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Ten Mission Trip Land Mines
by Bill Allison
View/Download PDF Version
 We had just put the finishing touches on what I thought was a great summer mission trip. For a number of people in our group, this was their first time on any sort of mission trip, and since I love watching God use first-hand mission experiences to transform lives, I was pumped up.
As our group was saying goodbye to our newly-made friends overseas, I watched a fifteen-year-old girl from our group walk over to a teenage male, a national and friend of the missionary who hosted us. I was sure she just wanted to say farewell to him. But she didn’t say a word. To my total astonishment, she simply walked up to him, put her hands on his shoulders, tilted her head, leaned into him, and gave him a l o n g, s l o w k i s s... a kiss that, from my perspective, seemed to last for an eternity. The young man looked stunned but delighted. (Let’s just say that he didn’t run away crying to his mommy, nor did he file a sexual harassment complaint. He may, however, still be telling the story to his friends some twenty years later.) I, along with the rest of our group, the hosting missionaries, and the other national believers, didn’t enjoy the kiss nearly as much. I felt my heart jump out of my chest and flop hopelessly on the ground in a mixture of blood-boiling anger and deep discouragement.
Talk about missing the point of a mission trip! How could she even think that was in the realm of the appropriate? How could we ever undo the collateral damage of this little but profoundly inappropriate goodbye kiss?
This young girl had stepped on a mission trip land mine. Our group and God’s work in that area of the world paid the price in damage.
Make no mistake about it: On a mission trip, the collateral damage of one small misstep could have a profoundly negative effect on you, your group, and your ministry.
The fact is that there are a lot of mission trip land mines buried just beneath the surface... waiting patiently... for you or someone from your group to make one wrong step. Shouldn’t you know where these land mines are buried so you can avoid stepping on them?
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For a FREE thirteen page PDF download of Ten Mission Trip Land Mines that you are free to share with anyone you know going a mission trip, GO HERE. |
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FREE
Mission Trip Training Resource |
Don ’t head out for that mission trip without first having each person in your group read, Ten Mission Trip Land Mines! It’s a FREE thirteen page PDF download especially for Cadre Connection readers like you. Inside this FREE download, you’ll find:
- Ten mission trip land mines and how you and your team can avoid them.
- A Checklist Covenant that each person can sign.
- A FREE mission trip training session—great for an orientation meeting.
- Recommended training and devotional guide for mission trips.
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To download the FREE thirteen page PDF of Ten Mission Trip Land Mines, GO HERE. |
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Mission trips would be great if it weren’t for the people on the team... |
 Since I’ve been on mission trips where the interpersonal relationships have gotten ugly (our group put the “FUN” in dysFUNctional), I highly suggest that you strategically invest some time in your prefield orientation training those on the team to love God and each other. At a minimum, you’re going to need a devotional guide that will daily encourage and equip those on your team to love God and people in practical, hands-on ways. For this, we suggest Cadre’s One Another Living Guide. This devotional is a journey through the adventure of living out twenty-five “one another” verses in the Bible. (For example, love one another, pray for one another, and encourage one another.) If your mission trip is a ten-day trip, you can start everyone in the devotional guide fifteen days BEFORE you leave... and walk through the last ten “one anothers” as a team while on the mission trip.
For more information or to order online, GO HERE.
Putting the Mission in Missionaries!
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Just for Fun!
Having WAY too much fun with God, students, youth workers, By the Tree, and Cadre at the student ministries conference for the North Central District of the E Free Church of America in Rochester, MN.
Check out THIS FUN VIDEO CLIP and see if you recognize anyone.
Check out WHAT GOD DID.
Plus, something special for those of you who have had a bad day at work recently.
And finally, for those of you who find your hearts just a little too jaded these days, here’s something downright inspiring.
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist this last one... which is sure to put a smile on your face. |
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