2022 RtH Mission Trips

Below is our RtH Mission Trip Calendar as well as a few of RtH's Mission Trip Partners and trip descriptions to give you an idea of what it looks like to go serve alongside our mission partners.

MISSION TRIP CLASSIFICATIONS

• Level 1 - One-day, easy travel, low cost, $35-$50.

• Level 2 - Seven to 9-days, 8-12 hrs travel, $700 + airfare.

• Level 3 - Nine to 11-days, 10-15 hrs travel, $700-$1,000 + airfare.

• Level 4 - Eleven to 14-days, 25-35 hrs travel, $1,500-$1,800 + airfare.

MALAWI: Level 4 Mission Trip

A typical Malawi trip consists of water-well installation, Jesus Film Outreaches, women’s and children’s ministry, orphanage visit, eyeglass clinics, discipleship training, teaching and a 2-day safari. This trip is a "once in a life time" mission trip!

Malawi Trip Dates
May 1-13, 2022
October 2-14, 2022

PHILIPPINES: Level 3 Mission Trip

In the Philippines, we are partnered with the Wick Tribe serving the poor in Davao City. These trips are filled with outreaches, distributing food packages, running basketball camps, kids’ clubs and eyeglass clinics. This trip is perfect for those who love to work with children, sharing your faith, prayer for others, teaching, and sports ministry!

Philippines Trip Dates
June 12-22, 2022
August 21-31, 2022

COSTA RICA: Level 2 Mission Trip

In Costa Rica, we serve alongside our partner, Pastor Christopher Arista and Calvary Chapel Palabra Viva. We will be sharing our faith, teaching, hosting a women's conference, children ministry, soccer outreaches, and more. This trip is an excellent opportunity for those going on a first time mission trip!

Costa Rica Trip Dates
January 21-28, 2022
July 22-30, 2022

MEXICO: Level 1 Mission Trip If you have a busy schedule or you're a first-time traveler, our one-day mission trips to Mexico are the perfect opportunity to get a first taste of the mission field and discover your unique talents and gifts in ministry. Throughout the year, we organize outreaches, work-days, and orphanage visits in order to expand the work of our ministry partners in Mexico. Mexico Trip Dates April 30, 2022 • REGISTER July 2, 2022 • REGISTER Sept 3, 2022 • REGISTER Dec 15, 2022 • REGISTER JOIN US Interested in joining us on our upcoming mission trips to Mexico? Click the "Register" link next to the trip date you're interested in! Interested in joining us on our mission trips to Costa Rica, the Philippines, and/or Malawi? Click the image below to fill out a Trip Application!

More trips will be added & dates finalized 
as the year goes on, so keep checking back.

MISSION TRIPS CALENDAR

• January 21-28, 2022  . .  Costa Rica Trip
• April 30, 2022 . . . . . . .  Mexico 1-Day Trip • REGISTER
• May 1-13, 2022 . . . . . .  Malawi Mission Trip
• June 12-22, 2022 . . . . .  Philippines Trip
• July 2, 2022 . . . . . . . . .  Mexico 1-Day Trip • REGISTER
• July 22-30, 2022  . . . . .  Costa Rica Trip
• August 21-31, 2022 . . .  Philippines Trip
• September 3, 2022 . . . .  Mexico 1-Day Trip • REGISTER
• October 2-14, 2022  . . .  Malawi Trip
• December 15, 2022  . . .  Mexico 1-Day Trip • REGISTER

Because of COVID-19 we had to postpone many of our International Teams in 2020-2021. Please pray with us for our missionaries and the people in these countries for good health and provision. May they put their trust and hope in Jesus Christ.

2020 Mission Trips

Because of COVID-19 travel restrictions our

 trips have been postponed for 2020.

Click HERE to request more info on trips. 

2020's RtH Trips

• January 25 • RtH Warehouse Day Email Trips@ReachingtheHungry.org
• April 18 • Mexico 1-Day Orphanage Trip - Registration
• May 1-13 • Malawi Mission Trip
• May 30 - Mexico 1-Day Construction Trip - Registration
• May 31 - June 12 • Malawi Mission Trip
• June 7-17 • Philippines Mission Trip 
• July 5-17 • Malawi Mission Trip
• July 19-29 • Philippines Mission Trip 
• July 25 • Mexico 1-Day Orphanage Trip - Registration
• Aug 9-17 • Costa Rica Mission Trip
• Aug 22 • Mexico 1-Day Outreach Trip - Registration
• Sept 27 - Oct 9 • Malawi Mission Trip
• Dec 17 • Mexico 1-Day Christmas Orphanage Trip- Registration

May 2019 Malawi Mission's Trip

Gracie's Philippines Blog

Going Back

by Grace Beougher (Sales)

Going back was harder at first then I imagined. 

I was so excited to go with the team, including my fiance, Zac, and show them my life there but part of me didn't know if returning would bring back all the stress that I felt when I was there or if it would feel like a heartbreak when the time came to return to the States again. 

Ever since my first overseas missions trip with my dad to Malawi when I was 17 yrs. old (nearly 10 years ago!), I've struggled with culture-shock and heartache each time I stepped off a plane and back onto U.S. soil. Part of my heart was left with each ministry I worked with and each seed I planted/watered. However, leaving the Philippines last year to return to the U.S. was a much more severe separation than ever before. I had been gone longer this time and I experienced stress, fatigue, and loss during my time in the Philippines. Being back home in the U.S. felt comfortable and safe which made part of me want to avoid the feelings involved in returning to my host culture (the Philippines) and then having to say goodbye to it once more. 

With my dad on one side and Zac on the other, I gained the courage and motivation to return. If they experienced what I had maybe they would begin to understand my stories. 

We returned to the small mountain village where I had spent almost a month 3 years prior. The little community of believers that my previous team had the privilege of baptizing was now ready for their first church building and they were in need of supplies to build the foundation. Our small team, my dad (Carlos), my fiance (now husband! Zac), med-student (Kenya), basketball guru (Tanner), and myself were packed onto several motorcycles for the hour trip up the mountain into the village. We spent the night in hammocks, visited the homes of the people, and hosted a Jesus film "movie night" for everyone there. After our night in the village, we hopped on a bus for 7 hours and headed toward Davao (where I had spent majority of my two and a half years there serving in the maternity clinic). There we met our ministry partners the Wicks. 

With the Wick family and their ministry team we got to:

• Visit House of Hope (a home for children fighting cancer)
• Help with their kids ministry "Buhi" (much like a weekly VBS program)
• Play lots of basketball with their basketball ministry (which instills godly principles in children and teaches them how to memorize scripture)
• Serve with a food program
• Share at a truck rally (with some of the wealthiest and most influential men in Davao)
• Attend & Encourage the Wick's church
• Distribute Love Packs (food, toiletries, & other necessities delivered door-to-door to the poorest communities in Davao)
• Pray over many many people!
• Also, Kenya and I were able to serve a couple times in the clinic that I had worked with before. It was a whirlwind of a trip and God worked mightily. 

It was a privilege to show my home to the team and I was reminded of all the wonderful things I missed about living in the Philippines. It was filled with fun memories and joy and less anxiety then I had imagined in returning. God allowed me to re-experience so many things that I loved about my previous time in my host culture.

Ultimately, I was reminded that the anxieties a person can have when traveling to another country can happen for a variety of reasons. Whether this is the first time going on a trip or whether they've been going for 10 years, stepping off a plane in a new culture is not an easy thing to do, even if you're certain it's what God has asked you to do. Mission Trips are difficult; they can be stressful and anxiety-producing but when you take the opportunities that God has given you, to love in ways that He has equipped you, He will show up. God will always reach towards us through ways we couldn't have imagined and often in ways that stretch us in our fears and anxieties. Going on a Mission Trip and following through with the prayer, fundraising, traveling, and evangelism may just be God's way of reaching towards you & His children living half a world away. 

If you see some of yourself in my story or maybe you sense God asking you to reach out, consider joining RTH on the next trip to the Philippines this summer:

Happy Thanksgiving From Reaching the Hungry!

Giving Tuesday Tuesday, Nov. 27th

#GivingTuesday is coming up! Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

On Nov. 27th, Facebook and PayPal are matching donations a total of up to $7 million on Facebook. Your donations to Reaching the Hungry through our Facebook donate button on Nov. 27th could be matched! Mark your calendar & make your donation on Nov. 27th!

Mexico Christmas Outreach Saturday, Dec. 8th

We are partnering with a church in Tijuana, Mexico to host a Christmas Outreach on Saturday, Dec 8th. We're collecting Christmas gifts, blankets, & dry goods to bless 300 children & their families in this community. We're also having medical, dental, and reading glass clinics to serve the people. We will also have lots of food, and lots of fun activities for the children! Will you join us?

Safety Note: We are in close communication with our partners in Mexico and they have assured that it is safe to cross the border and back into the U.S. during this time. Pastor Carlos will being going down a couple days before the outreach to insure that there aren't any issues.

If you can't make it but would like to send Christmas gifts with us for the outreach, check out our Amazon Christmas WishList (it will send automatically to our donation intake for the outreach).

Mexico Orphanage Trip Saturday, Sept 29th

We returned to bless the beautiful children of Orfanatorio Emmanuel. It was one of the best times we've had there! The children are getting to know some that have been before and have developed new friendships as well. Here's what we did:

• The children were blessed with a wonderful story time by Rosario Franco.
• Dr. Eric (pediatrician that was with us) gave every child check-up. He reported that it was really nice to see that they all doing well and are getting good care.
• Lots of fun crafts, yard activities, and games. 
• A delicious lunch... hamburgers that were bigger than some of their heads. Plus, amazing street tacos! 
• We thoroughly cleaned all the children's rooms, restrooms, hallways, and stairwells. 
• We thoroughly cleaned their kitchen!
• We painted their back stairwell.
• We hung curtain rods in all the children's rooms.
• We fixed several doors and door jams. 
• A drywall crew went back down to patch holds, work on several of their ceilings and door jams. 
• Trips fees also provided the funds to do some badly needed roofing. 

Here's a VIDEO from this trip as well as some PICTURES.

Malawi Discipleship Training Oct 21st-Nov 2nd, 2018

Pastor Carlos & Dr. Mark Williams have returned from our latest trip to Malawi. Here's what they did during this trip (from the words of Pastor Mark):

• We trained over 100 in Discipleship Journeys with Jesus and how to use the materials (which are now in Chichewa language).
• We trained all of these in "House Church Planting" for 2 days. This was in partnership with Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI).
• We certified 23 Certified Trainers for the House Church Planting materials. (These can now train others in House Church Planting.
• We installed one water well in a village and repaired one in another village. I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel at the dedication and about 50 prayed to receive salvation.
• We showed the Jesus Film to a village and close to 300 people made decisions to accept Christ.
• We spoke at a fundraising church service to raise funds for a building for a new church plant (3 hours outside partially shaded under trees.
• We spoke to about 58 village chiefs to introduce DJJ (another outdoor meeting under trees for about 1.5 hours). Handed out 10 talking Bibles.
• We visited a mission station pioneered by the famous Scottish Missionary David Livingstone.

To continue or to begin supporting the work we're doing in Malawi, click HERE or go to reachingthehungry.org, and to find out more about Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, click HERE.

We're Back From Discipleship & Church Planting!

We are back from our latest trip to Malawi! Here are some highlights:

To continue or to begin supporting the work we're doing in Malawi, click HERE, and to find out more about Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, click HERE.

Discipleship & Church Planting w/ Dr. Mark Williams

Donate Online: Venmo & PayPal

OR

Donate through Mail: Check payable to 

Reaching The Hungry  to

1018 Ranger Rd. Fallbrook, CA 92028

Mexico Christmas Outreach - Dec 8th, 2018

Join us on our next outreach!

