Short Term Missions

(Sharpening our Focus and Service with Cultural Intelligence (CQ): Part 3- Ten Starting Points for Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence, By: David Livermore)

1. God's a Lot Bigger than your Short-Term Mission Trip--

"When we're discouraged, may we be reminded that God has had thousands of years of turning our most feeble attempts at living out His mission into beautiful reflections of His glory. When we're tempted to overstate our role, may we be reminded that only God can turn a heart of stone into a heart of flesh...In the words of Jonathan Edwards, "God's work of power and grace will not be thwarted by our great many errors and sin."

4. Seek to understand the culture you are visiting!

5. On Second Thought-Thing Again! --

Don't assume things about the place you are going or the people you are serving. Our cultures are different and we shouldn't go in there with the attitude that they are poor and needy. Perhaps comparatively with the wealth of America, but that doesn't mean they live with a "woe is me, I need help" attitude!

9. Incorporate Short-Term Missions as Part of Your Seamless Missional Journey--

At no point in this trip can I operate under the illusion that I have to go to Africa to share God's Word. I have this awesome opportunity, but there are plenty of people here who need to hear the Gospel as well. It's a sobering thought and something that I've struggled with. Pray. Pray. Pray.

10. Love God, Love Others--

"When you get up and when you go to sleep--love God, love others. When you travel on vacation and when you travel as part of a mission team--love God, love others." ..."Whether you eat or drink, or WHATEVER you do, do all to the GLORY of God!" (1 Corinthian 10:31)

And so it begins!

In January of 2012, I will have the privilege of traveling with my church on a 13 day missions trip to Uganda. Through a series of unexpected circumstances, God made it clear to me that I was to go on this trip. I have a full time job and plenty of excuses of why I shouldn't go, but each of these excuses were answered with God's handiwork and I signed up.

I have never been abroad. Everything about this trip will be a new experience. Our trip will start with a flight from Washington D.C. to Ethiopia. From Ethiopia we will fly into Entebbe, Uganda, where we will stay for a night before making the 8 hour bus ride to Kiburara.

We have 22 people on our team and the dynamics are great. Young recent college grads, married, single, older, but all with a passion for Christ. We've only met twice, but I look forward to building friendships with these people. I moved out to DC about 2 years ago and have been attending this church for about a year. Attending alone and 45 minutes away from my house has made it a bit difficult to get to know people and be involved, so I'm thrilled about this opportunity!

This will be the 5th year that Covenant Life has gone to Kiburara. They have built a relationship with the local church and have seen it grow exponentially since they first came. This trip will range from working on widows homes, hosting a pastor's conference for 100 pastors from villages in the area, a kids "camp," and really just spending time serving the people of the village. From what I gather, only so much planning can be done ahead of time for these trips. Not every culture runs by the clock, so we kinda just gotta go with the flow!

More updates as they come--I look forward to sharing with you as I learn more about this trip and God's plan unfolds!

O Sifuni Mungo

The official language of Uganda is English and Swahili. This Swahili song is one of my all time favorite choir songs and we sang it occasionally at Bethlehem for a couple years too. It is based off of the hymn "All Creatures of our God and King" and "sifuni mungo" means "praise God (the Lord)". I'm happy to sing it for you or you could just look it up online--the children's choirs are the best!

All creatures of our God and King (O sifuni mungu)
Lift up your voice and with us sing (O sifuni mungu)
Thou burning sun with golden beam (imbeni, imbeni)
Thou silver moon with softer gleam (pazeni sauti imbeni)

Viumbe Vyote vya mungu wetu na mfalme wetu
Viumbe Vyote vya mungu wetu na mfalme wetu
Pazeni sauti ilinasi mwimbe
Pazeni sauti ilinasi mwimbe

All men (watu wote)
All creatures (viumbe vyote)
Everybody (awaye yote)
Praise the Lord (sifu mungu)
All men (watu wote)
All creatures (viumbe vyote)
Everybody (awaye yote)
Praise the Lord (sifu mungu)

Thou rushing wind that art so strong (O sifuni mungu)
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along (O sifuni mungu)
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice (imbeni, imbeni)
Ye lights of evening find a voice (pazeni sauti imbeni)

Viumbe vyote vya mungu wetu na mfalme wetu
Viumbe vyote vya mungu wetu na mfalme wetu
Pazeni sauti ilinasi mwimbe
Pazeni sauti ilinasi mwimbe

Thou flowing water pure and clear (hm.hm.hm.hm)
Make music for thy Lord to hear! (hm.hm.hm.hm.)
Thou fire, so masterful and bright (Imbeni!)
That givest man both warmth and light.(Imbeni!)

Let all things their Creator bless (O sifuni mungu)
And worship Him in humbleness (O sifuni mungu)
O praise the Father, praise the Son (imbeni, imbeni)
And praise the Spirit, three in one (pazeni sauti imbeni)

Tusifu mungu
Tusifu mungu
pazeni sauti na wote imbeni
O sifuni mungu!