As I am about to embark on my second trip out of the country to go and share the Gospel I tend to quietly ask myself, do short term mission trips even matter? I am here to tell you and remind myself, the answer is yes, they do!

It’s easier to see the benefits of going on a long term mission trip because you’re there for a longer period of time and able to make more of a long term impact through building relationships. But I as looked through my Bible for some answers the first passage I went to is the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus doesn’t say, “Go therefore and make disciples only on long term mission trips.” He simply calls us to go out among the nations and share the Gospel with everyone regardless of the amount of time we have.

Mission trips are great regardless of how long they are because God is not restricted by the amount of time we have to spend in a certain place. We serve a God who is so much bigger than time. He desires and commands us to be obedient and go plant seeds. What I mean is we may begin a small relationship with someone while on a mission trip and never see them again, but God can use that small instance and further develop it by bringing other people into their life to continue the work we began. When I went to Haiti last year during spring break my group and I visited so many people in a short amount of time. This benefited the organization we were partnering with because it was the beginning of new relationships in the community and getting the organization’s name out there. Through the trip to Haiti my group and I got to come alongside and support a local organization and encourage them in their work.

Not only do you get to support fellow believers across the world during short term mission trips but you also have such a wonderful opportunity to go and experience other cultures. Going to an unfamiliar area brings you out of your comfort zone and forces you to trust God, even more so when there is a language barrier. I implore you to go overseas on a mission trip if you haven’t already. It is such a valuable experience and will give you a different perspective on the world you live in. Like I mentioned before, going and sharing the Gospel with the nations is not optional.