Keith with young boy at Barrio Nuevo.
On December 28 I headed out on the first-ever Camp Luther Mens Mission Trip to Leticia, Columbia. Prior to the trip I was asked why I wanted to be a part of a trip like this. I came up with the four goals listed below. I never expected that these expectations would be met and more.
Goal #1: Rediscover serving God.
Result: I experienced a new joy of serving in Columbia. Yes, even hard, dirty, manual labor in 90+ degree heat and 121% humidity, was truly a joy. I discovered that I was ready and willing to do whatever was asked of me, because serving was the only thing on my agenda. I learned that when my agenda took a back seat to God’s agenda, I found joy in serving. It’s a lesson I am trying to remember. It makes me wonder how many opportunities are missed in our lives because we are too busy to serve. Perhaps it takes a mission trip, free from the distractions of our everyday lives, for an individual to experience the joy of serving.
Matt pours cement for playground at the orphanage.
Goal #2: Experience firsthand the value of Camp Luther mission trips.
Result: My commitment toward mission trips as ministry has increased exponentially! A trip like this offers so many opportunities for individuals to serve, to witness, to care for those in need, and to grow in their faith. I witnessed the lives of eleven men change over the course of a week in Columbia. They grew in faith, in community, in compassion, and developed a greater awareness of what God is doing in the lives of believers all over the world. While each and every one of us was committed to doing everything possible to bless the lives of the children of LaAljaba Orphanage and the impoverished people of Barrio Nuevo, we found that it was our lives that were blessed through them. There is great value in short-term missions. They help those in need, and they inspire and encourage the hearts of those serving.
Goal #3: Set an example for my own family.
Result: It is my hope that this mission trip will serve as an inspiration to those who are closest to me. So far so good. My wife Debbie is very interested in participating in a Womens Mission trip tentatively planned for late this year. Bekah, my daughter, has asked why there isn’t a trip available for high school students? She has also asked about sending clothing and shoes to the girls at the orphanage in Leticia. Andrew, our eight grader, has asked a lot of questions but is currently uncommitted. Two out of three ain’t bad. Seriously I hope that they have seen that I am committed to serving God, and not because it’s my job as a camp director, but as a response to God’s call in my life to serve Him.
Goal #4: Experience the changed-life I have witnessed in others.
Mens Mission Team with Anna, Lucy, and Kimberly who work at the La Aljaba Orphanage.
Result: Unlike a vacation, a mission trip is a spiritual experience. My faith was encouraged through Bible study, prayer, and worship, but also in other ways. I saw eleven men grow in unity and faith as they lived and worked side by side. I witnessed believers of Columbia and the United States gather together in worship, prayer and song (Spanish and English together). I witnessed the joy on the faces of those who received our gifts of service and food. I witness the happy faces of individuals who have very little in terms of possessions, but are rich in so many other ways. My faith was encouraged through this mission trip. This trip has renewed my zeal for ministry and given me a heart for missions that I didn’t know before, especially for the poor and needy in our world.
Is God calling you to serve Him through a short-term mission trip? Consider getting involved through Camp Luther, your congregation or many organizations of the church reaching out in God’s love to our world. It will change your life.
Sometimes the simplest of questions can be the most difficult to answer? That’s exactly what happened two years ago when our Strategic Planning Task Force began to discuss why we have Camp Luther.