What is your mission?

Is it to spread the gospel or is it just to get married.

And has anyone here been on mission trips, if so, can you share what its like. Thanks would love to know. How do you know when and where you are called?

I think, especially when you're young, you learn where and when you are called by trying out different things and finding what fits you and where you see God move. Done more short term trips than I can count and a good one is not exactly like anything else you'll ever do or attempt. Expect super budget accomodations (like summer camp or other camping or youth hostel), strange but tasty food, to be partially confused most of the time, and to find yourself in situations where you have to figure out a way to do something because you're there and it needs doing. And expect to feel a special connection with the people you're serving once it's over.

Lots of organizations have open teams where anyone from around the country can apply to go on a trip with other people from around the country. Figure out how you'd like to serve and for about how long and take to google to see what opportunities are available (seriously a search about short term missions trips or mission internships should give you plenty of results).

The answer to the first question can be different for different people. But everybody needs to find an answer because it will determine the conditions by which you measure your life as a success or failure.

My mission is to follow the Lord wherever that may be and to glorify His name. If marriage comes, praise the Lord, but it's not my mission.

I've been looking into mission trips, but have never been on one.

What is YOUR answer, am not interested in generalisations, what is YOUR particular mission? Of course everyones answers are going to be different, duh!

Did you require a lot of money or savings to go. Or did someone sponsor you, just wondering. Some churches just dont mention them, its like a mysterious thing only some people go on. i would think they would have just said hey church weve organised a mission trip to this place, everyone who wants to go, sign up here. But never in my 7 odd years of attending church have they ever said this.

Or it they did, it was only for the pastors kids.

My mission seems to be to help those that are unable to help thselves , as much as I can and with Gods help.

My mission is with children mostly encouraging them to read and get into the Bible. Also with adults although it can be harder with adults.

I dont consider going overseas as mission when just going outside my door is going into the mission field.

There's quite a bit of difference between ministering in a country where there's a church in every town and ministering in a country where there are few or no churches and only foreigners are legally allowed to go to church. Also a huge difference between trying to get post-Christian societies re-interested in the gospel and introducing pre-Christian societies to the gospel for the first time.

I'm never going to say that we shouldn't minister to those around us here at home, but too often attitudes of just outside my door is the mission field as much as the other side of the world obscure those differences and can become excuses for people to stay where it's safe and comfortable when God is calling them to more.

Lanolin if you keep deriding what you do not comprehend people are going to stop replying to your posts.

You keep replying but dont bother even answering the question so, its really on you. What is your mission? If you dont have one then you dont need to answer lol. Or just say I dont have one, simple.

Its not safe and comfortable actually. Have you ever minsitered in public schools? So many children are abused in their own homes. By their own families. If we cant address this in our own neighbourhoods then what chance do we have overseas.

Explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before!

Have you been down to the garden lately there is masses of microgoganisms in the soil that nobody has bothered to study.

When we move to Tennessee in about a year my wife is going to start a garden.

Also if you come up with a solution to kauri dieback disease, I am all ears. My theory is people keep polluting the groundwater and holding back fresh by damming it and diverting it away from the roots.

When trees cant access fresh running water, they will slowly die from thirst. The Bible tells us about the needs of trees but people keep ignoring its advice"

People ignore the advise offered in the bible at their own peril. In the new heavens and new earth the trees at the edge of the living water that runs by will produce a new crop of fruit, each one different, for every month of the year. The leaves of the trees will be for the healing of the nations.

I explored missions and did a whole course on it but basically what they told us is that you need lots of money, which the missions board will dole out to you, insurance, and often you will end up just looking after the children of missionaries who are all privately schooled and not actually reaching out to the people of the country you are going.

One of the ladies at church lived in india as part of a missions team and never actually reached out to any indians there. I was like so did you tell others the gospel and have many people convert. And she said no not one. ?! I thought maybe she would have amzaing testimonies of people coming to Christ but she didnt even talk or live amongst any people who were not already christians just her own compound. How can you live like that and say thats mission and just not spread the gospel. . I dont understand that, but thats what happens.

And people on missions boards usually just want people to do admin and send money. Not saying admin isnt important but keeping accounts am not sure that really qualifies as reaching out. Its actually easy to send money, or work for other christians in their own worlds but harder to go yourself and care and be with the people who arent christians. Cos how can they even relate to you if you dont really experience what they experience? I could be wrong though, maybe being a nanny or cook or gardener to privelighed christians childrens overseas is mission...?