4 Tips To Preparing the Best Short Term Mission Trip

1. Understanding the Why of going on a mission trip.
2. Research the What with three things in mind
3. Find the Who by promoting the Why and What
4. Prepare you team with exercise in Team Building, Team Covenant, Story Telling, Debriefing, Understanding Cultural Differences, Cross Cultural Communication and Problem Solving

Understanding the "Why" of your mission trip may be as simple as digesting Acts 1:8 or the Great Commission of Jesus, but may go one step further. Asking questions like: What tangible results do I hope to see in my live and the lives of the team members? What steps can I take as a leader to facilitate the continued interest in serving God that happens after every intensive mission experience? And, how does a mission trip, youth or adult, not foster dependency in a foreign land?

The "What" really simply means what will you choose to do. What is the mission trip. As a leader of a team you'll look hard at “What” your team will do and why it is needed. Maybe it is building the Mission Discovery orphanage in Port de Paix, Haiti or leading a children's bible school in Mexico. Imagine Julian, from the Biggest Looser, yelling at you saying "What is the task ahead? Why is it important?" Answering these questions fully, by the way is the fuel for your recruiting effort.

One of the “sub headings” of answering the “What will we do?” question, is “How will be do it? And “how will we know we are successful?” The answer to these questions has to come from the team. They must “agree” how they will accomplish the mission once they know what the mission is. Every Mission Discovery team leader is taken through an exercise of creating a “Team Covenant.” The Team Covenant is like a contract. It contains the mission statement that a team will create specifically for the trip, how they will accomplish the mission statement, and the scriptural backup of each of these components. The Team Covenant can contain specifics like: We will worship daily. We will seek to serve with the heart of Christ the nationals on the field and our team. We will meet daily to debrief the events of the day and ask each other how we saw God at work. We will ask God to show each of us during our short-term mission trip to help us understand what one thing will change in our lives because we came? Etc. (Mission Discovery has an outline of the exercise that can be requested by emailing maury@missiondiscovery.org)

One of Mission Discovery’s strengths over the past 18 years has been the dedication to preparing leaders to prepare their teams of our short term mission trip experiences. "Though the content has changed over the years the outline has mostly stayed the way I first experienced it with Tim Gibson, my boss in 1990," says Maury Buchanan, Director of Mission Discovery short term missions. "One of the most powerful components of planning a mission trip for my own church recently was helping each team member know the 'stories' of each of their fellow teammates." The group accomplished this very simply with 8 feet of wire. "We ask these adults to bend the wire into shapes that explained their life's-journey with God. By the end of our meeting, the team had unfolded deep stories of the ups and downs of their walk with God." It was only one step that would end with the ability of every team member having the ability to stand in any country in the world and in 5 minutes tell his or her story of how Christ had changed their lives. "I'm always excited about preparing a team. I believe the mission trip starts well before departure, and in a sense doesn't end on the day they return home from the field."

One component not often considered in a team short-term mission trip, is the reality that there will be problems. A short-term mission trip is no regular retreat. You are placing people out of their comfort zone, often among the poorest of the poor, sleeping in the heat, eating a different kind of meal, and working through cultural differences. Not to mention the possibility of speaking in front of people which ranks in the top 10 of greatest fears of people! Great books are available in understanding problem solving. Two quick sentences to expose your team too are: While there is sin in the world, lets consider that cultures are not right or wrong, just different. Secondly, when a problem arises always look for second, third or forth “right” answer! Remember too, that problems are normal and biblical according to James Chapter 1.

Other components of the preparation process involve getting your team to experience one of the neatest forms of communication possible in a foreign field-non-verbal communication. That can be accomplished by having the team accomplish a puzzle, task without talking. Then add an element to the exercise like asking the team to not speak and use only one hand. The wackier the better! To have your team think deeply about how they communicate non-verbally even relates to how the team dresses, etc. What are the other components of non-verbal communication? “Once, we had a counselor come and talk to our youth group about what she looks for non-verbally in a counseling session.”

