Growing up in church culture, I knew that when a missionary came to town, I could expect to hear a few good stories, see some grainy photos, and play with some interesting tribal nick-nacks. This, I distinctly remember, was all in attempt to compel our church to fund the missionary to live in a strange and far-away land.
This made perfect sense to me then, as it still does now, because missionaries are a strange breed. They’ve given up the comfort, luxuries, and apathy of life here, and have plunged themselves into the mandate of Jesus: “As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you.”
For most, missions will never be full-time on foreign soil. Yet, sometimes it takes two weeks of going somewhere strange and exotic to break us out of our indifference. Here are five destinations around the world that might help you break free into missions:
Thailand
Tourists flock to Bangkok, Buddhist temples, and the party hot spots of the beaches in the south. Sadly, Thailand is also recognized as an international sex-tourist destination with thousands of the poor and vulnerable being bought, sold, and trafficked for sex and labour. The fight to stop human trafficking is fought in the streets and mountains of Thailand, and you can help.
Donate to organizations like notforsalecampaign.org or team up with imaginethailand.org and go to Thailand for a week or two and help protect the vulnerable from being trafficked in the first place.
India
Of the 1.2 billion people living inside the borders of India, one-third live in desperate poverty, lack access to basic sanitation and education, and are affected by religious and caste related violence. Missions in India include food programs, vocational retraining for women, children’s homes, hospitals, schools, and a huge list of humanitarian work.
If you’d like to go short-term to India, connect with stmnetwork.ca and they will put you on the ground with local missionaries who will show you a world that is barely imaginable.
Restricted Access Nations
Restricted and limited access nations represent the largest unreached people group in the world. These countries are typically Islamic, communist, or totalitarian in orientation and include countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Missions in these countries must happen carefully and creatively. If you are a professional in health, business, technology, education, or law, your skill set will open all types of opportunity in these countries.
If you would like to talk with someone who is really doing this but whose name is blacked out and their assignment undisclosed, connect through rannetwork.com. Not for the faint of heart.
Ukraine
Not “the Ukraine,” Ukraine is a fantastic cross-cultural experience for a church or family mission’s trip. The post-USSR Ukraine opened the door to massive evangelistic effort with new churches springing up everywhere, most led by those with no ministry or theological training. Opportunity in Ukraine exists in leadership development and theological training for church leaders, serving children in orphanages, as well as development and humanitarian aid.
Canada
Why does a nation like Canada need missionaries? One reason: to serve people who need to know Jesus; the same reason that Korea, China, Philippines, Uganda, and other countries are sending missionaries here. Mission is at our front door, in the next cubicle, and down the street. Our call as Christians is to here and now.
Author Lenard Sweet states it compellingly: “Light illuminates darkness. If there is darkness, the blame should be attached where it belongs; not to the world that is dark but to the church which is failing to provide the light.” Let’s not fail the mission. Where will you go?
