Short-term Mission Teams Are Important + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #27

Image courtesy of  Witthaya Phonsawat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Missionary.

Quite a big word, right? It is for me, at least. I did not feel like a missionary for the first years I was serving God in Amazonas, Venezuela. I came to Puerto the jungle 8 years ago, when I got married (my husband was born and raised here). We are not a part of any missionary organization and don´t have the financial support to be full-time missionaries, so until our ministry started to grow and develop, it was very difficult to “feel” like a missionary. 
But I am. I do missions. We work with tribes. Our ministry is to give tribal leaders the tools they need to grow their churches and reach other Indians with the Gospel. We make several trips to different Indian villages during the year and normally, we have short-term mission teams coming to join us in these trips. They are vital for our ministry, because for every trip, we have to do as much as we can in a short period of time. Let me tell you the benefits I find in having short-term mission teams partnership with us:1. As I said before, for every trip we make to an Indian village, we need to make the biggest impact in a short period of time. Having a group of people going with you enables us to divide the tasks and work with adults, young people, children and Evangelism all at the same time. 
2. It reminds you that you are not working alone. Believe me, one of the worst things a missionary experiences is to have the impression that nobody cares about what you are doing. Having a group of people wanting to help you in ministry makes a huge difference.
3. It allows the missionary to share his ministry in a much more effective way.People can actually see, feel and touch what you are doing, not just read about it in an email or see it in pictures. Many people who have gone to the jungle in one of these trips come back saying things like “I understand now what you were talking about.”
4. It allows me to do my part in the missionary work. I joined my husband in his trips to the villages until I got pregnant with my second baby.  I am the one who takes care of all the details that go in to having these teams stay at our home: cooking, bedding, cleaning and making them feel as comfortable as possible. 
5. It blesses us as a family. Sometimes we have 14-15 people in our tiny home. We have slept on the floor or outside in hammocks, having to share 1 bathroom and eating in rounds. But we are delighted with everybody who enters the door of our home. My children have zillions of aunts, uncles and cousins and they are learning lessons about things like sharing, serving and sacrificing, which will be crucial for their Christian lives. Also meeting new people from different places and backgrounds help them (us!) open their little minds to different situations.
6. It helps us trust God. It has been quite challenging, financially speaking, to host these groups, but God has shown us that when we give sacrificially, He gives back much more than we could ever imagine. It helps us to grow in our faith and dependence of Him.
Are you thinking in joining a short-term mission trip? Oh, please, pray about it and open your heart to live this experience! It is live-changing! Or maybe you are a missionary struggling with the idea of having a team coming to help you. It this is the case, would you please give them a chance? They will be a blessing to your ministry and your family.          Content in His service,          Edurne

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BIO – Edurne Mencía de Nieves is a wife and mom from Spain serving God as a missionary to the Curripaco tribe in the jungle of Venezuela. She met her husband Maracucho at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina and they have 3 little children (Yennixon, 6, Nahiara, 4, and Markel, 2). She blogs at El viaje de una mujer and co-leads the Spanish section of Good Morning Girls at BuenDiaChicas.com.  

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 And now for the party!!!!
Here are the "rules"

1. Link up as many posts as you'd like (even giveaways!)
2. Link up old posts you wish would have received more attention!
3. Link back here by posting my button in your post or sidebar - or with a link
4. Visit the post just before yours

The party runs through next Tuesday evening!
So have FUN!

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  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




 
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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Time Warp Wife, Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner, Tell Me a Story W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Christian Fellowship FridayClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .