I’m grateful your church is undertaking a mission like this, and I hope you’ll support them with your gifts, your encouragement, and most of all with your prayers.

We sometimes forget that people who live in poorer countries have very few resources, and even a little assistance can be of great help to them. Remember too that most of the members of the church they’ll be helping probably have to work hard just to keep bread on the table; they don’t have the luxury of taking off a few weeks to work on a construction project. Even a small amount of help can go a long way to assist them. The Bible says, “In the church God has appointed… those able to help others” (1 Corinthians 12:28).

But the greatest benefit, I’ve discovered, from trips like this is what it does in the lives of the participants. For the first time, many will realize how privileged they are to live in the United States, and how difficult life is for countless millions around the world. They’ll also see how God is at work in the world — and how they can be part of it. Many may even respond as Isaiah did centuries ago: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'” (Isaiah 6:8). Thank God for these young people, and support them in every way you possibly can.