5 Misconceptions I Had About Missions

It's been a little over five months since I got back from Ghana, Africa! Almost half a year! Wow, where has the time gone?!?

A lot of great things happened on my missions project this past summer (you can read my trip summary here), but there were some wrong thoughts and expectations I'd had about long-ish short-term missions (I'm not sure what else to call my nine week trip :) ) that were soundly debunked while actually on the field! And I'd like to share five of these with you today.

**And just a quick note before we get to these five points - they only illustrate misconceptions from MY experience. There are loads of factors that could make your missions experience totally different - the people/organization you're involved with, where you go, how long you're there, what you do, etc.**

So, here goes - 5 Misconceptions I Had About Missions:

1) Mission work is glamorous. 

My teammate and I...crammed into one seat of a taxi for
2 hours in the horrific Accra traffic!

"Mission work is NOT glamorous." We've all heard this, right? But there was still something in the back of my head that told me it would be more adventurous and fun than my life at home. And that was true in some ways, and not true in others. Some days were really boring. But I'll get to that in the next point.

Something very important I learned about "adventures" is that there are good adventures, and there are bad adventures. And often times, the "bad" outweighed the "good". Sure, I had fun telling about both once I got back, but in the moment...I realized how very un-glamorous and hard missions can be. 

Like when the power went out (which it did a lot)... in the sweltering heat...and I had a bad fever already...and my Mommy was thousands of miles away! 

BUT - in these times, I was reminded all the more why I was there. God didn't send me to Ghana so that I could have fun adventures (though I did have several of those, and they were great!), but He sent me to be a light to the people I came in contact with. Just like He wants to do every day of my life.

2) I will never be bored. 

Hehe...

Even though I wanted to do something different than a short-term, week-long mission trip, I think I still had it ingrained in my brain that I would always be busy for every moment of those nine weeks. But the difference between STMTs and a longer trip is that it's more like living life...just in another country. And also, because we were a pioneer venture (aka, the first volunteers from our organization), a lot of the time we were having to figure out the program for ourselves.

A little boy at an orphanage/school we visited

So, this is a point that might be different for many of you on your mission trips, but maybe not. Just like in real life, I had times of rest. Times when I wasn't doing anything. Times when I knew I should be doing something, but didn't feel like. And especially if you go to a country in Africa, how they "do time" is WAY different than how us Americans do it! Their pace is far slower and easier, while Americans are more "Fast, fast fast! Do, do, do!" 

BUT - there was something really cool I learned from this. While sometimes I didn't feel useful, or felt like I was wasting my time, God eventually helped me see things more through the Ghanaians' eyes - that it was okay to just rest and spend more time alone with God. That it was okay to spend hours merely sitting and talking with our hosts. That doing something as simple as playing games with the neighbor kids could change them for the better.

That, just like in my home life and circles, sometimes it's the simple, seemingly useless and wasteful things that can make the biggest impact.

3) Loving others is easier on a mission trip.

It can be, since your time and thoughts are more focused, but in my experience, I encountered many of the same struggles I encounter with loving people in my regular life: 

I got tired.

I didn't feel like it.

I didn't know how to do it right.

I didn't want to do it wrong.

People were rude or annoying or ill-behaved.

People didn't appreciate my efforts.

And there were some struggles unique to the overseas mission field - never underestimate cultural and language barriers! Yes, we're all God's children and made in His image, but ever since the Tower of Babel, it's been hard to understand each other - and not just in the language we speak!

So here's my advice - if you've never done mission work in your own circles, don't assume that it'll be easier to do it once you're on the other side of the world! There's no magic switch that suddenly makes it a breeze to love and serve others. And just because the children in your friend-who-went-to-Africa's pictures look so cute and sweet...doesn't mean they always are. ;)

4) I'll get along with everyone I work alongside, because we have the same goals.

Again, not always a given. Maybe you will experience easy relations with all your co-workers, hosts, guides, coordinators, partners, and teammates...but it's not likely you'll get along with everyone!

Saying goodbye to our coordinator in Kasoa :(

Now, when I went to Ghana, I knew this was probably not going to be the case...but something things you can't really know until you experience it! Again, there are the cultural and language barriers - I can think of numerous times where there were misunderstandings with Ghanaians that caused awkwardness or frustration because we were coming from such different worlds! Even when you come from the same "world", just like in real life, there are bound to be conflicts! And sometimes, though your goals are similar, the way you go about reaching those goals are different, which also can cause conflict.

BUT - God uses that too! Just because you don't get along doesn't mean God sent the wrong person/people to work with you. I learned so much about accepting others, working through conflicts, and just seeing several flaws in myself that I hadn't really noticed before. And it's okay if you don't get along with everyone! The key is how you deal with the conflicts, misunderstandings, and dislike.

5) I know God sent me, so I should feel confident!

Maybe this is something that has only happened or will happen to me, but while I was in Ghana, I struggled with a lot of homesickness, uncertainty, loneliness, mood swings, and sometimes just feeling lost. And I cried. A lot. (see the picture below) ;)

My first morning...yeah...

Now don't get me wrong, I knew I was in the center of God's will, and He gave me so much peace along the way, and strength and resolve just when I needed it, and answered so many prayers, and worked in so many providential ways - but sometimes, just trusting and relying on God alone is scary! It's life-changing, and I grew so much in my faith...but it can be REALLY scary, y'all! 

Like when you think your teammate might be dying and have to go home, and you realize that, even if she goes, you know that God wants you to stay...all alone. And thankfully, my teammate didn't have to go home, and all was well. But it was still scary.

BUT - God doesn't promise you'll feel safe and secure and cozy. He doesn't promise that you won't miss your family. What He does promise it that He'll never leave you or forsake you. That everything will work out according to His plan and your good. That, even when everything feels wrong, we can still trust that we are in the palm of His hand. 

And THAT is what you should have confidence in.

~~~

If you've been on a mission trip (short, long, long-ish short, etc.), I would love to hear what you learned from your experience! Can you identify with any of these points? Maybe disagree, or want to add some others? Please comment below!

Are you planning on going on a mission trip? That's fantastic! It can be a life-changing experience! And don't let any of these points discourage you (that is totally not the point of this blog post)!! I hope they will help you think more deeply and perhaps learn more from the hard things you may experience while on your journey. And please comment below to let me know how I can be praying for you!

Love in Christ,

Ellie Faggion

P.S. Here's a beautiful song that encouraged me over and over again while I was in Ghana - "Oceans" by Hillsong UNITED: