By Andie Valdes
For students participating in The Master’s University GO! (Global Outreach) trips, the time leading up to their departure is vital, and there is much to be done beforehand.
This summer, five groups of TMU students are traveling to several different countries overseas to serve and partner with missionaries and churches. Students of all majors and interests can participate in these trips, but it is no last-minute decision. In fact, months of training is put into the time before their trip.
As students prepare for these summer mission trips, there are a lot of details involved.
“They are very intentional to prepare us to think through what we are doing, and just to prepare us for the future. It’s helpful to know the dynamics about missions so you also know how to pray for missionaries and be a good support,” said Caroline Zeller, a junior.
“It can be easy to want to be the one to fix peoples problems, but that’s not the goal of missions,” Zeller said, “The goal is to bring people to know the Lord for His glory.”
Because of the length of these trips – four to eight weeks – TMU students are spending the spring semester preparing through an entire class.
The GO! class is designed to equip students with several aspects of what it means to go on a short-term mission trip. Students are learning about partnerships, conflict resolution, and worldview, which are contributing factors for how people receive the gospel. There is also the reality that they may deal with culture shock, isolation, and loneliness.
The students are also tasked with hands-on projects as a part of the training. Some of their assignments include: talking to two strangers every week, researching and presenting on their country, volunteering at Children’s Hunger Fund and five hours of language learning.
Depending on their destination, students also study the culture, religion, politics and geography of their country to provide a better overall understanding of where they are going.
“[The class is ] a sweet opportunity to make sure we are all on the same page before we spend a month together…We talk about what partnership looks like in prayer, and about worldview and the different perspectives people have,” said senior Cedie Tiffany. “There are so many things that are culturally normal to them and completely backwards for us.”
While it may be out of the students’ comfort zone, being in a new country with a different culture and language, it should not be incredibly different from the Christian life we are called to live in America.
“We would encourage every student to consider going on a mission trip. Every Christian is called to be involved in missions, whether that’s a goer or a sender. A large majority of our students won’t be the goer, but as a Christian they should be involved,” said Brayden Campos, TMU’s Director of Outreach and International Student Advancement. “Sometimes in mission trips students are so excited for a while, but when they get home, they run back into their comfortable routine. The goal of these trips would be for the students to evaluate what faithful living looks like.”
Yet, faithful living is not to be done only on a short-term mission trip. As believers, we are tasked with the responsibility and the privilege to preach the gospel, wherever that may be.
The TMU Mane 