Even though COVID-19 stopped many mission trips and other events that people around the world had to cancel, this year two members of our team were able to join an organization called “God Will Provide” to help organize several crusades in Tanzania, Africa from March 17, 2021, to June 3, 2021. In the following, I will share my experience from this trip and a few thoughts about ministry in general.
It has been almost 9 years now since I have been involved in mission and evangelism, and I have seen many different approaches to this aspect. Moreover, the cultural environment is very visible in the way people organize and plan their mission trips. On this trip, most of the team members had a Russian culture, and it immediately caught my attention to see that all of them had a very strong passion for what they were doing.
To give you more context, I was born in Austria and at the time of writing this, my wife and I are currently living in Germany. So, we live in a “cold-climate” culture, in which most of society is rather individualistic. We might focus very much on the organizational aspects of such an important trip, but sometimes we might neglect the relational side of it.
Everyone has different gifts in different areas – that is clear. However, there is one element that must be visible in every area: Passion! Our excitement for God is what gives life to our ministry. Having a spirit of affection for the central part of all ministry – people – is what forms the essence of a mission trip.
Passion is more than a sentimental thought. Passion means dedication – a fire burning in your heart to fulfill God’s calling and mission in and through your life. Passion is the zeal to partner with God in a very intense and joyful way.
I saw this passion in my colleagues during this trip, and what happened there is the result of the partnership between man and God. We managed to organize six crusades in two different places in Tanzania, with over 20,000 participants. Hundreds of people were healed and delivered. Demon-possessed people were set free. Others received Jesus as their personal Savior. Signs and wonders followed us throughout this trip. In fact, I am so limited that my words cannot even properly explain how miraculous everything was.
During the setup, a strong wind blew over our banner, which had a very sharp iron rod, and it stopped two centimeters above my head. I have no idea how it stopped there. I saw God’s protection and His guidance throughout this trip, even though there were many technical challenges that I wish I could have solved earlier, but in the end, it was worth the struggle.
The lesson I take from this trip is the importance of passion in mission and ministry. As an Austrian, I of course say that planning is important and other organizational matters as well – but what matters even more is the heart and the passion behind it. If you are going to do it – do it with the right heart!