We created Believers World Outreach for one simple reason: to help hurting people around the world experience the love of Jesus Christ. When you think of a short-term missions trip, what springs to mind? Drama ministry on the streets? Outreach in poor villages?
Those are definite facets of BWO, but we are also wanting so much more. We believe people can experience Christ’s love in three distinct ways: spiritually, physically, and emotionally. That’s why we gear all our trips to touch on these three areas.
Spiritual. The most important component of our trips is the spiritual one. Everything we do on the mission field has a spiritual aspect to it, from our drama outreach to our construction teams to our cosmetology efforts. Our first priority is for people to meet Christ in a real, enduring way, so we make sure to weave His love into everything we do.
Physical. Most times, the best way to meet people’s spiritual needs is to meet a physical need in the process. Putting physical interaction at the forefront of your spiritual interaction, you’re putting your money where your mouth is. You’re saying, in a very legitimate and real way, “I care about you.” That’s why BWO places such an emphasis on caring for the physical needs of everyone we meet on the mission field.
Emotional. Hurting people need more than physical care and a spiritual encounter—they also need someone to address their emotional state. BWO understands this vital third component to our missions trips, incorporating it into the spiritual and physical portions of our trips. When our cosmetology team paints an orphan girl’s fingernails and tells her how beautiful God made her, we’ve touched on her physical and spiritual needs, but we’re also addressing her emotional need to feel loved.
But the best part of the heart of BWO, is that our short-term missionaries, while working to address the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of those we minister to, also find those very needs met in themselves. As we give, we get. And that’s the heart of BWO.

Is it possible for short-term missions to have any sort of lasting impact? Here at BWO, we believe the answer is a firm “of course!” Our short-term trips have often been a stepping stone for long-term missionaries, a way for people to test the waters of missions work.

Of course, there are many different reasons to go on a short-term missions trip. Some go to help out those less fortunate than them, some go to experience a different culture from the inside out, some go to draw closer to God, some go just to do something other than their usual routine (and wind up drawing closer to God along the way!), some go in order to gain appreciation for all that God has blessed them with.

And some go to see if a life of full-time missions is a life for them—whether they’re expecting it or not. It’s a little simplistic to say it’s like trying on a pair of jeans before buying them, but it’s along those lines. Two weeks in the mission field is nothing like a full-time commitment, but it definitely is like dipping your toe in the water of the big swimming pool of missions.

We’ve actually had several full-time missionaries come out of our short-term missions experiences. People like Danielle and Elizabeth, who are currently in South Africa training to plant churches; Holly, who spent time as an adoption advocate in Uganda and now is working with a prayer initiative in Ireland; Siouxanne, who turned her nursing degree into full-time work keeping kids healthy at a Ugandan orphanage; or Robyn and her husband Jim, who started a foundation in Uganda to love and nurture orphaned children; and Rita, who is working with Robyn and Jim.

We’ve also had families commit to full-time missions after participating in a BWO short-term trip. The Barretts, for example, who now live in Costa Rica assisting a church in Jaco Beach, or the Palmers, who moved to Uganda after spending two weeks with a BWO team in Costa Rica. In their words: “Going to Costa Rica with BWO let us know our kids could do this. We were worried about how they would travel and adapt to a different culture, but we didn’t need to worry at all. They did great! And that was one of the many ways we knew we could follow God’s call to the full-time missions field.”

The fact of the matter is, most people who go on short-term missions trips never become full-time missionaries, and if you sign up for a BWO trip, you aren’t signing your life away to the mission field. All you’re doing is signing up for a chance to let God change your heart and speak to you in a way you may not have heard otherwise. He has a plan for your life; you never know what He can do through a short-term trip.

Short-term missions has many potentially freaky-scary things about it: traveling to a foreign country; being surrounded by a bunch of people you don’t know; eating strange food… the list goes on.
But possibly the scariest part of your missions trip is paying for the thing. It’s very easy to take a look at the total cost of your trip and start to shake in your boots, especially with our economy in the mess it’s in. Or, even worse, to give up completely, saying, “Forget it—there’s no way I can raise that much money.”
The truth of the matter is, it’s a lot of money to raise—but it isn’t really up to you to pay your way on your trip. Yes, it’s up to you to do some work, sending out letters and emails, babysitting, mowing lawns, washing cars, and the many, many other money-making opportunities you have.
But the ultimate provider for your trip isn’t your family. It isn’t your friends, or the people you go to church with. It isn’t the driver of some random Toyota who shows up at the corner convenience store to let you go to work with your sponge and hose.
Your provider is God. Short-term missions sign-ups are down across the nation. The world is telling us this is a terrible time to try to raise money—but we’ve seen the opposite. You (hopefully) prayed about your decision to go on this trip, and in that instance, you opened up your support to His limitless supply. If God wants you to be there, He’ll provide a way.
We see this time and again here at BWO, and this year is no different. This is supposed to be a “down” year, but those who have signed up with us and who are doing the work they need to do are getting record responses in support. Over and over, every year, we see missionaries who weren’t sure they’d have the funds they need wind up with every penny, right on time. We even see it in our own budget!
The Bible tells us that we can plant seeds and water them, but that God is the one who makes the plant grow and produce fruit (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). So as you gather your support for your upcoming trip, just remember: you’re planting and watering. You do your part and let God do His.

