You won’t see any updates on Provident Planning for the next week and a half because my wife and I will be leaving early Sunday morning for a short-term mission trip in Saint Marc, Haiti. We’re going with a small group from another church to build a duplex in Saint Marc’s 5th Section – the poorest part of that area. The people who live there mostly live in mud houses, which don’t last very long when the hurricanes come through. We’ll be building a concrete block home that will last through the rain.
This trip was planned well before the earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, but we’ll still be able to make it work with a small change in plans. Instead of flying into Port-au-Prince, we’ll be flying into Santo Domingo (in the Dominican Republic) and driving to Saint Marc. While the people in Port-au-Prince desperately need help right now, the outlying areas may be neglected as the focus goes on to the capital city. Our small team is not experienced enough to deal with the work that needs to be done in Port-au-Prince. But we are ready and able to help with the project planned in Saint Marc, so that’s what we’re doing.
We’ll be working through the Youth with a Mission base in Saint-Marc and staying there as well. You can check out a tour of the base in this Youtube video:
Please pray that we’ll be a blessing to the people in Haiti, that they will be a blessing to us, that God will open our hearts to their needs and enable us to share His love, and for the protection of our team. Continue to pray for the people in and around Port-au-Prince as well – the recovery process will be long and difficult.
What Do You Think of Short-term Missions?
As I was considering this trip, I began to wonder about the effectiveness and efficiency of short-term missions. I found a helpful article at GotQuestions.org that laid out some pros and cons of short-term mission trips. But what do you think? Are such trips a good use of the money God has given us? Are they beneficial for those who go and for those in the areas served? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Paul,
First, I will be praying for you and your wife. The timing, if you will allow me to use a religious word, sounds Providential, but that of course is part of the name of your blog.
Secondly, I am a huge supporter of short term mission trips, having gone on many of them myself. Our church has formed an alliance with a missionary in Reynosa, MX and, as we have built a great relationship with several small churches and pastors in that area, we know that we have been a huge encouragement to them. We ARE making a difference.
A great “side benefit” is the wonderful commaraderie that always occurs among the team members. We bring the enthusiasm back home and more home missions have resulted. All four of my children went on short term mission trip while in high school and were greatly impacted by the experience.
One key, for us, is the great relationships that have been formed with the local missionary and churches. We keep contact throughout the year via email and always look forward to returning.
Thank you so much for your prayers, Joe!
I am already seeing the value in short-term missions, and I’m sure I’ll see more of it once I’m there and after I get back. I’ll be writing a reflection post once I’m back to talk about these things. The points you’ve brought up are very good.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
That’s wonderful! I am saying a prayer for your safety and impact right now. May you be His hands and feet!
We’d love for you to come link or comment at Savings & Stewardship, where we’ll be donating $1 to World Vision per entry.
.-= Savings and Stewardship´s last blog ..Update to "Haiti Needs Our Help" =-.
Thank you so much for your prayers Savings and Stewardship!
I think it’s great that you are going there to help. I hope you are successful in helping the Haitian earthquake victims and I will keep you and your church as well as the people of Haiti in my prayers.
.-= Gifts For One Gifts For All Too´s last blog ..Toby Gerhart Going Pro =-.
Thank you! We appreciate your prayers.
Looking forward to hearing how your trip went! My wife went to Mauritania and Gambia several years ago with YWAM!
.-= Jason @ Redeeming Riches´s last blog ..How to Keep Spouses From Growing Apart =-.
Thanks, Jason! I just posted a short article about some of my thoughts, but I’ll be sharing more later. It’s all still sinking in!!!
I saw your comment on Money Help for Christians. I’m curious what you think about how much money is necessary for Christians after your Haiti trip. Also, glad to see you back safely. I’m looking forward to hearing more about it.
God Bless!
-Ryan
Thanks for commenting, Ryan!
Traveling to a third-world country is eye-opening and challenging. The question I asked on Money Help for Christians is one that relates to your question. We’ve been blessed with so much in America – so much we take for granted especially. I don’t have a specific answer for how much money is necessary for Christians or how we should spend our money. But if our hearts are not pouring out with generosity, I’m not sure we’re really following Jesus. If His love is living in us, how can we not respond with sacrificial generosity when we see the needs of others?