Leaving a Legacy through Short-Term Missions

Emiko Mitchell • Sep 27, 2018

I was reminiscing with my former missions leader when she said something unexpected: “The ministry area in South Asia still talks about your team as ‘the Dream Team.’”

“The Dream Team?”

Four years ago, a group of us had gone to serve in South Asia. We were there for four weeks to help a missionary couple, Isaac and Sandy, build houses for widows.

“Yes,” my missions leaders said, “you guys had brought so much joy to them, which is why they still talk about you!”

My missions leader’s words still echo in my heart. When we served in South Asia I didn’t think our short-term missions group was that special. Though we were a musically gifted, hard-working bunch, and I wouldn’t have labeled us as “the Dream Team.”

But reflecting on our time in South Asia, a few things stand out that I believe helped us make such an impact. And today, I want to share those things with anyone wanting to leave a legacy of their own through short-term missions.

Prayer and Worship

Before we rode to the village in the back of Isaac’s truck, our team started every day with worship and prayer. We surrendered the day to God and asked Him to do with us as He pleased. We were reminded of why we were there, and why we did what we did.

As we sang songs of adoration, we remembered that He was already working in South Asia. And we realized we were privileged to play a small part in that work — by moving stones, passing buckets of cement, and watching small houses rise up.

Love and Humility

Our consistent worship and prayer kept our team united, humble and loving toward one another. None of us had our own agenda, insisted on having the last word or pressured others to do things in a particular way.

Our humble leaders encouraged everyone to use their unique gifts to build each other up rather than for our egos. The most effective short-term missionaries share these qualities of love, humility and a desire for unity. It’s the greatest witness we bring, for the Lord said: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” ( John 13:35 ).

A Commitment to Encourage

While we were in South Asia, we committed to being an encouragement to our hosts , who consisted of the locals and the long-term missionaries. All short-term missionaries, whatever the nature of their work, are called to be sons and daughters of encouragement — especially to missionaries who have committed their lives in a country far from home.

At one point, Isaac and Sandy shared their unique struggles and doubts and asked us for prayer. I remember Isaac saying, “Sometimes I wonder if I’ll catch malaria and die here.” It was a privilege to be invited into this vulnerable part of their journey — and to support them through prayer, service and worshiping together.

Self-Care

In the midst of all the busyness , our team leaders made a point of ensuring we had a Sabbath day. Sometimes missionaries (long- and short-term) feel pressured not to take a day of rest. There is just so much need and so much to do about it!

However, by observing the Sabbath and taking the rest God calls us to, we didn’t let ourselves be controlled by the demands or needs we saw around us. The Lord gave us days to work, as well as days to rest and savor the beauty the country brought.

Catching the Long-Term Vision

We didn’t all become traditional long-term missionaries (two of us did). But Isaac and Sandy inspired us to a life of simplicity, obedience and dependence on the Lord.

They shared how God had led them, a retired structural engineer and swimming teacher, to trade their comfortable homes for the hot, mosquito-swarming South Asia. They shared how the Lord brought them in contact with a local pastor, with whom they work closely in advancing God’s kingdom. Moreover, they showed us how much the Lord can use a willing and devoted couple in their retirement years.

Joy of Heaven

Isaac and Sandy taught us a song that became the theme for our team in South Asia:

This is where the party is

This is where the joy of heaven abounds

In His presence we are free, to praise and shout aloud

This is where the party is

Singing with the angels, hear the sound

This is where the party is

We are dancing on holy ground

Whenever we sang this song, we burst out in dancing and celebrated the victory of Jesus, recognizing that He is Lord over our lives, as well as over South Asia.

An Unexpected Legacy

Our group consisted of three North Americans, two Canadians and two Scandinavians. We were young , inexperienced and very much dependent on translators and locals to help us navigate the ministries.

However, we prayed each day that God would use us in whatever way He saw fit. Little did we know how mightily God would answer our prayers and that He would choose to work through such ordinary jars of clay.

This year, TEAM celebrates 50 years of mobilizing and equipping short-term missionaries. And over the decades, we have seen this pattern again and again: Although short-term is, by definition, short, the legacy short-termers leave can last far beyond the duration of the trip itself. When short-termers are willing to be used by God in whatever ways He wants, He will use them for His ultimate glory.

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Bridging Dissonance: Finding Connection in Music and the Gospel

