I am currently on a five-day mission trip in the Dominican Republic.  Frankly I don’t like going on mission trips.  Some people love them.  Not me.  I prefer speaking to a culture I understand and not having to rely on an interpreter.  I like staying at home, eating American meals, sleeping in my own bed,

However, I’ve taken a number of mission trips over the past couple of decades.  I’ve visited missions in Kenya, Poland (twice), Korea, China, India and Cuba for two reasons.  First I’m committed to doing God’s will.  When I sense I may be a source of encouragement to missionaries who have made life-long sacrifices, I go.  Secondly, I like what mission trips do for me.  Although I seldom look forward to going, I always like the way I feel when I return.

Mission trips remind me of how blessed I am.  Witnessing the joy of Christian people who live in abject poverty in third world countries convicts me of my materialism and reminds me of my ultimate hope in Christ.  I am so blessed!

Mission trips force me to trust more in God. Living in the United States in such prosperous times often makes us soft and self-reliant. Taking risks, getting out of my comfort zone, not being so protected always deepens my prayer life and my reliance on God.

Years ago I was diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis when I was in a remote section of mid-India.  We were two hours from electricity.  I was told that I had a potentially life-threatening problem and needed serious medical attention. We were fifteen hours away from Delhi and any semblance of sophisticated medical care.  Many have had more serious struggles than that, but I had always wondered how I would react when faced with a life-threatening situation when I couldn’t control my destiny.

While it was a sobering experience, I was given a personal experience of the truth of God’s promises.  He never leaves nor forsakes.  When the pressures on us increase, He pours out His spirit to lift us up.   Even though, in a sense, I was walking through the valley of the shadow of death, I feared no evil because God was with me.

That incident occurred just after Southeast Christian Church had borrowed $26 million dollars to finance the last relocation project.  The banks had required a key-man life insurance policy be taken out on me equal to half the amount of the loan.  I was worth more dead than alive!

When a doctor told me I had phlebitis, I said to a friend, “If I die here in India, can’t you just see Dave Stone getting up next Sunday and saying, ‘Folks, I’ve got some bad news….. and some good news!”  As we laughed together, I realized while I was facing a fairly serious issue, I had a peace that passed understanding. Even though I eventually wound up spending nearly a week in an Indian hospital and my return home was delayed, I was confident I was in the will of God.  And there’s no safer place to be than in the will of God.

Please join me in praying for a safe, productive trip to the Dominican Republic this weekend.  While I’m not as excited about going as those who love mission trips, I’m grateful for the opportunity to minister with Brook Brotzman, Go Ministries and the dedicated missionaries who serve there. And I’m once again thankful for the upcoming reminder of how good I have it living in Louisville, Kentucky.