I often make mistakes, but one of my biggest was describing short term overseas mission trips as "Holidays with a heart", completley forgetting, that just before I met my wife Katie she had just returned from a short term trip to India, and had previously been to Kenya. Big mistake, one I have not repeated.My problem with overseas trips was probably due to ignorance, I had always been called to the UK and had never felt the need to go abroad. I was probably slightly bitter that young people would rush off on this trips during gap years, and get to see the world, while mission at home struggled to get enough willing volunteers. I was jealous that an overseas mission agency could be over subscribed, while the year out programme I ran was failing to get anywhere enough people.
So in my mind they were the great enemy. As per usual, I have felt the need to repent.
I spent Thursday at the home of BMS in Didcot, as part of my training, in one of the meetings, one of the people voiced the same concerns as me, and I saw in many ways how sad that attitude was. I saw him, angry and confused, and I realised that, like him, my attitude was wrong. Mission is vital, be it at home or overseas, people have to follow their call, and for some that means to people groups across the globe. Others will catch the vision for the UK, and they need to be supported and encouraged, but that does not mean that everyone will.



