“Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”.  (Matthew 4:19).  A simple, yet very direct command that Jesus makes of all believers.  A recent mission trip to Helene, Honduras gave me an opportunity to do just that in a beautiful tropical setting, on an island filled with beautiful people, with an amazing group of students and adults.  It was an opportunity for me to not only disciple others, but also to be discipled.    An opportunity that I”m so grateful to have experienced.  I saw God work in big and small ways.  I saw God answer prayer, and put details in place that only He could do.  The mission trip could be summed up in two words “immeasurably more.”  

Saturday morning, our first full day in Helene, Honduras, while having my quiet time with the Lord, I asked God to help me move from praying and hoping that God would answer my prayers, to praying and BELIEVING God would answer.  Ephesians 3:20 and the section of scripture preceding this verse, has been a focus for me since returning from my last mission trip in July. That morning, I prayed a simple, specific prayer.  I asked God that if shoeboxes had been brought to this island, that He would allow me to see a box. The Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry, by Samaritan’s Purse, is one that I’m heavily involved in at my home church.  Not only did God answer that specific prayer a few hours later, He gave me a glimpse of a bigger plan that was already in motion.  A plan that was immeasurably more than what I had even thought to pray.  Kids Club on Monday felt like pure chaos and a failure.  Tuesday we prayed as a group immediately before letting the kids through the door.  The difference we saw in the children the second afternoon was like night and day.  Each member of our team left Kids Club that afternoon with a sense of awe, in what the Holy Spirit accomplished in that hour.  By Thursday, the last day of Kids Club, it was evident that God was not only working, but answering prayer. The classroom of chaos had been transformed into a beautiful chorus of children’s voices reciting John 14:6 proclaiming that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God allowed us the opportunity and privilege to love kids, and to teach them about the greatest gift ever given – the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  

This trip was unlike any other mission trip I had ever been a part of. What made this one so different? The focus of this trip was sharing Jesus. I was not only challenged to share Jesus with others; Jesus was shared with me. I was guided and taught,encouraged, instructed,challenged, and I was held to God’s standard. I had the opportunity to do the same for others. I shared the gospel and prayed with people. I’m convinced that God can and will use us on mission trips to influence others and spread the gospel. But I’m also just as convinced that He uses mission trips to change us. Mark 16:15 tells us to go into all the world and share the good news. We encounter the world every single day. Going on a mission trip puts “our world” into perspective. It slows us down and puts our focus back where it belongs – on Jesus and following Him and making disciples. Oh, and remember those shoeboxes? They came to the island the day after we left, to be distributed by the local church. Each child receiving a box will be invited to a discipleship program teaching them about Jesus. How’s that for immeasurably more?!