The Worst Reasons to go on this Missions Trip

In celebration of the night before I leave, here are some of the worst reasons to go on a missions trip:


To Travel

It's quite considerate of people who need help to live in such interesting places.  What an altruistic excuse to see the world!
*Ahem*.  A tad guilty here.  But I hope that this reason comes secondarily :)  If no sight-seeing occurs, I'll be perfectly content.

To Eat Indian Food

After being introduced to Indian food while living in Houston (not where I expected to have my first Tikka Masala, but Houston's food is more than BBQ) I have to admit that  my mouth is watering just thinking of the fresh naan that I hope to encounter.  But, I'm prepared for lots of dal too.


To Get Away From My Life

After Ben died, his nurse told me not to run away to the Amazon to take care of orphans the next week.  The common lore is that some people run, when someone they love dies.  Most people also agree that you aren't in your right mind at this time.

But this isn't running, and it is just two weeks.  And any longer absences will be examined in periods of higher sanity.

Ro-Mance

Don't worry, I'm not now a widow looking for love (plus my team is largely female), but just HAD to include this as a general comment on the heady feelings a missions trip can induce... and that some certainly seek.  Jon at "Stuff Christians Like" handles this topic expertly right here.

The World Needs Me!

I am a Christian and an American.  Also, I know some really good building codes.

Gosh, I really don't feel like going into a rant about how sad it is to be uppity about those things.  Probably there is some insidious pride in all of us, linked to how we define our identity. 

In the case of this trip, I keep praying to remember to ask questions and be humble and teachable about the buildings we design.  Really, any good architect is a servant to their client's goals.  And these clients have amazing goals.


 What are my real motivations?   You can have my official answer from my application, proof-read by my mother-in-law*.

"To use my training to be a part of enabling the Christian ministries who want to help the poor and suffering, both physically and in spreading and teaching them the Gospel.
To be able to share with my colleagues and church about the work being done around the world in Christ's name, so they can pray and participate, and/or know that God shows love with action.
To keep in mind a vision for why I want to improve professionally."

*She has lots of experience working with missionaries.  Asking her to proof-read was practically cheating.