Here are five things to do before your short-term mission trip.
As a career missionary and someone who received teams sent teams, led teams, and has been on all types of mission trips.
5 Steps to a successful short-term mission trip start with your day. Taking time to prepare for your mission trip will help you serve, give and share Christ love.
Pray for your trip daily.
You are busy getting ready, raising funds, or just living. But take a little time each day and pray for your trip, team, and those you will serve.
My favorite way to make sure I pray when I am swamped is to set
a timer and pray for that specific request for 5-10 minutes.
What to pray for short-term mission trip:
The Team
Trip-protection, wisdom, opportunities.
Those you will serve and meet.
Research the culture and customs.
Find out a little bit about the culture and customs where you are going. Learning some basics can help you adjust once you get there.
Here is an example: In Japan, on a mission trip, we ate sitting on the floor.
It’s their custom.
So, everyone needed to get up and down from the floor and be able to sit on their knees for long periods.
I was a dance teacher, so it wasn’t a problem for me, but for others, it was awkward. The struggle for them was real.
Learning this beforehand will help you prepare.
Learn some of the language.
Learning some basic greetings can make a difference when you meet people.
It shows you made an effort and care about the people you are going to meet.
If you’re unsure how to pronounce something, ask the host how to say it right.
Here is a list of words to learn:
- Hello
- How are you?
- Goodbye
- Pardon me
- Thank you
- You’re welcome.
- Jesus loves you.
Just a few words can cross the language barrier.
Here is an article about how to cross over the language barrier. How to guide on breaking through language barriers on Missions
There are some fantastic apps where you can learn a language in 10 to 30 minutes daily. Here is an article by Forbes on top learning apps.
YouTube is also a great resource for basics.
The next thing you either start or maintain before a mission trip is physical ability.
It is one of the most important things you need to do, yet it is easily overlooked.
Be able to walk three miles.
I can’t tell you how many times I was on a mission trip, or received teams from that were out of shape.
On one trip we received in Eastern Europe, a team member was so out of shape and had knee problems. We were hiking up a steep mountain with 200 students.
We asked and suggested that anyone with problems stay back and help at the campgrounds.
The team refused and said it was important to accomplish the hike together.
Four people from the team stayed behind to help one person, and another staff member of the host church stayed behind to ensure they were safe.
They were there to serve the students, but it didn’t happen because they put themselves first instead of those they would serve.
Knowing physical limitations is good. This person could have served the students that had to stay behind because of injury and health. There could have been manful conversations. But it didn’t happen.
Being able to walk 3 miles is the bare minimum.
In many countries, you will have to walk a lot on a mission trip. So, good shoes and the ability to withstand the conditions are important.
So, get in physical shape to be able to serve best. Make sure you have appropriate shoes for the trip you are going on.
The next on the five list of thins is one of the most essential parts of any mission trip. Even in life. Flexibility.
Be Mentally Flexible with Plans.
There are so many surprises during any mission trip. One thing that stands out as a good witness is flexibility.
If you are rigid and don’t like change, start practicing being flexible.
It will help you share Christ’s love and help those you are serving.
Some country’s schedules are suggestions, and in others, they are strict rules.
So, being flexible will help you be ready no matter which country you go to.
If you’re not flexible, you will get frustrated.
Here is an example of flexibility. In Japan, after the Tsunami hit in 2011, I went on a relief trip. Our team was cleaning a farm.
In Japan, they were trying to figure out how to recycle all the trash, and daily, the rules changed.
We spent hours sorting trash, only to resort it again the next day. If we had not been flexible, it would have been highly frustrating.
Japan is one of the most structured countries in the world, and yet flexibility was essential during the trip.
If you need practice to become more flexible, here is a good article about how to become flexible mentally.
Well, if you are able to do these five things, I think your trip is going to be amazing.
One that changes the world and changes your life.
Recap of the five things to do before your short-term mission trip:
- Pray for your trip daily.
- Research the culture and customs.
- Learn some of the language.
- Be able to walk 3 miles
- Be mentally flexible
I would love to hear from you about your trip, so please leave a comment and follow us on our socials.
I will leave you with this verse.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 96:3
May your trip be filled with God’s love and blessings.
Here are some related articles to check out as well.
Gift guide for giving great gifts to host on missions