Lastly, the Luna Game, is one of the greatest exercises in helping a team experience what it might be like to enter another culture. It is an experiential game where a team is divided into two groups and experience together another culture, the awkwardness of communicating with a language barrier and more. If you can’t find it online Mission Discovery will send you a copy. It comes complete with two CD’s and printed handbook. (We ask that you consider a 10-dollar donation for shipping)

On the last night of your mission trip give the entire night to the team. Ask one simple question, “What are you taking home with you?” Step back and watch what happens. Resist the urge as the leader to be first, let the silence penetrate the room. Then you go last. Avoid the desire to fix or explain some one’s struggle. It is common for some team members to say, “I sill don’t understand how God has given me so much, and they have so little.” Resist, resist, resist, the urge to preach. Simply say thank you. Remember James 1.

Lastly as a leader, you have so much on your plate in planning your mission trip. But if you are leading the trip, not using an agency like Mission Discovery, make sure that you do a set-up trip. In other words spend the money to go to the field months before your team arrives to see it first hand. You’ll be better prepared to prepare your team. On that set-up trip you’ll want to look at the facility where teams will be sleeping, pass off dollars to your host missionary for supplies, research nearest hospitals for emergencies, have an evacuation plan in the event there is a need, discuss with the host missionary what his or her expectations are for your team. One of the most stressful parts of a mission trip for groups is, believe it or not, is the arrival in an overseas airport. On your set up trip take notes about your entry, when you have cleared the last door, notice your surroundings, imaging your group passing out those doors and being shouted at by baggage handlers, taxi drivers etc. and look for a place where the team can wait for their transport pick up with safety in mind.

In two week we will pass along an outline for evening meetings that has been tested and proven effective with short-term mission teams for many years!

Six Questions from Sydney

Sydney Smith was a Mission Discovery staff in Nassau, Bahamas and years ago a high school student on a Mission Discovery project in Mexico.  She sent me this request tonight:

I have a class in my graduate program on Servant Leadership where I have to interview some church leaders. Would you be one of the "subjects" of my papers? It's only 6 questions!

Here's my quick reply:

1) How did you come to realize you had a place of leadership in the church? I started working with students as a Youth for Christ volunteer in Huntsville, Alabama. I enjoyed the work, had some gifts that I discovered that worked well in youth ministry. YFC has excellent training that still benefits me today.

2) How would you characterize your leadership style? I would characterize it as encourager, coach, visionary, and servant. Willing to take the worst job.

3) How do you see yourself as a servant-leader? "Servant leadership" comes from the model of Jesus washing the disciples feet. Notice that in the verses that preceded the event, "Knowing where he cam from and whose he was." Knowing that my home is not here, my identity is not tied to me being a citizen of the U.S., I can take any job, even the lowest.

4) What kinds of conflicts have you dealt with as a church leader? Misunderstandings, adult leaders wanting to be youth leaders who are simply extending their adolescence, breaking of confidences by others, unresolved hurt, and egos.

5) What spiritual disciplines do you practice to keep the flame alive? I pray constantly, read books including the Bible, watch inspiring movies, teaching classes and speaking keep me sharp, I have met weekly with a group of 8 men for 10 years for accountability.

6) Any advice for someone who is answering a call to Christian leadership? The word "answering" is a great word. It denotes a continuing event, that God continues to "Call" all the time. I like the verse written in Revelation 3:20, Jesus is speaking and says that he is knocking on the door and if anyone hears His voice he will come in and eat and drink with you! That verse was written to believers. All of us have doors that God is knocking on. After that door is opened to God, He goes to the next door. I tend to think that the reward for opening one door, is the next hardest door. That has proved true for me. Each call, each door, is harder, but fully possible because nothing is impossible for God!

Is This Your "Corner Day?"

Who knows when those days will come that I call "corner days." A "corner day" is one of those days where a definite turn in life takes place, a sentence spoken that stops one dead in his tracks, they can either be positive or not so positive in nature.

