If you lived in that village and witnessed what these young people did for your church, I’m sure your attitude would be much different. Even if they aren’t able to accomplish everything, they’ll still do much to help that church and be a great encouragement to the people.

I suspect something even more important will happen as a result of this trip: The lives of these young volunteers will be permanently changed. Most of them have probably never experienced poverty firsthand, nor do they realize the struggles that billions of impoverished people in our world experience every day. Self-absorbed and unconcerned about the needs of others, they’ll never be the same once they see the world as it really is.

But not only will they have their eyes opened to the needs of our world, but hopefully they’ll also discover how Christ gives hope and meaning to all who believe in Him, no matter what they face. Some of the most joyous Christians I ever met had almost nothing as far as this world’s goods were concerned. The Bible says, “Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse” (Proverbs 28:6).

As these young people leave on their mission trip, pray that God will use them to bless the lives of others, and also give them a new vision of what God can do through them. Jesus said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).

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