By Emily Sheddan • 18 Jul, 2024

TEAM worker Luke Standridge and his fellow musicians use music to build connections to faith in Japan. In music terms, dissonance creates movement or even suspense in a song. It invites tension. That tension is what helps grab our ear’s attention and the interchanging of these notes with pleasant melodious parts is what makes music such a delight. In a similar way, God is using music to grab people’s attention and catalyze Gospel impact in the largely unreached nation of Japan. TEAM Global Worker, Luke Standridge moved to Japan in 2019 with no clear direction on how he was going to use his passion for composing music while doing ministry. However, after Luke got involved with a local church and began developing deep friendships, the Lord opened unimaginable doors for Luke that in time, coordinating his creative skills with sharing the Word. “People Need to Come to Japan!” Growing up as one of ten kids in a family that was heavily involved in ministry and missions, Luke never considered that it would one day be a part of his own journey. In 2016, via a Japanese language learning class in Indiana, Luke and his brother had the opportunity to travel to Japan. Hearing, learning, and using the language in the context of Japanese culture was the goal. While it was Luke’s first international trip – even his first trip on a plane - it was also his first time hearing about the spiritual condition of the Japanese people. “And just through that, God did a huge 180 change on my heart,” says Luke. “More people should come here as global workers. People need to come to Japan!” The call God was laying on Luke’s heart is echoed when looking at the spiritual landscape of Japan. The nation is home to the second largest unreached people group in the world. It is one of the most difficult places for the Gospel to take hold and grow. Japan is also home to a deep and rich culture that prizes creative arts from pottery to ink to music to anime – a fact that would help Luke find his niche in life and ministry. God’s Guiding Hand In the short three-month timespan of that first trip, Luke found that opportunities came naturally to share about life, and people’s curiosity for Christianity grew. “I left Japan knowing I just had to come back,” Luke shares. “Even if I didn’t get back to the same area, I knew Japan was where God wanted me to be.” The Lord is good all the time and all the time the Lord is good. His plans do not fail. Luke returned to Japan in 2019, and less than a week after arriving, he was put in touch with a renowned composer in Japan. The composer saw some of Luke’s music and invited him to help write the music for a beloved in-country animated show. But God wasn’t finished yet! Fast forward a year, and more connections and opportunities allowed Luke to help with music for Pokémon - a franchise that has brand recognition around the world and was being developed into a TV series in Japan. Luke recalls how the Lord began using these connections in the production world to open doors for Gospel conversations. One night while having dinner in downtown Tokyo with famous artists and composers from all around the country, Luke was asked about his ministry-focused visa. This was a rare opportunity in a setting with people otherwise uninterested in Christianity. Luke shares, “The whole time I could see God’s hand in guiding the entire thing.”

Connecting in a New Kind of “Neighborhood”

By Lorena de la Rosa and Suzanne Pearson • 13 Jun, 2024

Through creative arts and other forms of innovative outreach, “The Neighborhood” is creating connections to the Gospel and the love of Jesus. CONNECTION. It’s a common word with powerful implications. Dictionary.com defines connection as a joining or linking together; a relationship between people or objects that unites or binds them together. God has created each of us with a deep need for connection with Him as well as connection with others. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks to this, as the writer exhorts, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This God-given need for connection lies at the heart of a creative and innovative ministry in Japan known as “The Neighborhood.” TEAM Japan global worker, Kelly and her family created The Neighborhood as a place where connections are formed through creative arts, educational opportunities, and simply just providing a space for people to be together. A Family Calling The journey to the creation of The Neighborhood began over 5,000 miles away from Tokyo, in California where Kelly, her husband Jeff, and their five children were living. The kids were the first to sense God’s calling to missions, and asked why their family wasn’t serving in this way. How Kelly and her family came to TEAM is a God-story in and of itself. “God placed a TEAM Japan worker at our lunch table the same week that the kids posed that question to us,” Kelly recalls. “We had never heard of TEAM and so we thought, ‘let’s check this out.’ After that, God just kept confirming that we were supposed to be here.” After a period of fundraising and with much excitement, the family of seven moved to Japan in 2014. For the first five years, Kelly and Jeff served as a part of other TEAM ministry initiatives, but they began to sense a stirring for something new. Creating The Neighborhood Kelly and her family truly have a deep gift for hospitality, and regularly opened up their home to others they met in Tokyo. They saw a great need for people to have a place to gather and connect, and they wondered what doors the Lord might be opening for them to meet that need. “About a year before we were to return the States on home assignment, we were just really thinking about our future in Japan,” Kelly says. “We saw a need for people to have a ‘third place’ – a place that’s not home and it’s not work. They didn’t have a church community or any other place where they could meet people and just connect.” Kelly goes on to explain that in Japan, the culture is such that people don’t generally invite each other into their homes, but as her family did so, people embraced that opportunity. “This idea formed in all of our hearts of a student ministry center – a place where we can create community and learning,” says Kelly. “It was born out of what we were already doing in our home, but seeing how we could expand it and have better space.” God’s Provision What happened next is a true testament to God’s provision. Kelly, Jeff, and the kids returned to the States and began sharing their vision for The Neighborhood with their supporters and churches who responded generously. Upon returning to Japan, the search was on for the right space. “We had a Christian realtor that we told our dream to, and he just went looking for it,” Kelly recalls. When the realtor found a 5-story apartment building, he said, “It’s kind of out of your budget but it has what you need and want.” The Lord provided the funds and the family moved into the space in November 2019. They now occupy all but the ground floor, with living space for their family as well as classrooms, areas to study or hang out, and guest rooms for exchange students or others who need a place to stay overnight. The first floor is occupied by a pizza shop – a welcome amenity for the many groups and students who visit The Neighborhood. “It’s very convenient!” Kelly says with a laugh. The Neighborhood began to see lots of activity right away until the pandemic hit in early 2020. During the height of the quarantine, Kelly and Jeff used the time to redecorate the space and plant gardens outside the building. Then as the restrictions eased, they invited individual students or families over for meals and fellowship. It wasn’t until March 2023 that The Neighborhood was able to fully open again as intended. Kelly shares that despite the setbacks of COVID, the Lord continued to provide the funds to pay the rent.