Last night I walked into a room where an event occurred 8 years ago that allowed me to make a turn...a "corner day." The room was much the same as I remember it from 8 years ago. A rectangular shaped place with games and books on shelves filling one short wall, windows on a long wall, a huge, exposed, deafening air conditioning unit on the other long wall and I really can't remember even today what was on the other short wall....that short wall was where the "corner day" occurred. Short term mission trips in the Rio Grand Valley have started in this room for years, but this was my first time back in the confines for all these years.

Like last night, 8 years ago, I was with a group of interns preparing to start their summer of service with Mission Discovery here. A lot of laughter, prayer, great lesson from scripture and then I shared my story, how I had given my life to Christ when I was 19 and found the courage to start Mission Discovery following a question from my pastor, "Maury, will God call you to do God sized things, or Maury sized things?" The next day the ministry started. Months earlier I and all of the others in the room (staff and interns) had completed a personality profile test some call the DISC test. Stan Horrell who is on our staff now was the one who administered the test and had the results printed and in his briefcase.

Stan began to hand out the results and as he pass me he leaned over and whispered, "I'd like to talk to you about your test after the meeting." I'm thinking, "Great! I failed a personality test!" The mood continued to be festive in the room as people share the results of the test with the others and commented about how accurate it was. My palms were sweating.

After everyone left, Stan pulled me over behind a portable chalkboard on that other short wall. "You not supposed to be here are you?" he said. "The test showed that?" I thought? "Maury, your test shows that your idea of a good time is to be alone, to work in secret", and the test hinted that people scare me. He waited for my response. "Stan, the test is correct. I am the archetype of the person I invite on our trips." My sister will tell you that I was so shy in high school that I took my first date home at 8:45 pm. I had run out of things to say. It was one of the longest nights of my life! I failed many test in school, not because I didn't know the content, but because I was afraid of test! (I know you are not believing that!) I was a lifeguard in college, 19 year old and my pool manager knew I had never kissed a girl so he offered to have his girlfriend, Sonya, teach me how to kiss. What guy in his right mind would turn that down, no commitment, just one kiss. I turned it down.

It is true that when my pastor Richard Bowden posed his "God sized thing" question, I knew that God had been preparing me for Mission Discovery all of my life. I have stood before thousands of people and spoke, I have performed weddings, led chapel service for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in every setting my palms sweat, my heart races and sometimes I feel nauseated. "Maury you can't tell by looking at you with people that you are this way. You look comfortable." Stan said. It's not that God has taken me out of my comfort zone, as much as He has taken me out of my preference zone. I prefer weekends along with Ann my wife. As God would have it, Ann prefers weekends out with our friends, parties, any event, any size.

The "corner" that day was a better understanding of how powerfully God had worked in my life. That day Stan opened a door for me to open my eyes to another way God revels himself to me powerfully.

This is not the end of my exploration of this journey of mine. I find it truly amazing how God has used me in life. Friends from school who knew me, my personality, remarked how amazed they are at the work of Mission Discovery. What they are saying is, "Are you sure you started this?" My answer is, "No, I am positive I did not start Mission Discovery....God did! Because I experience His power in my life every day!"

So, ready to take a corner? Will God call you to do a God sized thing or a you sized thing? Take the question for a test drive!

My 19th June 2nd At Mission Discovery

I would have never guessed as a disc jockey in the 70's working in Huntsville, Alabama that I would be enjoying working in my passion of helping others experience God through hands-on service projects to the poor. Even more exciting is seeing someone see the incredible power of telling the story in other lands of how God has worked in their lives. I have seen every type of person come through Mission Discovery. They fall into two basic types 1) learners who are open to God working in their lives in a fresh way and 2) people ready to "fix the world." Though category one excites me, I love watching God work in category 2. Without fail, both are deeply impacted by God's touch on short term mission trips with Mission Discovery.

Charles Kimbrough, Jr. was straddling categories 1 and 2. Tough guy, in his mid 30's, good friend of mine from Hendersonville. His goal was to build the house, help hurting people, and leave. He had some expectations of how God would use him, but God broke his heart when he connected with a child at one of the homes he was helping to build. Charles returned home to bring his wife back to the Mexico mission trip. Kara, his wife, was so impacted that she had no word, I mean she could not get words to her lips because of the flood of emotion at what God had taught her. Charles is now an advocate for Mission Discovery back home, eventually involving his cousin Macon, a former short term mission trip skeptic, now a summer staff member for Mission Discovery in Westmoreland, TN.

Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus extends an invitation, "^28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (from The Message)

An invitation to a mission trip anywhere in the world is an invitation to learn, "the unforced rhythms of grace." Would you be willing to join me on a Mission Discovery project...I would love to meet you.

Preparing A Team for a Short Term Mission Project

I have been preparing teams for short term mission project for 20 years. Twenty years ago good thinkers and career missionaries saw the benefit of short term teams and began to think through how to best provide quality preparation for teams. Our own staff helped with some of the developmental processes for a group of short term mission leaders developing standards of excellence in STM's.

Now, 20 years after I started preparing teams, there are so many more resources for team prep, so here are just a few more.

First of all let's start with a simple team outline. Thee points that you and the team can refer back to, build session prep around, and lean on before, during and after the short term project. First of all, before I let you in on this simple outline, let me say that this outline is not just a short term mission outline, it really is a life outline. The outline applies to work, and family...and of course the mission project.

Every team leader I have prepared has been sent out with this simple outline, developed by former World Vision staff Doug and Jackie Milam. To go as:
1. Learners
2. Servants
3. Story Tellers

First of all every short term mission team is a group of students. Ask any previous participant in and STM and they will tell you most about "what they learned", "what God taught them". Imagine being a professional block layer going to a different culture with the attitude, "teach me how you lay block", the impact is that a relationship is built. Learners instead of teachers. Will there be opportunities to teach? You may ask. Yes, but step one is be a learner, seek to understand rather than be understood first.

Secondly as servants. Jesus came as a servant of the world. John 13: 3 "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."
We will work to serve those we have come to serve certainly, and those on our team as well. John 13:35 says, "By this shall all [men] know that you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." This is a bit radical...if your team were to love one another, all men would know that your team are His disciples. That's huge, and we will talk about how even to prepare a team for loving each other later.

Thirdly your team will go as story tellers. I Alabama, where I grew up, a story teller was a liar. That's not what we mean here. We are talking about having a team member prepared to tell his/her story. The story of what God is doing in his/her life past and present. I came to Christ when Barry Stephens explained God's love to me with a little booklet called "Steps To Peace With God". It was a great pictoral of where I was or actually wasn't in my relationship with the Lord. We are talking about something radically different here. Your story, His story in you, is powerful. It is simply what God has done in you, it is unique and powerful, and has an impact on those who will hear it. Later we will talk about the key elements of story telling, but for now just know that you have a life that is interesting, ever changing, full of drama and waiting to be told!

I'll stop here today, but look for more over time, or feel fee to call me with your questions about team preparation. Love to hear your experience.

Teachers Helping Teachers-Shrot Term Mission Project

No one is more passiont for helping teachers than teachers! It shows every time we take a group to Montego Bay, Jamaica to work at our three ministry locations, all of which have active schools. Usually in a team of 50 adults there is a teacher or two from the U.S. or Canada. They love joining a class and helping a teacher teach, even though for many of these teachers this represents a week away from the regular work of teaching back home. They are passionate.

This year two of those teachers had an idea: Why don't we return next fall (2009) with a team of teachers who could be substitutes for classes while giving Jamaica teachers a chance to attend seminars. Those seminars would provide tools for teachers to use in the classroom, share common victories and hurdles and walk away refreshed. There would be times of prayer for teacher, and the beginnings of cross cultural partnership.

