Three Basic Principles for a Life Changing Mission Trip

So you want to go on a mission trip. That’s great! Where will you go? What will you be doing? Who is coming with you?

What’s that you say? You don’t know? No problem. Here are some tips to help you get started serving sooner:

The first tip -  follow your nose.

Meaning, continue to walk forward with your plans knowing that God is leading you to serve and will lead you to where you need to be.

If you’re not clear on your destination consider a few simple things:

• Do you sense God calling you somewhere specific? Many trips and long-term partnerships were created out of one person feeling called to a specific area of the world! Trust your calling. 
  
  
• Does your church have a long-term connection with a church across the country or across the globe? Connect with that church and see if your presence with them would be encouraging and beneficial to their ministry. Missions are about relationships and partnerships – honor those old relationships.
  
  
• Finally, if you don’t feel a specific call and you have no previous connections, let Praying Pelican Missions help you get connected to a church in the States or internationally so you can start a long-term missions relationship with them. Let us bridge the gap between you and a church in need of partnership.

Second tip?  "Birds of a feather flock together"

Bring others with you! We know that many people go as individuals to serve in missions, but it’s our belief that the more people you bring with you, the better. There are a few reasons for this.

• Each person you bring will also bring with them a unique set of skills and abilities that can be used on your trip. God made each of us distinctly with different giftings, and the Apostle Paul calls us the “body of Christ”. Don’t leave your hands at home, invite more people to join you on your trip!
  
  
• When you share the process of going with a group, everything gets easier. It’s like the old saying goes, many hands make light work; benefits of a group include, easier fundraising, prayer support, more ministry ideas/know-how, and greater impact on your trip.
  
  
• Everything is more enjoyable when you share it with others! There is so much joy in shared experiences, especially when they are as meaningful and fulfilling as going on a mission trip. Don’t miss out on shared memories and stories! Invite friends and family to join you, and enjoy serving together.

Our final tip -  those who can’t bend will break.

Mission trips are about relationships, and relationships aren’t perfect and are not scripted. No matter where you serve, what you plan to do, or whom you’ve brought with you, FLEXIBILITY with your plans is 100% essential for success, and here is why:

• If you’ve never been on a mission trip, just be prepared, things will not always go as planned. If we hold onto our plans too tightly we often miss the better things that God has for us and we lose our cool in the process. One of our staff once said, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken”.
  
  
• Our plans for the trip can be good, but many times other opportunities will arise that we need to be ready to jump into without reservation.  God is already active in the community you briefly stepped into for the week; if you’re not careful, He’ll pull you into the work He’s already been up to.
  
  
• Being flexible is also a practice in letting God soften our hearts, and interrupt our days so we’ll stop and listen to Him. If you’re on a trip and you are suddenly interrupted by a tropical shower but all you can do is fume about how it is ruining your VBS instead of marveling at the spectacular rainbow it creates, then perhaps you’ve lost sight of God’s work around you. Flexibility refreshes your soul.

It’s as simple as that. Keep moving forward, bring others with you and learn how to bend. 

If you follow these basic principles you’ll have a life-changing trip!