If you’ve never been on a missions trip or you’ve been on one the past ten summers, the one thing that remains constant from trip to trip is this: they are never the same. The experiences, the ministry, the relationships, the culture—they’re always similar in a general way but vastly different when it comes to specifics.
So what will your trip be like? It’s hard to say for sure, but here’s what we know:
You’ll meet interesting people. Missions trips always attract a wide variety of personalities and interests. We’ve had writers, musicians, athletes, actors, engineers, construction workers, surfers, and, of course, translators along on our trips. We’ve had shy people, outspoken people, intelligent people, introspective people, fun-loving people… the list goes on, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The bottom line is that, when it comes to personalities, you’ll meet some people you’ll instantly get along with, and some who will require a little more effort. But! We can guarantee you will hang out with people who love Jesus and who want to get to know Him better. What could be better than that?
You’ll have fun. Will you work? Yes. Will you get tired and sleepy? Probably. Will you despise peanut butter and jelly by the end of your two weeks? Guaranteed.
But in spite of all those temporary inconveniences, you will have fun. Your schedule will include two rest days that are automatically fun, but you’ll also be able to look back on each ministry day and realize the fun you’ve had along the way, playing with local kids, chatting with your new team friends, figuring out the monetary exchange rate, staying up late and eating snacks you’ve never heard of before…
Your trip will be hard work, and you’ll learn a lot about yourself and about God, but when you look at all the photos you took to remember your trip, you’ll realize all those smiles are genuine.
You’ll be changed. At BWO, we sincerely care about the people we minister to on our trips, but we also care about the people who are doing the ministry. We don’t want you to come to another country, give of yourself, and go away the same.
We truly want to see you get changed as you use the gifts and talents God has given you for His glory. That change comes through your daily devotional time, through your ministry time, through conversations with other team members that may challenge and stretch you, through times of intimate worship, through speakers who deliver lessons that hopefully shine a light on God you’ve never seen before.
It’s practically impossible to come away from a BWO trip as the same person you were when you got on the plane two weeks before. That’s our heart’s desire.

Children are hungry; orphans are caring for themselves in the midst of the pain of losing their parents; families are in dire need of clean water; treatable diseases are ravaging entire countries… the list goes on.

That is why we at Believers World Outreach feel so humbled and honored to be able to facilitate short-term missions trips this summer to the countries of Costa Rica and Uganda, in order to help provide practical solutions to these types of needs, as well as meeting the important need of sharing the gospel message to thousands of hurting people.

How can you help? While BWO has covered the administrative costs of each of these trips, we are still in desperate need of supplies to carry out our mission. Here are the areas where you can assist us:

? Medical Outreach. With four total trips this summer, each with a focus on meeting medical needs among people who have little or no access to medical care, we have a great need to purchase medicine and the talents of in-country physicians to diagnose and administer them.

? Vacation Bible School. At BWO, we take care to revisit the same places year after year, and we’ve seen long-term impact on children’s lives through our VBS outreach. Thousands of children participate in our programs, and we need to purchase supplies for snacks, take-home crafts, and other items.

? Construction. Our construction teams bring the strength, the knowledge, and the sweat—but they cannot bring the supplies. This year, we plan on improving an orphanage and a church in Uganda and Costa Rica. The work we do can have eternal consequences.

? Gulu. The rebel war in Northern Uganda may be over, but its impact will still be felt for years. BWO plans on visiting this area to provide much-needed love and attention to a population teeming with former child soldiers. Our medical and VBS teams would appreciate any help you can give.

? Ongoing Missions. This year we are partnering with Calvary Chapel in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica to reach out to a community filled with partygoers and addicts, and to help our reach extend beyond our stay, we want to provide people with a small gift card they can redeem at CC Jaco.

These are just a few of the many ways you can help Believers World Outreach make a significant impact in a hurting world. Would you consider making a donation to help us reach these goals and minister to these people? Visit www.BelieversWorld.com and click the “give” button to learn more, or see the attached pledge form and return it at your convenience. Every penny you give will go to helping those in need. Can you help?

May God bless you richly,
Believers World Outreach

God has made you unique… Why not use those gifts this summer on a short term missions trip? There are many places to serve on a Believers World Outreach trip. You can probably think of a million reasons why it’s a good thing to reach out beyond your own world into someone else’s. No one questions why sharing Jesus, delivering hope, or meeting a need is vital. But in our over-scheduled,trying-to-keep-all-the-plates- spinning while keeping all-the-balls-in-the-air life, why may not be the appropriate question. But instead, why not?

Why not respond to God’s call, why not live with no egrets, why not give a piece of yourself to some of the most deserving people on the planet: Perfect strangers! It’s what Jesus did. Compelled by love he sent to a place where no one knew him and started meeting all kinds of needs in all kinds of ways; wedding catering, marriage counseling, storm chaser, childcare activities director, you name it, if there was a need, Jesus filled it. He understands the roles, responsibilities and situations of life. And often, those hings are merely a way for us to respond to the call to e Jesus’ hands and feet meeting the needs of one another. Needs that exist next door or a world away. Believers World Outreach aspires to follow in Jesus seed-filling footsteps.