Well the date is set and we are hoping for 25 teachers to join us in Montego Bay, Jamaica October 11-17, 2009. If you are a teacher, you have a passion to help others in your field and would like to travel off the beaten path....this is for you! Contact Mission Discovery 800-767-8720 for more information or visit www.missiondiscovery.org.

Who Can Go On Short Term Missions

For years Mission Discovery has offered a Pre-Field Orientation to prepare group leaders for the best possible "team experience" on the mission field. The PFO breaks down to a model of 6 ideas. To have a team arrive on the field as learners, servants, and story tellers. Focus is given to considering three more areas of preparedness: before the project, during the project and after. Most of the deep thinkers would agree that the above mentioned six elements are the gist of preparing a team.

I am beginning to be bothered though by the tremendous weight placed on STMs to produce "long term missionaries," and students who return to serve their community back home. Another study laid monetary giving as a proper measure of the productive short term mission experience. Great goals, but a one or two week short term mission project is, after all, one component in the youth leader's discipleship of his students. I have long believed that the short term mission experience has no similarities to the long term work of a missionary on the field. Short term missions, more than likely produces...more short term missionaries. The work of a missionary is hard, methodical, sometimes filled with long gaps of apparent lack of progress, study, etc. I have always believed that the goal of a short term mission experience is to produce "World Christians", not vocational Christian workers.

34 years ago I was a youth pastor. One night after youth group a parent walked in my office just to chat. "You must have a long term view of these young people you work with?" he said. "You have to imagine them walking into your office at age 34 and saying 'thank you for where you led me.'

That was one of those moments that helped shape my view of what I was doing. I began to develop memories around teaching. I looked for anything I could do to break the routine of "youth group" on the youth floor.

I got really excited about our mission project preparation because the material we used prepared a student for life, not just "mission trip". These were life skills. Being able to tell the story of what God is doing and has done in you life or Story Telling is a daily part of my life, and can also be for the middle schooler who learned how to tell his story before his mission project to Mexico.

I thought differently about the results of our mission project experience. What if a short term mission project was the start of someone working in his local government to effect change for the Kingdom's sake there? What if a short term mission project led a student to break up with his girl friend? What if a short term mission project helped a student choose how he looked at future purchases? It seemed to me that these were actually the very things that "missionaries" where hoping for from those they worked with in foreign lands. At our churches mission conferences missionaries talked about their disciples becoming high ranking officials, or mail men who could spread the gospel delivering letters, or customs officials.

Acts 1:8 offers the reader the opportunity to be a "witness." A witness is someone who sees an event and reports it. The scripture indicates that the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. This is an open invitation to everyone. I can't believe I am saying this, but it is an open invitation to the prepared and the unprepared. Either who see Him will have accomplished Jesus simple call, "You WILL be my witnesses."

Remember it is not short term mission project that lead participants to radical change, it is an encounter with God that takes the willing heart to the next most difficult journey.

Spring Break Projects a Thumbs Up in Hidalgo County, TX

“In a heartbeat!” were the works of Beth Smith from Brentwood United Methodist Church when I asked her if she would consider returning to Hidalgo County, Texas to serve again with Mission Discovery.

Beth was one of over 100 high school student that served in the poorest county in the U.S. with Mission Discovery over these last two weeks of Spring Break. The groups gutted and repaired homes, built ramps for the disabled, and made old homes new again.

Along with the construction projects the groups led outreaches in the neighborhoods for children and adults. Every leader of a Mission Discovery project bring with him/her groups who have spent weeks in preparation for their service week. The learn cultural appropriateness, language skills, and how to tell the story of what God is doing in their lives.

I know you may be thinking, “cultural appropriateness and language skills, isn’t this Texas?” Amazingly, we needed a translator for children’s Bible school there!

This week I join a Mission Discovery team in Port de Paix, Haiti to dedicate the Mission Discovery Hold the Children Orphanage. It is the exciting beginning of the ministry that is over 4 years in the making. Our sixty bed building will be dedicated today.

