When I arrived at Biola in 1971, students were required to have a "Christian service assignment" every semester. Some stayed local and helped out in the various ministries located on or near campus. I guess I preferred something a bit more interesting. We were living in a strange, uneasy time when Watts (South Central Los Angeles) had just undergone major riots. It was tricky getting a gig there, but basketball was a door-opener. My buddies and I drove there every Saturday to play pickup ball with the locals. It was interesting, this new connectivity, but it led to actual friendships I treasured. People everywhere crave what they have always craved -- to be known and loved just as they are. We shot hoops and then, during "half time," one of us would share a Bible verse and the gospel with the teens who'd shown up. This was holy territory, this decrepit old basketball court in what people were calling the armpit of LA. Mission trips like these don't require a degree in foreign missions. Heck, sometimes it only means being a good power forward. Remember the theology, folks: the love of God and people is the whole substance of life.
I always look back on that semester as my first "mission trip" after I left Hawaii. There I learned street apologetics and practiced defending my faith. There my hunger for community, justice, anti-consumerism, and humility was deepened. After graduation, my next "official" mission trip was just after Becky and I had gotten married. It was to a place far different from South Central -- Germany. But the people hadn't changed a bit. They too needed a Savior to fall in love with. This is my point: life is a mission trip. Take it. With every "I am here; use ME, Lord," going into a messy world becomes less terrifying, less overwhelming.
I'm just saying there's a place for you to be yourself while partnering with Jesus in his worldwide mission. These are people, not projects. You can invest in them with all your guts.
