Short-term missions: Lessons learned over an intense summer
By Anna McShane —
Not long ago, we sent three American young people to East Asia — exuberant, lively and excited. Four weeks later, they stood as a more mature, much-sobered trio.
David spoke of the one believer he met — a young woman who is the only believer in her family, who knows no other believers except the foreigners. Her testimony is clear, but her freedom to share that testimony is totally prescribed by her boundaries. He said he had come to realize the freedom he has to shout his faith from the rooftops with no fear. He was sobered by all that he has taken for granted.
Then Alicia talked about how, from the sunny side of California, teaching English in Asia sounded so “fantastic” until she got ready to go and the enormity of it hit her. Arriving, she was hyped the first few days, until the heat, humidity and food brought reality up close.
“One of the foreign teachers took us to a village one day, and a farmer offered to let us help him plant some rice,” she said. “I was SO excited. Imagine me, with my Asian background, actually planting rice in Asia. But when we stepped into the paddy and the mud crept up our ankles, I realized this wasn’t just mud, this was night soil, frogs and other slimy things.
“The rice shoots were just spindly little things that looked so frail, not the full, lush plants that you see in pictures when they mature. Finally our guide called us to come and get ready to leave and I saw I had only planted a little corner of the paddy.
“This is what God taught me in Asia: That much of my excitement is shallow. That the real work is muddy business. That the planting is just little tiny wisps and that I leave before it’s even half done. That I have to trust the farmer to plant the rest, God to water it and give the harvest.”
Amy went with great expectations. She is bright, talented. Her expectations crumbled quickly. First she was bitten by a spider and spent five days sitting in her room with her foot elevated. “Did God send me here to sit on my duff?” she thought. Then a group of students started visiting her room daily to practice talking in English. She found a freedom to answer their questions that she would never have had in class.
She also struggled with the food, the heat, the humidity, and she felt sick most of the time. Back in the States, she stood with tears streaming down her face. “I learned I am a perfectionist, that I want everything just perfect. As I taught, I realized that the students I was most drawn to were those who didn’t speak perfect English, who made constant mistakes, but who hungrily sat by me and wanted to learn more. God had to hit me hard to realize that what he wanted was not my perfect performance, but obedience to learn whatever he wanted me to learn.”
Sobering summers. Lessons learned. That’s what short-term missions are all about.
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Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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