Ok so now I'll talk about missions overseas. Well, mostly I'll talk about the two mission trips I've taken outside the country, and from my experience maybe give a little advice that may or may not help if you're considering a mission trip to another country. And I'll begin at the beginning.
In July of 2009, I applied to go on mission to Tokyo, Japan. When I was accepted, I was both excited and slightly terrified. I'd never been outside the country before, and the trip cost about $6,000. I had no idea where I was going to get the money, but I was determined to go. I had one year to raise the money, and I can say that without the very generous (and patient) members of my church, there's no way it would have been done. I designed and sold t-shirts, baked and sold pies, sold over 200 breakfast tacos in my church courtyard (and a few at school), held a 5k race, and anything else I could think of. By April I had the full amount I needed. When the date of the trip rolled around, I had no idea what to expect, but I was SO EXCITED!
After a 14 hour flight, my team and I landed at Tokyo airport. Thanks to jet lag, we were dead tired. We took a train from the airport to the International Hostel (I slept the whole way). My first impression of Tokyo was that it was so clean. Public areas in the States aren't usually filthy, but you can expect some litter on the street, or maybe a dirty table every now and then at a restaurant, but in Tokyo everything is squeaky clean. You could lick the sidewalk if you wanted to (though somebody would probably get upset and disinfect it).
My team and I spent each night at the International Hostel, where you could expect flat pallet beds, a hot shower, and toast, eggs and.....salad? for breakfast. Salad with your choice of dressing--not kidding. After breakfast each morning, we left the hostel to go to church at a Christian school a short train ride away. It was the only Christian school around, so we prayed every day that it would get to stay there and give kids a Christian education. From there we went to our assigned part of the city where we would do our mission work.
Our main goal as volunteers was to make friends with the Japanese people. To get the significance of this, you've got to understand that depression and suicide are a pretty big epidemic over there. Because of the Japanese emphasis on bringing honor to the family, there's a lot of pressure on Japanese young people to be successful in their endeavors. A LOT of pressure. You think you stress a lot about school? Imagine growing up in a culture of zero individuality, and your whole purpose in life is to have a successful career and contribute to the good of society. There's a Japanese saying that goes, "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." In other words, disappear into the humming machine of society. For them, not getting into a good school or failing to find a career basically means you're worthless. So, feeling dejected and depressed, many people take their own lives. 80 people a day. Not joking. It's a horrible way to live, only finding worth in work or school, and, not surprisingly, people can't handle it anymore so they end it all.
So simply making friends with the Japanese people doesn't seem as superficial now, does it? We literally stood on the street and talked to anyone we met. Well, actually, we offered free 5-minute English lessons. The Japanese LOVE to practice their English, even though most of them are really good at speaking it. But when we "practiced" with them, we asked questions like, "What do you like to read?" or "What do you like to do?" and when they asked the question back, we would talk about the Bible, or church. That opened up potential for a discussion, and we could share the Gospel. More than that, though, they received exclusive attention from a complete stranger. Once I was able to talk to someone, I asked their name, where they go to school, what they like to do with their free time, and when, the opportunity came, I explained the Good News of Christ. Most had never heard of Jesus before, and that He died for them. It was unthinkable! They could not believe that somebody could love them, individually, regardless of what they did or whether they were rich or successful, and that He willingly died for them. I remember vividly when a man, when He heard of Jesus and what He did for him, started crying. I'd never seen a man cry before.
I hate to admit it, and I'm sure many Christians will agree, but I've taken the Gospel for granted. It's the curse of growing up in church. When you're old enough to speak you learn to recite John 3:16, and the story of the crucifixion loses it's weight and terror. Then I spoke to people who'd never read a Bible before or even heard of sin or that there was a payment to be made for it--and it blew my mind. I felt so convicted for EVER taking my salvation for granted.
We also visited the temple in Asaksa, and it was there that God reminded me just how powerful He is. It was the largest Buddhist temple in Japan. Outside the temple are two stations. One is a pot filled with water that people ladle out and drink, to purify their insides. The other is an incense burner where people waft the fumes over themselves to purify their outsides before entering the temple. Inside and outside the temple were dozens of statues--some dressed in clothes so they don't get cold at night. I was reminded of Isaiah 40:18-31, which compares the mightiness of God to idols. But what was made painfully clear was that idols aren't always statues of people or gods, like you could find anywhere in Tokyo. Money, academic success, your job--any of those things could be an idol. Just like the statues in Japan, that material thing you're worshiping is worthless until you give it worth. A stone statue is just a statue until it's dressed up.
If you're thinking of going overseas, remember to keep your mind open. I was prepared to go in like Mother Teresa, or Lottie Moon, and teach the Japanese the good news of Christ, and instead I was smacked in the face with how eagerly the Japanese soaked up everything I'd been taking for granted most of my life. It happened again when I went to Bolivia. Knowledge of salvation, unconditional love, having a deeply personal God--since I'd become a Christian those things had just kind of settled into the back of my mind and I hadn't really given them another thought. That sounds really horrible, but it's true. Other things like church, having a Bible handy whenever I want it, I'd taken those for granted to. I pray that I never take any of it for granted again. As Christians in America, I think that tends to happen. But God will remind you--it may not be with a trip to the other side of the world, but one way another you will be reminded, and you'll never look at the Gospel the same way again.
"'To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal?' asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? We brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you not heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth."
Isaiah 40:25-28
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