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Reagyn Harrington

Coshari Chacchia

EOL #1

05 November 2023

Is being a Missionary a waste of time and money?

I have been told for many years that my dream of being a missionary is extremely

unrealistic. For this first evidence of learning, I want to learn the truth about the realisticness of

becoming a missionary. I believe that God has called me to make a difference in the world and

that He has given me the dream to become a missionary, so to me, the realisticness of it doesn't

matter, but I do think it's important to know all the facts before going into this career.

From reading these articles I realized I have to think about the purpose for me going on

these trips because it needs to be for the right reasons, “if the purpose of a mission trip is to

evangelize, to bring Jesus Christ, His love, and the Good News of the Gospel to the ends of the

earth, then we must GO!” (Franke) but if it’s to benefit me I need to stay home. Being a

missionary does come with benefits, but the sole purpose shouldn’t be for personal benefit. It's

amazing to see the impact you're making and that will have a positive impact on you, but it's

really important to know the true reason behind your intention for becoming a missionary.

One thing that stood out to me in these articles was the openness about the income you

receive when being a missionary. It isn’t a job for someone who just wants to make money. The

income is low and there will be a lot of high expenses as you are traveling a lot. This all ties back

into the why for becoming a missionary. If you are going to share the love of Jesus then it is
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incredibly worth it, but if it's to make yourself look good you will become extremely unfulfilled

very quickly. In the 2nd article I read James Franke, a short-term missionary director, said “The

truth is that I cannot send my love in an envelope and I cannot share my personal relationship

with Jesus Christ in any other way than giving witness to it in person.” (Franke). Sure you could

“send money and stay home,” (Franke) there is still an impact that will be made with that

donation, but if you feel called to share the love of Jesus why wouldn’t you want to do it in

person? It’s not just about being a help financially but being a representation of the love of Jesus

for those who need it most and building that personal connection with people in difficult

situations.

It's believed that going on mission trips is a waste of time and money because you are

fully capable of “sending money and staying home,” (Franke) but there is something so

exhilarating about being able to see the impact you are making firsthand. These articles have

taught me that it's never a waste of time and money to share the love of Jesus even if it does

seem scary. The world is unknown, but being able to make a positive impact and knowing I’m

sharing the gospel with others will make it all worth it.
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Works Cited

Weiss, Jonathan. “True Mission or a “Poverty Vacation:” Are Mission Trips a Waste of Money?”

Family Missions Company, James Franke, 24 Sept. 2013,

www.familymissionscompany.com/are-mission-trips-a-waste-of-money/. Accessed 2

Nov. 2023.

---. “Why the Gospel Can’t Be Sent in an Envelope: Are Mission Trips a Waste of Money? Part

2.” Family Missions Company, James Franke , 30 Sept. 2013,

www.familymissionscompany.com/the-gospel-why-it-cant-be-sent-in-an-envelope-are-mi

ssion-trips-a-waste-of-money-part-2/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2023.