May 2018 Branches_web

SOUTHWOOD
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Why Short-term Missions?
by Ron Clegg
The answer to this question depends on whether you want to
remain as you are, or be forever different. Back in the early 90’s, a
semi-retired missionary became a part of my church. He regularly
traveled to Russia to supervise a team of missionaries there. One
day, I had the audacity to ask if I could join him on his next trip. He
happily said yes, and I have not been the same since.
What happened on that trip? There were too many things to
mention in this short piece, but I’ll give you a few of the most
impactful. First, Russia was so different from any place I had ever
been. The language was so foreign that I could not even pronounce
the letters in their alphabet. It was a country that possessed rich
natural beauty contrasted with a very broken society. Life was
hard there, much more than what I had ever known.
Second, though life was hard, new life was growing. I preached at
the worship service of a new church plant. That service lasted for
about two and a half hours, had two sermons, poetry, and songs
that musically I recognized. These believers were worshipping the
same God, dependent on the same Bible, and trusting the same
Savior that I was, but also worshipping in different forms than what
I commonly practiced. It was a remarkable experience. My vision
of the Christ’s church grew exponentially that day.
Thirdly, I saw cities with half a million people that had fewer than
a dozen evangelical churches, and many of those churches were
badly dysfunctional. In this spiritually dark place, the options for
people to hear the Gospel were terribly few. At that time, I lived in
a small county in south Georgia with a population of about 35,000
that had over 65 churches. And I was planting a new church. I
had access to endless resources and support, while these Russian
pastors knew so little of the Gospel they were attempting to
proclaim and were fighting battles for which I had no boxes. After
this experience I had a hard time justifying the course I had set
for my life.
Maybe the biggest impact came from the fact that I was totally out
of control. I was traveling through a very “foreign” country with
a traveling companion who was naively fearless, taking me places
that neither of us knew anything about. My itinerary continued to
change from day to day. I traveled with one carry-on bag with the
essentials for almost three weeks. I could not leave the building
where I stayed in fear of getting forever lost, because I could not
pronounce even the street name, and all the buildings looked
exactly alike. But I lived to tell about it. I saw the Spirit work in my
fearful heart showing me He was more than enough. Even there
in Russia, God was at work.
I did little actual ministry, but the Spirit did much in me. On that
trip, a barb got under my skin that would not come out. My heart
was hooked with the fresh first-hand knowledge of these dear
people, because I was willing to venture out into and experience
the unknown and witness the work of God. My heart ached to see
the Gospel come to this needy place.
This is what can happen on a short-term trip. So, be careful. If you
go, you might not ever be the same.
4 MAY 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG