This week, Ministry Travel President Beth Banfill is on a short-term mission trip to Colombia. This is her seventh trip to the South American country in the last eight years. We sat down with Beth before she left to get her thoughts on her upcoming outreach, as well as on volunteer missions in general.
Ministry Travel Blog (MTB): You have gone on at least one short term mission trip every year for the past 10 years. Why seven times to Colombia?
Beth: After you go the first time and fall in love with the people you are hooked. When I went the second time I got to see some of the same people I met during that first trip. When I go it is like a family reunion. I don’t, however, assume that I will go back each year—I pray about it.
MTB: Do you feel that you are more effective by going back regularly and building on those existing relationships?
Beth: I feel that I’m more effective in building into the lives of the national leaders with whom we work. I wouldn’t say that it is more effective in terms of the work that we do with the people that I usually don’t see again. There definitely is something to be said about the national leaders who need to be encouraged. It speaks volumes to them when we come and assist in their work.
MTB: What do you expect to get out of this trip? What do you expect to see?
Beth: My only pre-conceived notion is that I will see my friends that I have maintained relationships with over the last number of years. I hope we will see a lot of decisions for the Lord, but I know it will be hard work. We will be in the barrios, walking the dirt roads. It’s going to be miserably hot and rainy from what I understand, but I hope that we will see new churches started. That is our purpose for going—to start new churches.
We’ll have more with our interview with Beth Banfill in our next blog. She will be sharing some tips for mission leaders and well as mission trip participants.