GOD'S PRINCIPLES FOR THE MISSION TRIP

For the benefit of the newcomers to the mission trip team, as well as team members who are forgetting what this Mission Trip is all about, here we reproduce what was imparted to us during our first formation session. We hope this posting will put us all back in perspective - why we do things the way we are doing; why we are serving each other and the people around us the way we are serving now;  why it is important to be available for little chats on Facebook, person-to-person or in whatever way.  

God is the Head of the Mission

• You are not taking God to Bicol; rather God is taking you! (Gen. 12: 1-3; Ps. 139:1-10)
• God has been at work in Bicol long before you decided to go.
• God has a plan for this community, this people and this person (Jer. 29: 11; 1 Tim. 2:3-5, II Peter 3:9)
• Follow God’s lead not yours.
• God will always be with you. (Matt. 28:20b; Rom. 8:38-39; Heb. 13:5.)

Open Heart, Open Hands

• An open heart is free to be filled by the Holy Spirit and overflow with love. (John 14:15-17; Acts 13:2-4; Rom. 5:3-5)
• An open heart is free to be broken by the injustice and poverty of the world. (Deut. 15:7-8; Ps. 918; Ps. 82:3-4l; Gal. 2:10)
• An open heart is ready to receive.
• An open hand is a sign of good will and humility. (Gal. 5:22-23)
• An open hand cannot clutch a clock, a schedule or a stereotype.

Doing is Less Important than Being

• Be like Jesus, walk as Jesus walked. (1 John 2:6; Matt. 5:1-16;John 15: 1-14)
• Be human beings, not human doings! (1 Thess. 5:11)
• Focus on people, not just on the task. (1 John 3:18)
• Work on building relationships, not monuments. (Rom. 12:9-15)
• Take a deep breath when things don’t start or end on time; there are more important things in life than sticking to a schedule.
• Be flexible – things will rarely go as you planned.

A Servant’s Heart

• Learn from your hosts; honour them and God by serving them (John 13:12-17)
• Find out what your host prays for and then commit to praying for it, too. (James 5:16)
• Practice humility! (Luke 22:24-27; James 4:10)
• There are many ways of doing things; yours is only one and it may not be right for this time or place.
• Be adaptable – try new things, set aside biases and work into fitting into the culture.