For More Info or To Register, Click Here

Check out our past Christmas Outreach!

If you can't make it but would like to send Christmas gifts with us for the outreach, check out our Amazon Christmas WishList (it will send automatically to our donation intake for the outreach)

Amazon Christmas WishList 

Mexico Orphanage Trip Video - Sept 29th 2018

Orfanatorio Emmanuel

We are so grateful for the time we get to spend serving this community! Check out our latest trip recap video here:

Malawi Mission Trip - August 2018

A collection of our Malawi Team's posts while we were in country:

Days 1-3

Christy Carter: We were able to travel 22 hours and meet some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in my life! Our team of 7 helped to put in 8 water wells and bring joy and the story of Jesus to 3 different villages, a total of over 72 families!!! God is good!!

Zac Beougher: Had a fantastic 2nd day here in Malawi, Africa!! The Reaching the Hungry team divided and conquered 3 wells along with games and coloring and bracelets with the women and children in each village. What a joy it is was to share the hope of Jesus with the whole village that I was at after installing the well. The Jesus film went great! Thank you, Norma, for sharing your story with the crowd there.

Day 4

Christy Carter: We were able to visit our partners orphanage. She runs the orphanage with little no help with 21 + children sometimes. She needs more support financially for those beautiful babies ....
Wade Campbell: Today RTH Team moved to Nkhoma in the south to spend time with an amazing lady, Nicole, doing God’s work for orphans. Currently, there are 21 children ranging from 3 weeks to 9 years old. As you can see affection, love, tickling and laughter are the same on this side of the world. The children sang songs like “Jesus in the King of the Jungle” and “Jesus is the King of the Universe”. God’s spirit was high amongst us. After a short break we are heading back now to spend the evening with them.

Day 5

Norma Puerta: Blessed Sunday. - Our RtH team spent the day worshipping and connecting with the people of Dowa District. Our team leader, Zac, had an opportunity to share and encourage the congregation to preservere. After the service, the Chiefs meeting was held. Multiple Chiefs shared their testimonies of abandoning their faith in charms to place their faith in Jesus Christ; they encouraged and challenged one another to be the Christian leaders their villages need. Amen! We also held an reading glasses clinic and presented Talking Bibles to village chiefs to take back to their villages. This will help the villages continue strong in their faith and walk with Christ. Thank you to all of our supporters. The LORD is blessing Malawi.
Christy Carter: Africa Day 5 - we drove 3.5 hours to attend a chiefs’ meeting of over 50 chiefs and many village members, a church service, and an eyeglass fitting for the people of the villages.
Zac Beougher: This Sunday in Malawi included a church service out in the bush in which we had the opportunity to preach, reading glasses clinic, share with the chiefs at their meeting, and then present them with Talking Bibles (audio recordings of the New Testament). Nicole (our friend who runs the orphanage we visited) was able to join us. Just a solid day 😊

Day 6

Christy Carter: Truly needed days of rest and reflection. The days in the villages were very long days and very emotional and thought-provoking days ... thank God for His beautiful creation of this world. There is so much to see and be thankful for!!
Ty Campbell: Our Malawi team enjoyed a nice rest day after the last four days of work installing a record 8 water wells, spending time with the Chief Ministries, and playing with the children at an orphanage. We enjoyed some beautiful African landscapes and animals. Sharing the word of God with some of the locals that were our escorts is what our team is here to accomplish. Tomorrow, we’ll start with devotionals and another beautiful blessed day in Africa.

Days 7-9

Nathan Giles: Today was our day of rest and reflection here in Malawi. We’ve come to the last couple days of our time here and are starting to process through everything we have experienced. With four people on our team who have never been to Malawi before, it has been amazing to see how their perspectives have changed. At the same time, my fourth trip feels so much different from my first. No matter how many times I leave the U.S., I always seem to return changed in some way. It is this time of reflection that allows us to take a step back and discover how God has used these new experiences and relationships to shape us and our futures.
Zac Beougher: The last days that brought this incredible trip to an end were full of rest, reflection and saying goodbye to our friends. It was also good to spend some time taking through how God has used this trip and process what happened. We gathered together as one team united, the Reaching the Hungry US and Malawi team for a Partners Dinner. Then, unfortunately, we had to say goodbye and the team has safely arrived back in LA. Thank you for everyone’s prayers and supporters for making this possible!! What an immense joy it is to be a part of what the Lord is doing and see how He is working in Malawi.

