Craig Boyer, Japan Short-Term Mission Trip Leader
Think of a moment in your life, something significant that brought about dramatic change to you and how you live out not only your life, but your faith.
OK, got it? When you think of that moment, what about that moment in time… whether a season in life or a passing moment that made that time so significant. What was it about that moment that shook you to your core and caused a great awakening in you and how you walk with God? What in you had to break wide open for you to come to full realization that God is so much bigger then what we actually make Him out to be?
I think one of my favorite parts about the whole “Short Term Trip” experience is actually the months before we even leave Indiana. It’s the phone calls inviting someone to join us in Japan, the prayers, the meetings… all of it. To see what might possibly be stirring in the hearts of an individual. If you know me, you know I have a tremendous passion for Japan. No, not the country… it’s the people. It’s in the moment, that I get that, “yes, I’d love to go to Japan”, that’s where the excitement begins for me.
Admittedly, the Japan trip used to be about promoting a “passion for Japan”. “Casting a vision” if you will about the desperate need to show and communicate the love of Jesus to a country that is so desperate for it. But, that’s not the purpose of these trips. I’ve discovered that it not about where you go, whether it’s Italy, Ethiopia, Haiti, Rwanda, Guatemala… it’s about experiencing God in a way that stretches you beyond your own borders--personally and spiritually. A short-term trip actually has very little to do with the destination, but more so of the ultimate purpose behind it. A long-term transformation in the life of the short-term team members.
So, why did I ask you to think of that moment that brought about significant change in your faith? Because it’s that type of moment that you can experience and see how God is working in other parts of the world. One of my favorite questions upon returning to the states, is “so, how westernized is your Jesus now?” When we see the broken, when we talk to the homeless, when we care for the sick, when we talk to the widows, when we hug the lonely, when we walk with families… it’s in that moment, that God begins His work in us. It’s in that moment, that He no longer cares where you are serving… because whether it’s Japan, Haiti, Tennessee or in our backyard, we are carrying out his purpose in it all. If you’re seeking out, that “long term transformation” or perhaps that significant moment in your life to live out your faith with radical change… a short-term trip, just might be what you need, what God needs to show you, and others his great love. To learn about upcoming short-term trips at Grace, CLICK HERE.