Why do I do it?

I don't want to come across as harsh, because I know that people really don't know better. But I don't take young people on missions trips so they will realize how good they have it at home. I'm sorry, but I always have to take a deep breath and force myself to smile when someone makes that comment to me. I wonder, are we so shallow and self centered that we must go to a poor third world country and gaze with pity on those poor unfortunates so we can feel better about our house or car?

The reason I take young people on mission trips is so they will see how much bigger God is than they ever imagined. I often say that there are three stages someone can reach when they go on a mission. Number one happens right away. It is the "we have so much and they have so little" stage and it usually manifests itself really quickly in the evening devotion/debrief. It really doesn't mean anything and will go away quickly when the person returns to normalcy. They are just shocked at their first glimpse of poverty meaning something more than being forced to drive a Kia instead of a Honda.

If someone reaches stage two, I feel that there has been a major breakthrough. This is the "God can do great things without a lot of stuff" stage. This is the stage that recognizes that God moves in the lives of people without high tech projection systems, ipods, or even concert quality worship music. They see that God moves in a mighty way in hot churches with lousy sound systems blasting out unintelligible words and songs we don't know. They meet believers who are sold out to a God who doesn't help them find a good parking spot at the mall, but does deliver them from bandits or terrorists as they go to previously unreached villlages.

Very few reach stage three. I have met career missionaries who I don't think have reached stage three. But someone who reaches stage three will have an awesome and abundantly fruitful life for the Kingdom of God. Stage three is "Stuff is nothing. God is everything."

I hope I find a stage four.