Malawi July 2018: Days 2 & 3 by Sophia Pelling

Day 2: Today we built two wells in two different villages. In one village we played corn hole and netball with the women. Then we shared bible stories and made embroidery crafts. The women liked to talk about Jesus and they knew a lot about Him. We shared our testimonies and they shared some of theirs. We all encouraged each other. Anna and Diana shared the gospel at the Jesus Film. We are all tired but enjoyed talking to the people.

Day 3: Today we built 2 more wells in 2 separate villages. In one village, we played corn hole with the women and made a sewing project. Although the gospel bracelets were originally meant for the kids, we had so many left over that we decided to make them with the women as well. They loved them! The women made bracelets for themselves, their husbands, and the chiefs. At the well ceremony one woman explained the beads and the gospel story. Both villages were exceptionally friendly and loving.

Malawi July 2018: "Mark 16:15" by Diana Curry

Leslie, David, John & Javier working on the water pump. 

Wonderful and Javier greeting the village.

"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creation. "

Today was a living example of doing just that. I am so blessed to be here and part of this wonderful team. Today we started with a great devotion from Wonderful from Luke 24. Then we ate breakfast and headed out to today's village where we were greeted with so much joy and enthusiasm. The women danced and sung and the Chief formally welcomed us. The day was filled with many activities from children's games, to women's ministry. The women enjoyed playing games, sitting and sewing while enjoying swapping stories and testimonies and sharing the love of Christ. And of course the well, which when completed brought the sustaining water of life to this village, Oh the singing and rejoicing was beautiful to witness and be apart of. Our very own Javier brought a wonderful teaching paralleling how Jesus brings life. We finished our time with a delicious traditional African meal of nshima, rice, chicken, and mustard greens offered by the chief. As we left the village the children ran along side our can with a thousand goodbyes. Then we headed to another village and showed the "Jesus" film which we set up in a field. So many people gathered, an the there was such a great response when Team member, Jennifer, shared so beautifully from her heart and Wonderful lead the crowd in prayer. What a glorious day!

We bumped along the road to our first day in the villages. 

Tabitha affectionately calls it “the Malawi massage.”

"Guatemala" by Carolee Villegas - June 2018

There are so many stories and experiences that surrounded us in Guatemala; the sights of a variety of lush plants in the jungle, the sounds of children laughing, different tastes in the food and so much poverty everywhere. One story that stood out for me happened when we went up to one of the villages high in the mountains. We had to get out of our mini-bus and ride in the back of a small truck to get there, hanging on as we bounced up the rutted dirt roads. I was glad there was no CHP to give us a ticket.

First we visited a small elementary school. There were maybe four rooms filled with desks. The books for the kids were moldy and crinkled. Outside the “playground” was a small uneven dirt space. There was really no place to really play and no slides or equipment of any kind. They did have a place to wash their hands and a boys and girls outhouse. The view was spectacular and the air fresh.

