When I committed my life to missions at age 16, I wanted to conquer the world for Christ. On-campus ministry at a secular university and seminary studies nourished that dream. Throughout my journey, I invested in church communities that taught me the importance of deep fellowship, sound theology, and consistent outreach.
I spent most summers on short-term mission trips. Locations spanned from refugee camps to remote villages to large cities. My passport stamps included nations as distant and distinct as India, Albania, France, and Ethiopia, to name a few. I was intense, and that worked. Because I had no family to care for, no daily life responsibilities to worry about, and no household to manage. I was passionate about everything I set out to do. And I had all the time in the world for ministry.
When my husband and I joined Crossworld, I assumed our life and ministry in Senegal would be every bit as thrilling. In fact, I thought it would be even better, because I’d be staying long-term. It would be like one big, extended summer mission trip. Except it wasn’t like that at all. It turns out short-term trips are nothing like long-term missions.
That doesn’t mean such trips are bad. They can be of great value. I would never have become a full-time missionary had I not taken part in shorter stints. But these forays into cross-cultural ministry can also lead to misguided expectations. Below are four lessons I learned that I hope might help you avoid the same frustrations I faced when I was new to the field.
1. Accept That Managing Daily Life Takes Energy
While on short jaunts abroad, I received practically everything I needed from my host family. They looked after my lodging and meals. I didn’t have to worry about finding a plumber to fix my busted toilet or a mechanic to repair my broken-down car. I possessed neither. Plus, I rarely got sick. When I did, my hosts ensured I received the best medical care.
I didn’t have a spouse and children to care for. I was responsible only for myself. Paradoxically, while I was entirely dependent upon others to meet my every physical need, I was at the same time entirely free to focus on ministry.
Life on the field long-term as a wife and mother was another story. Preventing and treating tropical diseases with small children presented an ongoing challenge for my husband and me. Simply living—along with learning how to do basic tasks in a new culture—took the majority of my time and energy. And this reality became a huge source of frustration for me.
2. Choose a Sustainable Lifestyle
The austere conditions I lived in during short trips added to the adventure of it. I not only endured “roughing it” but thrived doing so. I had falsely believed my lifestyle would be much the same when I relocated overseas for good.
But sleeping on an inflatable mattress under a roof infested with predatory creatures isn’t sustainable for a family of four. We needed certain comforts for the sake of our well-being and longevity on the field.
3. Take Time to Transition
On short stints, I jumped into active ministry the moment I arrived. But if we tried to run at that pace for the long haul, we’d burn out and cause harm to others in the process. Long-term effectiveness requires learning the language, becoming part of the culture, and building trusted relationships. All of these take not months but years of investment.
4. Re-evaluate Fruitfulness in Ministry
During my short-term mission trips ranging from 10 days to five months, I conducted kids’ camps, led women’s Bible studies, taught English as a second language, evangelized door-to-door, and witnessed entire households put their faith in Christ. I expected a similar level of productivity and fruitfulness when I relocated to Senegal.
What I discovered instead was that my previous trips were designed to cram as much ministry into as short a period as possible. What works for two weeks isn’t realistic long-term. If I had stopped long enough to ask, any of the missionaries who hosted me could have told me this.
Conclusion
My husband and I have learned invaluable lessons on our missions journey that began in 2007, and we’re more effective disciple-makers today as a result. If you sense the Lord leading you to cross-cultural ministry, I hope these words will serve as a signpost for you of what may lie ahead. My wish is not to discourage you, but to help you prepare for what awaits you. Yes, the road will be bumpy. And when you face the same dissonance I did, know that it’s normal. Most of all, my prayer is that the enabling presence of our risen Lord will guide you as you take your next step towards the nations: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
A previous version of this article appeared at MissioNexus.
