleship Moments
Nothing opens up the door to one-on-one discipleship moments like a mission trip. This year, I decided to take a more intentional approach to getting those conversations started. I shared a devotional every morning after a brief time of worship. The whole morning session lasted under 45 minutes. It really set the tone for the whole week.
II. Times of Celebrating Each Other
I really wanted to create some opportunities for our team to build each other up. So every night before bed, we spent about 30 minutes celebrating the wins of the day and celebrating each other. Gifts were exchanged and tears were shed. It was awesome! At the end of a long day, another team meeting could sound like a real pain. However, these times were some of my favorite from the trip.
III. Great Missionaries
The Richardsons, the missionary family we worked with in Ecuador, MADE the trip for us. The stories, inside scoops, and history they provided made our trip come alive! Not to mention they knew all the best places to visit and eat! Having missionaries who are skilled at receiving incoming teams is a must have for a great missions experience.
IV. Times of Worship With The Team
The corporate times of worship we experienced as a team were incredible! All we had to work with was an acoustic guitar, some maracas, and our voices. However, I wouldn’t trade those moments with a stripped down worship set for all the camp and conference settings we’ve experienced in the past!
V. Opportunities To Stretch
Whether it was our students engaging in intense manual labor, moments of stepping into the spotlight, loving on kids, or serving our missionaries behind the scenes, this mission trip pushed our team into moments where we had to stretch past our comfort zones and into new experiences that we otherwise wouldn’t have.