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.