puertorico - Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Mission trips are a time for new experiences. They are a time for you to try new things. They are a time for you to have conversations with people you don't know. They are a time for you to get deeper with people you've known for years. All that sounds great, but it also sounds uncomfortable.

"If we never get out of our comfort zones, we can't grow into the places God has prepared for us."

-Seth Barnes, Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline

Here's a story from one of our past trips to Puerto Rico by Jeff Goins:

We began with a trip to a nearby park, where we spent the first hour of the day in prayer, pressing in to hear from God. Then, the group split up into teams to minister to anyone at the park. It started with a prayer walk.

We were hoping for divine appointments.

One group found their ministry with a group of children. The other had to leave the park and walk to a nearby plaza, where they started a pickup game of soccer, inviting others to join them.

Afterwards, we were all astounded at how much easier than we thought it was to start a conversation or meet someone in a foreign country (even with a language barrier).

After lunch, we visited a neighborhood, breaking up into small groups to visit hundreds of homes. We offered prayer and encouragement to anyone who was willing to receive it.

Some declined, while others gladly shared requests for improved health, reconciled relationships, and even peace on earth. All in all, it was an exercise of faith, in which we each learned the importance of being bold.

In the evening, we debriefed and enjoyed a time of worship and prayer together. The church's worship leader Joel challenged us to take our worship seriously this week, and to go deeper than we've ever gone before.