One of the major aspects of a short term mission trip is often overlooked. It is what happens to the individual who goes.

There are those for whom this value is negative. Negative in the sense that they begin to wear their experience like some sort of spiritual merit badge that gives them a greater claim to being “spiritual” than others who’ve never been. Negative in the sense that they come back with “a bad taste in the mouth” that translates into a spiritual superiority over those in the “foreign” country they visited. Negative in the sense that they are frightened by the power of the Enemy they’ve seen; they had no clue that he was real.

However, the majority I’ve been privileged to be associated with have had a positive metamorphosis.

They have become more active in their local church, their appreciation of the plight of people being consumed by sin increases and they become effective instruments in the church’s outreach into the community. Additionally, their personal faith begins to bloom in a way they never expected. They find that they have a greater and more intimate access to the Spirit. They begin to walk as though they really believe.

And that is priceless.