I spent a week with an incredible group of adults in Guatemala last month. The team of 42 came alongside Excuela Entegrada, a school for the poor in the heart of Antigua, Guatemala leading children’s Bible school, re-roofing houses, and delivering food to families of children enrolled at the school.

Two weeks ago in Jamaica, Jimmy Rivera, lead a team to serve at the Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf. The team continued construction work on the vocational building at the school.

All of the work of Mission Discovery is made possible because of your gifts and partnership! God bless you and thank you for your friendship.

The Church at Its Best

Most nights I go to bed listening to either CNN or FoxNews. Ann says that's not good for me to listen to arguing before bed. I had a dream that I argued with a pediatrician about anti-depressant drugs and Ann said it was because I had been listening to Larry King and Hanity's America....hmmm. Last night I had to wake up our dog Rudy, because he was crying in his sleep, obviously to much "Dog Whisperer".

My excuse for watching the shows is to get a pulse on what's going on in the world. This morning I read a more comforting perspective on the pulse of my world when I read II Peter 1:3,4 that says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
Here are some key phrases for me:

"EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS"
"PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE"
"ESCAPE CORRUPTION"

If I read this backwards it says "escape to participate and have everything I need for life and godliness." Everything, participate, escape....

This past week in Guatemala 37 adults joined Mission Discovery in Guatemala for a week of "participating" with God in his divine nature. They played games with children, delivered food to the needy, put roofs on houses, and honed their Spanish language skills each morning before heading out for the work day. It was the church at-its-best, with multiple denominations, styles of worship, and regions of the U.S. all in one place serving, laughing, and allowing God to touch the deep places of their hearts by going where He would go. Serving among the poorest of the poor.

God is doing a great work in the world and He invites us to participate with Him in that work. While the world's leaders struggle to find a government that works, we know that, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness."

Maury Buchanan

Mission Discovery Testamonials

Mission Discovey Testamonials from Michael on Vimeo.

Mission Discovery Hidalgo County, Texas-A Reality!

Planning is going well for the projects in the Rio Grande Valley near the cities of Alamo, Donna, Weslaco, Pharr and McAllen, Texas. Mission Discovery staff spent two days on the ground last week and Stan Horrell is returning next week to finalize some plans we have initiated. There is an agency connected with building projects for the poor and offer a great partnership for us to quickly connect with the needs of the county. We have also been invited by the Baptist Association to consider leading seminars for pastors. Most of the pastors in the Association do not have any formal training and are looking for ways to learn from others.

We are looking at the possibility of returning with a few leaders two or three nights during your week to do that. That would really be unique to the Mission Discovery experience. We have also been asked to host a neighborhood party serving food and presenting Christ with the students. The invitations went on an on.

There are over 900 colonias in Hidalgo County alone. While the homes are some what larger than what you are use to seeing in Reynosa, these homes are still in terrible condition. So all that to say, it went really well. Some of the extra events could be challenging, but we were excited about the trust level given to Mission Discovery church leaders.

We also laid the plan to continue our work in Mexico this summer from the U.S. side. We met with our broker and she explained that a constructed house is much easier to cross that the parts that we normally cross. Teams will build the wall panels for the Mexico houses, then they will be transported by truck to Reynosa.

Mission Discovery Moves Projects From Reynosa to Hidalgo and Cameron Counties, Texas

In the last two months violence has escalated in the border cities of Reynosa, and Juarez. The U.S. State Department reports that, “some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades.” While we have watched closely the media coverage of the last few days, we have also made contact with our sources on the ground in Reynosa, Juarez, Mexico and McAllen, Texas to measure current events in Mexico as they relate to the safety of our upcoming spring and summer short term mission projects.

