For many people, a short-term mission service trip is an adventure of faith that tugs them out of their comfort zones and challenges them to experience the world's need for the Gospel in new ways. If you have been prayerfully considering stepping out to serve and share in another country, Lutheran Hour Ministries can help you get started—with information about an LHM International Volunteer Trip to one of our outreach centers around the world.
LHM International Ministries Partnerships Program Specialist Chris Myers says that for 2015, about a dozen teams have already chosen spring and summer projects that range from English conversation classes in Nicaragua to a children's summer camp in Russia to youth evangelism training in Cambodia. "It's exciting to see so many teams gearing up to serve already," says Myers. "But there are still more trips available! LHM is looking for groups to sign up for some great projects in Latin America, Asia and Africa."
The majority of projects will put volunteers to work on construction tasks; other mission-service activities include helping with VBS, language instruction, or health and wellness service at a medical camp. While some projects—the children's camp in Russia, for example—are linked with a particular season, most projects are flexible and can be scheduled to suit a mission team's needs.
One of the benefits of partnering with Lutheran Hour Ministries in international volunteer service is LHM's comprehensive training program, which helps heighten team members' understanding and awareness before they embark. This spring, LHM is introducing a new feature to augment its already great training curriculum: Equip for the Trip.
Equip for the Trip is a series of free half-hour webinars that bring several topics in short-term mission service into sharp focus—making it an ideal training tool even for savvy LHM International Volunteer Trip veterans. Equip for the Trip kicked off this month with Chris Myers' presentation of the topic "Why Missions?" Presentations to be offered in the coming months include
* Responsibilities and Organization of a Team Coordinator
* Serving in Latin America
* Team Recruiting and Fundraising
* Serving in Asia
* Building Trust
* Serving in Africa
* Serving in Europe and Jamaica
Information about LHM's International Volunteer Trip opportunities can be found at www.lhm.org/teams. Updates about Equip for the Trip webinars, plus links to register for upcoming sessions, can be found at www.lhm.org/teams/equip.asp.