About four or five years ago, during an extensive seminary class, I was able to spend time with a great man who was trying to reach college campuses with the Gospel. It is utterly staggering how little international students are truly being interacted to with the Gospel. There are groups of international students at many of America's Universities that no one cares for, no one loves, no one even thinks about. And they need the Gospel greatly.
I have a friend in the ministry who runs a ministry in New York City called Urban Impact. www.urbanimpactny.org He reaches out to young men coming to the U.S. in droves, working what many of us might think of as "sub-par" jobs at best, and sending their earnings back to their families in countries and areas of the world such as Africa. These men come to the U.S., they know nobody, and the last thing on their mind is Jesus. Larry and his group of indigenous missionaries lead out in E.S.L. classes in storefronts, among other great things they are doing. A few years ago I had the pleasure of helping with these classes, as well as with the remodeling of one of the storefronts. This is front line ministry folks.
So many think "Go", and they believe they are to fly half way around the world to a village. These things are true, and very, VERY good. But I was meditating recently upon principles and facts that I simply could not ignore. The fact that there are over 160 nations represented in a 75 mile NYC metro area is staggering. The fact that there are areas of Kansas City that are similar convicts a part of my heart.
I was talking with my wife the other day about mission trips. The core of our discussion centered around the motivation behind our "going" on mission trips. We concluded that it's probable that none of us ever have completely pure motives for going on a mission trip. For example, some of us love Africa-the people, the culture, etc. For that person, they want to be there as much as they can be. And, to that end, there is nothing wrong with that. But do we really check ourselves, our hearts, etc when thinking about going on a short term mission trip. Are we going, with our hearts prepared, our minds focused, and our mouths ready to share the Gospel? Or, are we simply excited to go on a trip to a land we haven't been to before? It's probable that there's a little bit of both in us.
There is something to be said for a mission trip "exposing" a person to something they never really understood, and God using that to form a calling. I'm all about that, and believe it. I believe it because it happened in my life. During my college years, while all my friends were going to Europe, Africa and South America on mission trips, sometimes multiple times a year, the Lord never allowed me to go. I wasn't against it, but as opportunities came my way, the Lord always directed me towards the urban core of cities. I was able to spend time in New York City, Chicago, Houston, and many other major cities around our country during that time. God was using those trips to give me a passion and understanding for reaching the nations in America. It was something to be honest that was not fully understood or received by all. They didn't really understand.
I was recently talking with a pastor/missionary friend who talked about some churches he works with. They support missionaries all around the world in mission work, and even go on mission trips half way around the world, but when the idea is suggested that they go to the parts of Kansas City with internationals (which is also a very "rough" part of Kansas City) to reach them with the Gospel, things are said such as "I'm not going there-it's dangerous", and "That's a bad part of town...I don't think we should do that kind of thing". It is absolutely amazing to me that a person will travel half way around the world to a land and country they've never been to (that is likely much more dangerous than where they are at), but won't drive down the highway a few miles to talk with, reach out to, and share the Gospel with people who have come half way around the world from the village or country they may have just been to on a mission trip.
I suppose there is less glamour in it. You don't get to go on a big trip. You don't get to have an "off day" in some foreign city, seeing sights. You probably have to commit alot of regular energy to keeps relationships us with these people, instead of dropping in a few times a year. However, certain trips around the world of filled with their own less than comfortable glamour themselves. So we must not think one is better than the other.
The answer isn't doing one or the other. The answer is both. We MUST go to utter most ends of the earth with the Gospel. We can't, nor should not, deny it. The Word commands it. But we MUST also go down the street, to a community of people that are completely different than us. In many senses, it is very much the same. It's just the location that's different. There is also some strategy in it.
Imagine if more of our churches put as much energy into going down the street and reaching the nations there. Especially with college students. Imagine seeing college students coming to America for great education, coming to salvation in Christ while here, and then we sending them back as missionaries to their own country, to reach their own homeland and people with the Gospel-think that would be pretty impactful? Or imagine seeing the young african man, who has come to this country to support his family, go back not just with a few more dollars, but with the Hope of Jesus Christ, and seeing his family and community come to Christ.
It can happen. It IS happening. But we have to support great missionary pioneers like the one's mentioned in the beginning of this post. (let me know if I can connect you with them).
Remember: It's not one or the other-we have to and are called to BOTH. If God's calls you to go physically around the world-GO. If God calls to go down the street-GO. In fact, I would be very comfortable in saying the Lord commands that we do both.
The world is at our doorstep like never before. And as such, our mission to share the love of Christ doesn't change, but the ability only grows stronger.
Praise God for bringing the World to our doorstep. It has made us think about "missions" in greater ways.