We went down a path to visit one of the families that lived below the school. Some of the kids were students. The houses consisted of one room built out of adobe with palm tree roofs. The kitchen was a separate space and more open to let out some of the heat and smoke. The floors were also dirt. Food was cooked by wood with some pots and a Comal (a domed pan perfect for cooking tortillas). Corn grains were soaking to be cooked later. A sweet old lady with few teeth was the cook. She welcomed us in while she was cooking some coffee in a small saucepan. I was broken by the experience. This small joyous lady was one year younger than I. She obviously lived in great poverty with little money and yet she wanted us to take a stack of tortillas with us. It was a great gift out of her poverty. I pray that God would give me such a generous heart. Would I be willing to give out of my meager supply? I have so much. Why do I hold on to it? Lord, let me use the abundance that you have provided me to help others and let go of the inessentials. I was reminded of Luke 21 vs 1-4 “And He looked up and saw the rich putting their bits into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all, for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
Another event happened as we were driving through the small towns. There were so many little rickety stores and cafes thrown up beside the road. They weren’t the nice stores that I am used to. They were built out of tin, branches and posts or poles. No bright colors or flashing windows with lights. I was struck with the thought that there were so many people living in poverty, trying to eke out a living and put food on the table for their families. We can’t help them all. Why should we even try? They are far away and it is a never ending job. They don’t even look like me and they don’t speak my language. How can I relate to them?

Then God gave me the thought that He greatly loved these people too. He sent His Son to die for them, not just for me. He placed me in a country where I never go hungry, where my house has heat and air conditioning. I have a car and a truck. I have access to education and I can read. Did He do all this because I am so special? I think not. He did this so I could do my part to help others. Jesus reminds us ALL THE TIME to reach out to others. He told us to feed His sheep, to give water to the thirsty. He gave us the familiar verses in Matthew, Mark and John: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your minds. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

We hear so much about making out country great for ourselves so that we can grow all our prosperity and abundance for ourselves. I believe that we achieve greatness by reaching out to others to lift them up, to help them gain education, clean water, access to food and healthcare.

Why do I need more pretty clothes while my sister lives where she washes her few pieces in the river? Why do I have to worry about eating too much while my brother searches for food for his family?

Lord, help me to look at others through your eyes and not look down at anyone through the scales on my eyes

This mission trip helped clear some of my vision. We also have opportunities to give to others closer to home. There is a mission trip with Reaching the Hungry to a Tijuana orphanage on Sept 29. You can go, or send items. Let me know if you are interested.

We have a mission team here at Valley Bible. Would you like to come help?

2019's RtH Mission Trips

Click HERE to request more info on trips. 

More trips will be added & dates finalized 

as the year goes on, so keep checking back.

2019's RtH Trips

• January 12 • Planning Meeting
• January 25 • Constructions Trip Assessment & Planning
• February 16 • RtH Warehouse Day Email carlos@reachingthehungry.org
• March 30 • Mexico 1-Day Construction Day Registration Form
• April 27 • Mexico 1-Day Orphanage Trip Registration Form
• May 5-17 • Malawi Mission Couple's Trip 
• June 1 • Mexico 1-Day Orphanage Trip Registration Form
• June 9-20 • Philippines Mission Trip 
• July 6-13 • Guatemala Mission Trip
• July 21-Aug 2 • Malawi Mission Trip
• Aug 13-21 • Costa Rica Mission Trip
• Aug 31 • Mexico 1-Day Orphanage Trip Registration Form
• Oct 8-20 • Malawi Mission Trip
• Nov 12-21 • Israel Bible Tour More Info & Reg Form
• Dec 7 • Mexico 1-Day Christmas Outreach Registration Form
• Dec 19 • Mexico 1-Day Christmas Orphanage Trip Registration Form

2020's RtH Trips

• July 7-16 - Oberammergau Passion Play & Reformation Heritage Tour 

Malawi Mission's Trip - April 1-13, 2018 Written by Dr. Eric Langerman

We left Los Angeles at just before midnight on Easter; what an auspicious beginning to my first real international mission trip. Thirty hours later we landed in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. We were greeted warmly by the Reaching the Hungry team led by Wonderful Chibisa. 

We wasted no time; stopping only for a quick team picture, before setting out to get supplies for our stay.  Water, peanut butter, and bread. Unfortunately, we had to go to a second store because the first had run out of the single variety of bread they offer. 

After successfully getting our lunch ingredients for the next few days we went to Mosaic house where a local congressman allowed us to stay because he is very excited about the work that RtH does in Malawi, preaching the Good news of Jesus Christ and installing water wells in poor, rural villages. 

