I just had the most wonderful experience with a group of 12 young adults in Guadalajara, Mexico. We had over 150 gospel conversations in the span of a week, and one out of every four conversations resulted in a confession of faith in Christ! Nothing in this trip was ordinary. In fact, everything about this trip was a testament to obeying God’s will and staying faithful through difficulty. I want to share with you what it means to trust God as you prepare for a short-term mission trip, so that you can lead well and know what it looks like to depend on the Holy Spirit.

HOW THIS TRIP CAME ABOUT

On November 2021, I received an email from Emanuel Roque (the Florida Baptist Convention’s Hispanic Church Catalyst), that there were a few opportunities to send young adults and teens on a Mission trip in 2022. I read his email, and Guadalajara stood out, but I did not pick up the phone, I simply prayed. The dates for the trip were perfect, the price was perfect, everything about it said “pick this one!” However, being COVID, and still not being sure about how to mobilize people to go to another country, I slept on it.

In December, an IMB mobilizer in South Florida invited me to go to Missions College in Richmond, VA. This is an event that the International Mission Board puts together to teach pastors and lay leaders how to be missional and partner with missionaries through the IMB. I attended with Alejandro Garcia, a pastoral intern at our church who leads our Young Adults ministry. That’s where we met Janna. She was the point person to Guadalajara. In a large-group meeting, she and her supervisor stated “this trip to Guadalajara needs someone to lead it, to say ‘I’ll be the point person here’, will someone stand up today?” She did not know that I had been praying for something to give me confidence in this trip. She had been praying that someone would have the confidence to lead it. Are you catching this? God was already at work! I knew that God was calling me to put it together. No one else in that room felt that yearning desire to lead it. In a room of 20 pastors and leaders, I was the only drawn to Guadalajara.

PREPARING FOR THE TRIP

How does anyone go to another country with 12 young adults with no international mission experience? By trusting God and training them! Everything in this trip was met with adversity. The IMB had just launched a new software, there were kinks to be worked throughout the entire preparation. However, the team from the IMB was dedicated, and they solved every issue along the way.

No one from our church had ever done a fundraiser before, and our parameters were strict, but thanks to the Cooperative Program the trip was affordable. Money came from the Florida Baptist Convention in support of this trip, and money came from those who were reached by personal letters to support this trip.

WHEN PLANS UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGE

After figuring out all the logistics, two weeks before the trip, we received terrible news: our flight had been cancelled. We would either lose 2 days, or have to shift the trip over by one day so that we could continue to be there one entire week. Rather than arriving Saturday, we would have to arrive Friday. This was a major inconvenience, since those who had jobs had to ask their employers to shift their time off. But I reminded our team Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” They did not depend on their employers; they depended on God. We were able to make the shift.

THE BEST SATURDAY EVER

Originally, we were supposed to arrive on a Saturday evening, but this change in our schedule allowed us to have an evangelistic event that could only be done on a Saturday. The missionaries stationed in Guadalajara hired a street artist that is only available on Saturdays to paint a rendition of Jesus being the Good Shepherd.

The airlines did not change the flights, God changed the flights! Romans 8:28 states “And we know that [k]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” What a testament to this. I must confess, in my flesh I could have taken that flight cancellation as a sign to cancel the trip, but the Holy Spirit reminded me of how He caused this trip.

Only one from our team needed a translator, the rest spoke Spanish, but did not feel confident with the language. That Saturday, we held nearly 100 conversations with those that would stop to admire the street art. The confidence did not come from the preparation, nor the language, but from the Holy Spirit. Having spent months reading through the book of Acts, and having learned about depending on the Holy Spirit, we knew that at some point we would have to die to ourselves, and let the Holy Spirit do His thing.

THE REST OF THE WEEK

We didn’t simply preach the Gospel, we had Gospel conversations (I may need a separate entry to define this nuance). We each asked for the contact information of every person on Saturday, so that we could follow up with them throughout the week. In addition, each Gospel conversation came with a gift; we would gift a book of John, with contact information for discipling. Furthermore, each day brought its own task. We would go to the city’s downtown “El Centro” and we would speak with strangers to continue this process from Saturday.

WHAT MADE THIS TRIP POSSIBLE

This trip was made possible, first because God ordained it, and through the cooperation of Southern Baptist Churches. The trip was financed through individuals and the Cooperative Program. The IMB provided training, connections and support. The missionaries stationed in Guadalajara provided all the logistics. We simply brought 12 young adults, from two different churches, Peters Road Baptist Church and Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer.

WHAT MADE THIS TRIP A SUCCESS

The heartfelt dedication of each person who was vetted to come on this trip. We wanted people who were available, faithful, and teachable. We were not looking for experts, but we did not want them to think it would be a vacation neither. Everyone who came on this trip was willing to get uncomfortable, sacrifice vacation time, work overtime, and read extensively so that God would be glorified. If we had 150 conversations and no one had given his or her life to Christ, God would have still been glorified, making this trip a success.

HOW CAN YOU PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP?

I would highly encourage you to go to imb.org and find a trip. Pray about the trip and reach out. When I said “yes”, I didn’t know all the details, but I knew God would fill in the blanks as I went on preparing. Sometimes we want everything detailed out, but we know that “the righteous live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

I’m advocating for the IMB because they have the missionaries ready. Partner with a missionary, find out what the needs are, and go with the intention of helping the missionary fulfill their duty. The plan was to help the missionaries with their mission, and that’s exactly what we did. They kept the contacts, and they are still doing more follow-up.

When you think of a short-term mission trip, think of the long-term effects it has. Avoid having an agenda, instead be willing to do exactly what is needed, and to take those who need to go.