Questions To Ask After a Mission Trip

Last week I posted some “Questions Not To Ask After A Mission Trip.” These were not “wrong,” but they were questions that would help you understand very little of what God was and is doing in that particular place. So here are a few questions that will get more to the heart of the matter. Not an exhaustive, or even the best, but a starter list.

Question to Ask Someone Who Has Returned From A Mission Trip:

What did you see God do?

What did you learn about God?




What did you learn about yourself?

How did you overcome the language barrier (if there was one)?

What did you do? Did you tell Bible stories? Have Bible studies? Participate/lead services?

What are the needs of the people that you saw?

What do you see in the future for the people in that place?

Did you sense the prayers of people back home?

How can I continue to pray for the people you met? Can you give me names? A picture?

What could I do if I went on a mission project there?

Questions NOT to Ask After a Mission Trip

Recently I read about Paul’s first mission trip. You can read about Paul's first journey in Acts 13 and 14. Paul encountered strong, violent opposition, and also saw God do amazing things! I wondered what the people back at home base would have asked when he returned. I compared it with mission trips today. I began to reflect on questions I have both asked and been asked. That gave rise to this (and next week's) post:

Questions NOT to ask after a mission trip:
1. How was your trip? Usually this elicits a one or two-word answer that tells basically nothing. The traveler did not get to share anything important, and you really learn nothing.

2. How was the travel? Most of the time people are thinking of the long hours jammed in a tourist class seat, and that can be tedious, but it is in-country travel that can be great, wonderful, scenic, or it can be uncomfortable, rough, and scary.

3. How was the food? Possible answers may include “Good,” “Different,” “Hot,” “Bad,” etc.
Truth is, there is usually something that is good (enough) to eat, and some things that are really good!

4. Did you stay healthy? Hopefully, you’ll get a simple, “Yes.” You should be prepared, however, for a negative answer accompanied by a detailed description of the gastric disturbances that are common to overseas travel, be it mission or tourist. Unless you are interested (really) in each movement (pun intended) of the colonic symphony entitled  “Traveler’s Diarrhea,” do you really want to know this?

What are some good questions to ask after a mission trip. I’ll share a few of my ideas next week.

I Can Plod

“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”
2 Thessalonians 3:13

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9

“I can plod,” said William Carey, the father of modern missions. “That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.”*

My Pastor used this quote in a message several months back. It resonated with me for two reasons. First, because these were the words of William Carey. Missionaries have to be able to plod. The easy places, where a Christian walks into a village, town, or city, and people embrace the gospel immediately are pretty much gone. Second, because I tend to be a plodder.

All of us like for life to be exciting, and to yield fast, positive, and voluminous results. But usually, it isn’t. Most of life is putting one foot in front of the other, and pressing on. If you have the attitude of a plodder, you will eventually get there.

Plodding is not piddling. Piddling is doing something with no end in mind. Plodding implies progression toward a goal, even if those steps are baby steps. It takes, as Carey noted, perseverance to be a plodder.

Don’t get discouraged! Keep plodding.



*Quoted by, Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Comforted (pp. 108–111). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Devoted to Take Time

Okay, I am back, I hope.  Seems I have lots of thoughts about a blog post, but just haven't been very disciplined about it. I guess that is obvious since my last post was over two years ago! In case you are wondering, my health is still stable, and am now in year five of remission. Pray for many more years. Thanks!

Many of our small groups at my church are studying the Book of Acts in the Bible. I wrote most of this back in June, when I was beginning my study in Acts and happened to be out of the country on mission.


Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

I have the privilege of traveling around the world to share Christ with others. A few months ago I had the opportunity to serve with a group of wonderful believers. As I have seen on countless trips, no one has to tell participants to spend time in the word and prayer. But we don't need to take that time just on mission trips. We need to be like the people of the early church in Acts 2:42.

Today, there are so many opportunities for studying, learning, growing and applying the truths of the Gospel. Multiple translations, amazing teachers available at the click of a podcast, and many really good books. Certainly you should chose with care because all that purport to be solid are not, but many good resources are available.

The main thing is, take the time. "Take" is the key word here. Our culture is incredibly busy. You have to take the time. Take time for reading and thinking over what you read from the Bible. Take time to talk to others (fellowship) about the things you have learned or are learning from God and the Bible.