After calls to contacts on Thursday and Friday in these regions a meeting was called on Saturday with the Executive Team of Mission Discovery to report the data from these contacts along with current warnings from the U.S. State Department. It was the unanimous decision of the Mission Discovery Executive Team to:
1) Move all of our teams scheduled to serve in Reynosa, Mexico to service projects that will now be relocated to the U.S. side of the border in Hidalgo and Cameron Counties, Texas. Hidalgo County, only 15 minutes from our camp, is the 22nd poorest county in the U.S. Cameron County is number 60. Teams will lead Vacation Bible School, evening “Jesus Film” outreaches in partnership with local churches and serve in vital community service projects such as building play grounds, renovation of homes of the poor, installing ramps for the disabled in partnerships with the cities of LaFera, Weslaco, Pharr, and McAllen.
2) Continue our work in Reynosa from this side of the border by sharing in building a complete home per week to be loaded and shipped with hand written notes, and household supplies to communicate that we will continue to remember the poor of Reynosa.

Mission Discovery has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the kinds of projects we are offering in Hildalgo and Cameron Counties. We have been invited to serve in these counties for many years, and consider this God’s direction, confident that every student and adult volunteer will walk away at the end of their week having seen our Great God do His awesome work! In conversations with the Hidalgo County Commission, they indicate that no one has ever offered to help the poor in their county in a service project of this scope and volume. They are excited about your arrival!

In every project location there are unforeseen dangers that teams may encounter. That is true with any international travel. However, the dangers to teams in Reynosa and Juarez, Mexico are evident to our Executive Team and it was these dangers that lead to our decision.

We will hold two conference calls on Thursday to explain our decision, explain the project changes and answer questions. One is scheduled for 10:00 AM Central Time and for those not able to call at that time the call will be repeated at 2:00 PM Central time that same day.

I deeply respect the decision-making ability of the Executive Team. Their travels to investigate potential Mission Discovery project locations have taken them to some of the most dangerous locations on the earth, where Mission Discovery teams would never travel, and give them a wealth of knowledge in evaluating project locations that provide a vital, and safe environments for serving with middle school and high school students.

In 1991 Mission Discovery began a partnership with pastors, missionaries and the Mayors of the cities of Reynosa and Rio Bravo, Mexico. Over 1300 homes have been built in Reynosa and Rio Bravo alone and many have responded to the Good News of Jesus presented by Mission Discovery adult, and student teams.

Our prayers go out to our partners in Mexico, Myrna Gomez President of Mission Discovery Mexico, summer staff members Valente and Grace Sobrevila and Juarez ministry partner, Carlos Galaviz. We also lift those who were to be the beneficiaries of the work of Mission Discovery in Reynosa and Juarez and ask that God would meet their needs for shelter and a quick end to the violence that troubles not only the nation of Mexico but also the small neighborhoods that many of you have served over the years.

In addition to building a house per week in the U.S. to be shipped to Mexico, an idea has surfaced to collect money from team members to bless the 70 of those families in Mexico who would have received homes. Each family would be given 50 pounds of rice and 50 pounds of beans to say in a small way that, “we are here, and we have not forgotten.” We would deliver the rice and beans in July or when conditions were safe to do so.

One piece of good news is that there has been no rise in violence in Tecate, Mexico. Mission Discovery projects will continue in Tecate. The only safety related change decided by the Executive Team for Tecate was to keep Mission Discovery’s day off event in Tecate rather than traveling to Rosarito Beach.

May God bless you in the communication of this information to your leadership and teams willing to serve God in Mexico with Mission Discovery.

Video

Untitled from Maury Buchanan on Vimeo.

Slowing Down

Ashaye Williams is 10 years old and she stopped me in my tracks.

She is HOLD the Children un-sponsored child number 21. I took this picture of Ashaye the first week of January at Victory Christian Fellowship School, one of Mission Discovery’s HOLD the Children pre-schools. For those of you who may not know, Mission Discovery has a child sponsorship ministry in Jamaica and Haiti that allow over 350 children to receive a school uniform, a hot meal daily and of course an education.

When Ashaye’s teacher brought her in for her picture Mrs. Brown said, “She is 21.” To which I responded, “Ok.” To which Ashaye responded, “I’m not 21….I’m 10.”

I looked at Mrs. Brown, we smiled at each other, I put down the camera, sat in the floor and introduced myself to Ashaye. What followed was a conversation about how much she liked school, her favorite subjects, how pretty she looked today for her picture and how cool it was to be 10. I remember becoming 10. It was the first year in my life where there were two numbers to describe my age…a 1 and zero. It was somewhat of a big deal, and it sounded to me that Ashaye felt the same.

Rich Rohde, the Director of HOLD the Children, knows every child and his or her story. I was just to be a photographer that day, but was stopped by 10 year old and reminded that everyone has a story. It was a pleasure to get to know Ashaye. The encounter reminded me that over 350 children in our program have sponsors who know them deeply, how to pray for them and their families.

I’m now looking for the next long encounter….the next great story!

Update From Jamaica Christian School For the Deaf

[I received this message yesterday from Sophia Reid, Director of the Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf, a Mission Discovery partner. Maury]
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of troubles.

Many of our staff and students are down with the flu, they are weak, have high fever not eating and having lots of pain. A lot of doctor visits and we keep running out of medication. The Lord is truly our rock and our physician, night and day.

A time for everything under the sun and its our time for cars to break down. Mary and some of our students was on their way to school on Monday January 12, when the wheel flew off and over took them.

God was and is our protector and also our mechanic, they travelled down a mountain and would soon travel down another mountain side when God stepped in. Praise God for His mercy all is well.

We will lose another of our teacher come the end of this month, Miss Kesha Robinson will leave because of personnal reason. Now at this time we need four (4) teachers.

The evil one is trying to throw us a curve ball but with all of this, we continue to keep the faith and try to encourage each other to never give up because God will never give up on us, as we continue to do His work.

Two teachers are here from Sam Sharpe Teachers College doing their teaching practice, we are so happy to have them at this time, they will be here for three months.

Our graduating class starts their work experience today, they are very excited.

The pit for the staff apartment was dug but needs more fund to put cover on it, right now its uncovered and we would love for it to be covered as soon as possible, it will cost $2000.00 US.

We ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers.

Yours in Christ,
Sophia Reid
Administrator/Plant Manager

The God of Drama

I have a friend named Macon. It’s now wonder that a man like Macon, who has such a unique personality, would love theater. Macon is a regular in community playhouses around Nashville. He’s good too. So all this to say, that, because of Macon, I have been to more plays this year than I had in my entire life to this point and I’m starting to notice some patterns. Plays that hold my attention have the following things in common:

There is a problem
There is drama
There is mystery
And the solution is a surprise

I’m sure as time goes on I’ll get better at recognizing what holds my attention but that is basically it for now.

Get this for drama. Jesus last words on earth before He ascended to be with the Father were, “and you will be my witnesses in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Verse 9 of Acts 1 says “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” Wooh what a show! Read the next verse, two angles had to tell the disciples the show was over, but that Jesus would be coming back the same way he left! At the end of the Elvis concert I attended in 1972, smoke surrounded the King of Rock n Roll and when it cleared he was gone and a voice came over the sound system to a stunned crowd and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.” This is similar.

My experience with walking with God since 1972 is much the same as the story of His ascension. My live has been fraught with drama. I can’t say that I have enjoyed every dramatic change of scene, but am on the edge of my seat while at the same time a co-writer of the events to come!

Imagine walking out on stage and all of the actors are speaking in other languages. Imagine entering stage left and a fellow “actor” hands you an orphan, “here, change his diaper.” You’re on stage following a tractor-trailer loaded with all the lumber for houses for the poor in Mexico and it flips over on a sharp curve and catches fire! (That really happened too!) Or an elephant turns toward the car you are driving (a small Toyota), floats his ears forward to warn you to “back off!” Or a homeless man warns you to back off or he will punch you out, later only to weep in prayer as he experiences God’s love and all in the middle of a gas station parking lot at the corner of Expressway 83 and 10th Street in McAllen, TX. Caleb, remember that?

Macon, thanks for introducing me to your world. God thank you for inviting me to Yours too!