I recently had the joy of traveling out of the States to the “heart” of Europe.  Whether you think it’s the heart of Europe or not, Slovakia is a beautiful country with open fields and rolling mountains… Any way, while we were there, our team spent nearly a week in the northern mountains running a English speaking camp for Slovak students. Though there are several stories and great things I could share about what God did in Slovakia and how he made himself known. I want to take this post to share my personal experience and the subtle impact it has had upon my life.

I’ve struggled pinning it down but this might be how I would describe it. This difference is something like a better view from the overlook of a mountain, a far greater understanding of the call for us to go. To see the need for His presence to be made known and to make it known. Yes, through teaching and sharing about him, but also through the care and time that he desires for our relationships daily whether abroad or at home. Sure, a month ago I would have agreed with that statement, that I believed all of that. Yet, when participating in an effort to go beyond our own land. Something about affirming a statement and not living it out or at least not yet to experience it doesn’t settle well with me. (Matthew 5-7 is something that came to mind)

It’s very easy to come back from such a trip and really feel like you’ve got some things figured out. I truly desire to be careful and intentional  enough to let things simmer down a bit and for the realities of my “localized” community settle back in. Yet coming back was not the usual “spiritual high” experience for me. That makes me think of Psalm 33:10. He will ruin our plans and bring them to nothing. A humbling truth when we really think about his grip on our lives and his desire for the nations.

Though I’ve been called to live where I am now. The impact has been a new unsettled feeling, a desire to move forward with this new understanding. In other words a clearer view of the next step or a more focused perspective of the current stage of life I am called.

One of the most interesting lies that has been magnified by this trip for me was the idea we like to convince ourselves of “I’ve just had no desire to go and do that sort of thing”. This is a statement that I didn’t like before, but now even more so after going. It’s magnified itself in conversations. I don’t think we’re all meant to go to the tough places, and many of us might not be called out of our “mother land”. Yet, the statement above does not justify our lack of striving toward and wrestling with a greater vision of God’s desire to see people groups come to know Him. Think about Jonah… Sometimes, being pulled out of the comforts of our surroundings and into a completely different society is what God requires for us to be a part of what He is doing globally. Having God place us in a society with challenges that are either different or possibly greater than our homeland can transform us and make us seek after Him in new ways.

Now, before  you think I’ve gotten on my high horse just after one mission trip. (Yes, this was my first to a foreign land) I want to be sure that you know I’m not trying to point the finger at the “American” church as a blanket statement to THE church. There are thousands that go every year and serve abroad. Yet I’m also not willing to say that we’ve got it right. No, there is much to do and I’m saddened that there is still too few who are willing to go to people groups that don’t know Jesus. I think to confirm either status would be foolish, though I’m more willing to vocalize the need for discipline within our churches because of it’s current slothful nature and unregenerate status. What I think is greater to point out is the need for us to be striving to see the world as He sees it and to go no matter what. (EASIER SAID THAN DONE)

For so long I’ve sat on the sidelines and have watched several of my friends go on trips and come back changed. (Though our personal transformation is not the entire impact of a trip, it does play a roll in our relationship with our God and the world.) They would come back different, striving for something I could not understand. They had gained a new world vision. Maybe I was jealous, because I never thought this was something I could do or would do.  No, by saying this I’m not glorifying missions as a means to justify ourselves. BY NO MEANS! I know several devoted and godly christians who are not called out of their homeland. What I hope to emphasize is the great need for us to live in such a way that we reflect God’s heart for the nations. That we become devoted to our Lord’s calling that we strive to be obedient to His call regardless of “our” desire. To Love God and to Love Others.