A BLOG BY Will Davis-Austin, Texas–I spent 24 hours last week in Nashville with my good friends from Mission Discovery. Mission Discovery is an organization that helps individuals and churches discover missions. They specialize in introducing rookies like I used to be into the wonderful, exciting, sometimes intimidating and very life-changing world of missions.
My first trip with Mission Discovery was nearly ten years ago. I accompanied my son, daughter and several students from our youth ministry to Reynosa, Mexico where we built two homes for terribly impoverished families. I had never done anything like this before, and I had never before seen the poverty and suffering that is so common in poor countries. I went to Mexico with Mission Discovery on the last week of an 8 week sabbatical, the bulk of which had been spent in Colorado. I can honestly tell you that that week in Mexico was the best week of my summer by far.
It changed me for the better. And it changed my church too. And every person I’ve ever taken with me, and all those I’ve met from other states through Mission Discovery would tell you the same thing–It changed them for the better.
Since then, I’ve followed my friends in Mission Discovery back to Reynosa, to Tecate, Mexico, to the Gulf Coast after Katrina, to South Texas and one of the poorest counties in the US, and to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. In the future I anticipate working in Indian reservations here in the US, and orphanages in Jamaica, Haiti, Central America and Africa.
Mission Discovery is doing a world of good. They’re helping the least of these–the poor, orphans, impoverished Native Americans and those ravaged by AIDS in Africa–find hope, care, meaning and provision.
So, even though you probably woke up this morning not thinking about missions, I’d like to invite you to give 5-7 days to a mission trip with Mission Discovery in the next few months or maybe this summer. It well be rookie-friendly (you won’t be intimidated or feel left out), well-organized, fun, safe and possibly life-changing trip. It will be well-worth the time and money.
NOTE: Will Davis is the Senior Pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship in Austin, TX. Will is a husband, father and writer. Will’s latest book, “Ten Things Jesus Never Said.”
