The title of this post is a little misleading. There was a plane ticket purchased, a flight spent sitting next to a stranger from another country, a long layover, and--of course--an occasional struggle with that ever-frustrating language barrier. But I didn't go overseas. Last week, I flew with a team on a mission trip to Portland, Oregon. After two trips overseas, it was a bit strange to be on a trip where I didn't need my passport, a visa, and a lot of vaccinations. I'll admit it--it was even difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that I was even on a mission trip. I couldn't believe that I was ON MISSION in a place where most of the population spoke my language (though there were a few hours spent with children who only spoke Spanish, and there was a significant number of Koreans in that city too), there were no crazy foods to be tried, and the culture shock was negligible (actually, it turns out Portland is eerily similar to Austin, and even claims the title of "2nd most hipster city in the country," with Austin not far behind).
We can be honest, all too often the words "sharing the Gospel" and "missionary" are associated with an expedition to some foreign country and conjure up images of brave souls preaching the Gospel in some obscure, alien-sounding language to "unreached people groups." I already admitted it--I fall into the trap of that kind of thinking too. I've spent time hiking to remote villages and struggled to reach out with the love Christ who didn't speak the same language I did. So it's easy to get into the mindset that Gospel-sharing and "missions" are terms you use when you go someplace far away.
So I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: the lesson I learned on this mission trip is that you don't have to go ON A MISSION TRIP to be a MISSIONARY. You're on mission every day. The things we did on that mission trip weren't anything special. We were sent out by a local Baptist church to aid families who were frequently being ministered to by that church. On a particular day, a couple of the girls and I helped manage the "Essentials Pantry;" the church keeps a closet of hygiene products, laundry soap, paper towels, and an assortment of other, well--essentials, and distributes them to several families. On another day, half the team and I cleared brush, vines and trees on a family's property so they could build a fence; meanwhile the other half was next door mowing a lawn for an older man who wasn't able to do it on his own, and they did some brush-clearing too. On yet another day, we did yard work again and cleaned out a garage for a couple preparing to sell the wife's mother's house. On two afternoons, the team split again to go to two different apartment complexes to play games and share Bible stories with children living there (on Sunday the church would come by and pick those same kids up to drive them to church). We took thank-you notes and cookies to community workers in the city. And, everywhere we went, we took opportunities to "notice the invisibles"--meaning, the people that often get ignored. This can include homeless folks, vagrants, the waiter at the restaurant you're eating at, or the person in line behind you at Voodoo Donuts (a Portland staple). We struck up conversations and simply did our best to work God in; and if that couldn't be done, just treat that person like they mattered, as Jesus would have.
So in summary, there was nothing done on this trip that couldn't be done anywhere else, particularly not your own hometown. Any church can start up a homeless ministry; you, yourself at any time can show a random act of kindness to a community worker, your waiter, the person at the checkout counter in a grocery store, or the guy begging for cash at the street corner. Notice the invisibles, anywhere you are. Talk to strangers! It's not that hard. And who knows? You may get to plant a seed in that persons life. God WILL get His Good News out to the world; He doesn't need your help. But you can have the the honor of being a small part in His grand scheme, and it is an honor indeed. And a great place to start is right at home.
"One of the great realities with which we have to deal is the voice of God in this world.....the expression of the will of God spoken into the structure of all things. This Word of God is the breath of God filling the world with living potentiality. The voice of God is the most powerful force in nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power-filled Word is being spoken."
--A.W. Tozer
"Then Jesus came and told His disciples, 'I have been given authority in Heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given to you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"
Matthew 28:18-20
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