The first activity when planning any mission trip, whether you are walking across the street or flying across the ocean, is prayer. We must call on the Holy Spirit for guidance.
When planning an overseas mission trip, the thought of missing a flight is worrisome. If our team misses one connection, we could be stranded for days, and this has happened. All of our tedious planning of the 10-day schedule unraveled. I’ve learned that I must trust God to direct every step, and take care of every small detail. He will ensure that I arrive at the proper destination at the proper time.
On our first mission trip to Africa, our flight to Atlanta was delayed, we were re-routed to Detroit, and missed our connection in Paris. Nothing went as planned and the team was stranded in Paris on New Year’s Eve in 2011. I’ll never forget our surprise when we noticed the name of my sister’s hotel room in Paris was called The African Suite. From the moment I read the name of her suite, I knew we were in the right place.
Because of our delays, our schedule was thrown out and we arrived at village A on a different day than planned. A businessman named Baashear accepted Chris that day. He was visiting relatives who invited him to hear our message. If we had been able to maintain our original schedule, he would have missed hearing about God’s plan for salvation.
Village A is close to the Mali border and because of civil unrest, it has not been possible for American missionaries to return since our visit. But a small clutch of national believers continues to meet and to share the gospel with their neighbors. The national believers can travel to our missionaries for Bible study and discipleship training. Christianity is spreading in village A, and I pray that Baashear is growing in his faith.
Prayer is the key to mission work, and it is the key to our daily lives. We can do nothing without God. I hope prayer is the first and the last thing you do each day. I pray that Christians in America are sharing the name of Jesus with others. There are about 13,000 people in my community that don’t attend a church on Sunday mornings. I don’t have to travel to Africa to find people who need to hear about Jesus, I can walk down my country road to my neighbor, but first, I need to pray.
Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
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