June—Mission Trips/Travel

Do You Have a Plan?
By Robert L. Sweezey

Christ’s commission to the church is to go into the entire world teaching and preaching. Seventh-day Adventists have embraced this commission since our inception. The success of this small band of believers in spreading the gospel to virtually every nation on earth is a witness to the power of God at work through His people.

Short-term mission volunteers, especially youth, are increasingly involved in this great outreach. Mission trips build up the churches overseas, and strengthen the faith of the mission-minded people who participate. This is truly a worthwhile endeavor, but it cannot be accomplished without some risks.
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Planning a Successful Mission Trip
By David Rawson
"Can we go on this year’s mission trip?" the young people in our churches may ask eagerly. And when they do, we, the older generation, are delighted that our offspring are setting the right priorities in life. We applaud our churches for their efforts to direct these youth toward constructive and spiritually enriching endeavors. But these blessed endeavors often come wrapped in serious potential for loss. Many losses can be mitigated by insurance, and a payout from your insurance provider can ease many of the losses associated with travel, but insurance will not bring back a loved one who dies. So, what can church administrators do to protect our youth from the potential losses associated with overseas mission trips?
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Making Mission Trips Safe
By JoAnn Abeyta
Mission trips to other countries are a major function of our church. These trips are intended to spread the word of God and bring people to a closer relationship with Him. But our mission work should also maximize the spiritual growth of all who participate. Full article

Insurance and Airplane Tickets—Essential but Not Enough
By Cesar Medina Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer to lead an expedition around the world. After many weeks at sea the crew’s drinking water went bad and their food supply rotted. Their hunger and desperation drove Magellan and his men to eat rats and sawdust. Three years later, only one of the five ships and 18 of the 270 original crew members survived the expedition and made it safely back to Spain.1
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Risky Business Cartoon
By John J. Dougan

After a hard week on the mission church building project, Randy found a quiet, secluded beach, laid his head on his pack, and fell asleep, knowing that life didn’t get any better than this.