As I stood there with a cup of coffee in hand, my friend Michael approached me. The conversation we shared was primarily about the teen devo that had just concluded. We got to a standstill in the conversation and somehow he began telling me about Tanzania. He described the people, the church, the sights, and the opportunities. He then abruptly concluded his dialogue by inviting me to go on his next trip. A thousand things rushed to my mind as I stood there gripping my mug with both hands: I didn’t even know Tanzania was a country prior to our conversation, I didn’t have a passport, I wasn’t vaccinated for a trip like that, I didn’t have the funds, and the trip was only three months away.

Three months later I found myself on a plane that was taking me halfway around the world. The next two weeks were life-changing. I was discovering a life that had been veiled for 22 years. I experienced something that went far beyond my imagination. Here are five quick (not exhaustive) reasons why you should consider mission trips.

1. It will change your view of the biblical text – If you were born and raised in America, then you are very acclimated to the Western mind. However, there is a different mindset when you travel elsewhere. Far too often, people complain how scripture is “outdated.” That’s not the case in other cultures. Experiencing some of these countries will give you a new lens to read scripture through.
2. You will experience a little bit of heaven – One thing we know for sure about heaven is there will be fellowship. Fellowship with God and the saints (Rev. 21). There are Christians in parts of the world that you haven’t ever heard about. When you travel to different places, it brings you in closer proximity of the worldwide brotherhood of saints. To me, there are fewer things more encouraging than knowing I have family in the villages of Tanzania and the jungles of Cambodia. We are not alone in this world.
3. Mutual Encouragement – There aren’t a whole lot of opportunities in life where there is a mutual benefit; meaning it is good for both parties. While joy can be gleaned from service, it doesn’t always guarantee happiness. Sometimes we shun happiness for the sake of striving for joy, but what if you could have both? There is great joy and happiness that takes place when you build bonds with Christians around the world. Paul talks of this in Romans 1:12.
4. It will remove the “comfy box” – I had a very good list of reasons why I shouldn’t have gone on that first trip. A journey to a different part of the world forces you to expand your horizon of comfortability. Jesus could have very easily avoided the discomfortable region of Samaria, but He didn’t (John 4). Jesus could have commissioned the apostles to preach only in their areas, but He didn’t (Acts 1:8). While yes, our backyard is a mission field, sometimes a trip outside of your “comfy box” is good for the soul and the souls around you.
5. It will build your relationship with God – This is without a doubt one of the most influential aspects of a mission trip. Want to learn how to pray? Put yourself in a situation where you absolutely have to rely on God to get you through. Want to learn how to study? Engage in a conversation where a person is starving for truth and you have to lean on your biblical knowledge to navigate the dialogue. Want to learn how to better your attitude? Observe how people who have nothing can smile and sing because they know their ‘nothing’ will turn into everything.

I went home after Michael invited me to Tanzania and I researched the country. I learned that it was a beautiful country in East Africa and home to iconic places like Kilimanjaro and Meru. I obtained my passport which would eventually allow me to make future trips back to Tanzania, Israel, and Cambodia. I reached out to some congregations that I knew and was blessed by their support and encouragement to go to on a mission trip. Three months turned out to be a perfect amount of time for me to gather my travel gear and purchase the tickets. God took my excuses and turned them into exclamations of His presence.

Tyler King