Short Term Checklist
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Training
CLARIFY YOUR PURPOSE. There are many things you might feel like accomplishing through one mission trip. But trying to do everything can mean not doing any one thing well: help the missionary's ministry, provide a retreat or spiritual training for the team, hope the teenage rebel will "see the light", have fun touring Thailand, etc.
MAKE FINAL DECISIONS for recruitment and training early, at least 3 months before training. That means you have to start about 9 months before the arrival date. Get the whole church or network of supporters praying for your team from the beginning.
BASIC CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINES should be included in the training, or even just basic disciplines, to get the whole team on the same page. Check and double check the team's physical, emotional, social and ecclesiastical health. And don't worry about money.
MAKE SURE your contact missionary is sure of the dates for your mission trip. Try not to change the dates.
GET VACCINATIONS and provide your medical information to your team leader.
TRAVEL INSURANCE is recommended. Make sure you can get a refund if you cancel your trip due to unexpected events (like violent political demonstrations).
MAKE COPIES OF PASSPORTS to carry around at all times, along with emergency contact info (of family or friends, and the embassy of your country). It might also be wise to update your living will before depature. Another thing, many countries (including Thailand) require that your passport be valid for at least 6 months beyond the last date of your planned stay; don't ask me why. Take care of passports early, to avoid extra fees for a rush service.
PACK SOME TOILET PAPER.
TRAINING SHOULD REFLECT the type of mission work your team is hoping to do, as well as an orientation of the ministry context of Thailand. Better to cancel the trip than to suffer through irrelevant or boring training.
RENTAL PHONE is something you might want. There is a "True" rental phone booth on your left just before exit door #4.
EXCHANGE CURRENCY (all or most of your cash) before leaving the airport in Bangkok. We'll save time and money. Don't exchange money in the states unless you know you'll get a better rate there.
TURN RIGHT after you exit customs in the Suvarnabhumi airport, regardless of what the sign says. Don't turn left! I can't go in there to look for you! Come all the way until just before exit door #4, but don't go out to your left. INSTEAD: TURN RIGHT and look for me or wait for me by the elevators.
*Things can change without notice in the airport; so if you can't get out there, wait for me near exit door #3 (inside the airport). If you still don't see me, call me.
The ministries of the short-term team should be in line with the clear purpose stated early on and acknowledged by the missionary. Short-term is defined as something less than 3 years; a typical team comes for about 10 days.
THE MOST WELCOME ATTITUDE in the mission field is a team that is willing and available to do anything anywhere. But it is more common for there to be specific expectations, and they should be shared early in the recruitment phase, in part because of the training that should be tailored for specific ministries and ministry context.
ADVENTURE is what young people are usually looking for when they sign up for short-term mission trips. Some go so far as to say that we must be roughing it out in the rural areas for it to be "real" missions. If this is what you want, go for it! Make sure you pick athletic team members with excellent physical health. Also practice not showering for up to a week at a time, and get wilderness survival training. Come with signed release forms that indemnify everyone from anything and in the legal format that will be honored in your state courts. This is for your protection only.
MOST TEAMS that end up being sent by local churches can have a wide range of individuals, ranging from high school students to elders. Some physical inconvenience is expected but the younger students will do most of the hard work while the older adults (ie. medical workers or carpenters) provide other services and act as supervisors. Make sure everyone knows their specific roles. Also, plan to eat whatever the missionary offers with a thankful heart. If you're worried about food or other inconveniences, a "vision trip" might be a better option.
VISION TRIP is a suitable term for some of the short-term trips where people come to research or investigate more so than to perform actual services to the needy people in Thailand. It's a great alternative to mere "vacations" if anyone is really interested in getting to know the mission field.
In all cases and at all times the missionary is the point person and will have the final say in everything. Just clarify your expectations before finalizing the date and training plans 6 months in advance.
Back Home
THE TEAM MEMBERS would appreciate a significant time of debriefing and orientation back home; "significant time" means more than a pleasant lunch. Sharing with each other can help them in this re-entry process. Also, if there is any unresolved issue from the mission field, now is the time to sort things out. If any couple developed a romantic interest with each other, the team leader should be "rewarded" with the bill for their dinner date!
BE CONSIDERATE to your local church or network of supporters by offering a well-planned report and presentation. It's also a chance for the team members to share how God's love was revealed through them in Thailand. The entire congregation can share in the blessings of short-term mission trips from the beginning till the end. These opportunities for sharing and listening can also encourage people to take steps toward becoming or supporting long-term missionaries.
Long Term Possibilities (beyond 2-3 years)
EVERY CHRISTIAN is (or should be) in a wider sense a long-term missionary serving God's kingdom. But there is also a present need for traditional missionaries, or vocational Christians who are serving the smaller churches in foreign cultures. Some may elect to do so as tentmakers. But, if it's hard to be an effective witness while working in your home country, it's doubly harder to do so in a foreign country; still, there is an urgent need for tentmakers today in many areas of the globe.
MANY BELIEVERS can find work to do as traditional missionaries. In addition to church planting or teaching in seminary, which pastors can do, many mission agencies will be glad to offer a list of over a hundred other jobs that need to be done in the mission field; you'll most likely find something you love to do on that list. It's not so much a matter of need or skill as it is about willingness and availability. For those of you interested, share your burden with your prayer partners or church leaders and consider whether or not God is leading you to the field for long-term service. Some people make longer short-term commitments (ranging from a few months to 3 years) to check things out first. Contact us and we'd be glad to help!
SNU
has a down to earth site with a good checklist and more links to internet short term missions resources, epecially this funny
top-ten list.