We unpacked and everyone quickly went to bed despite it being about 1pm pacific time because we were so tired from the long day-plus of travel. 

Early the next morning we piled into a van piloted by our driver extraordinaire Knocks. We drove over a series of large potholes interspersed with narrow strips of dirt road made of red clay for 45 minutes. 

When we arrived at the villages the women would greet us with song and dance, jubilant for what we were about to do. Children without shoes would swarm us as we exited the van, many never having seen a white person before, or a van for that matter. 

Most of us would set to work straight away on constructing the well. Tabitha or Kate, two of Reaching the Hungry’s Malawian national Missionaries, would split off and entertain the children and women of the village with Bible stories and praise songs. Their singing was melodious background noise as we measured, cut, shoveled and cemented pieces in place. 

The first day seeing the well come together was nothing short of a miracle, and for the people, it truly was a blessing from God, clean water to drink, something we often take for granted. 

Once the well was finished we would break to eat local food with the people, and if there was time we would play soccer or Neti-ball with the children while waiting for nightfall.

With the sun low on the horizon, we would move to a nearby field where the denizens of three or more nearby villages would congregate waiting for us to show the Jesus film. Once it was dark we would turn on the projector and they would watch the first, and possibly last movie in their lives. 

Following the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John, we see the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, all narrated in the local language Chichewa.  It was like a symphony rising to its crescendo. The labor of the day.  The new relationships we had quickly formed.  The word we had preached. All culminating in this moment, the moment of choice. 

  

With Jesus still being nailed to the cross, the video would pause. One of us would rise, if we had been able to calm our nerves and remain seated, then join Wonderful in the center of a semicircle of Lost Sheep. All eyes fixed on us, we had five minutes to lay out the Gospel and what knowing Jesus had meant for our lives. When we finished Wonderful or John, another Malawian missionary team member, would ask the crowd if any there felt Him tugging on their heart. If any there had seen and heard about this Christ and now wanted to invite Him into their hearts forever.  Dozens if not hundreds of hands would rise into the darkness. Those who made a decision were led in group prayer.  The sound of their voices in unison pledging themselves to Jesus Christ was hauntingly beautiful. 

By the second or third day, the well construction process had become less magical to us, but had not lost any of its power for the people.  We put in six wells in those three days and for hundreds of people provided not only drinking water but pointed them towards the one who can quench their thirst forever. 

Wonderful, John, Tabitha, Kate, Memory, Knocks, Grace, Zac, Carlos, Eric. Ten people over two weeks were able to change the lives of hundreds of villagers. Malawi has 16 million people, and we touched the lives of only a fraction.  There are many more who need our support.  Who need Jesus Christ.

"How to Really Pray for a Missions Trip" by Alison Sales

"How to Really Pray for a Missions Trip"

by Alison Sales

When friends of mine leave for missions trips they often ask me to pray for their safety and pray that hearts will be softened and receptive to their message. I know that God will protect them, I know that God will not let his word return void and that God will use their missions trip for his glory. So how can I really pray, and get deeper into prayer, for my loved ones heading across the globe to share the Gospel?

1) Don't pray for safety.  Instead, pray for boldness!

I have been on missions trips with team members that have anxiety attacks, debilitating depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and numerous other ailments. And for every single trip, those dear friends who should be asking for more "safe travels" prayers and asking for more comfort are the team members who jump right into the germ-filled crowds and reach out to touch the broken villagers. God can pamper these teams with window seats on the planes and lavish them with hot showers, but no matter how safe and accommodating the trip is it is always the bold moments which have eternal implications.

Every team member would agree they want safety, but they would agree even more strongly that they do not want to miss an opportunity to share eternal safety with someone who needs it.

2) Pray for clear eyes to see and recognize divine appointments rather than for hearts softened to the Gospel. I think sometimes when we pray that hearts will be softened to our message it is because we are secretly scared of rejection. We think that God should just help us out a little more and remove all the risk in sharing the Gospel. If we had a 100% success rate guaranteed wouldn't that be great?!  But if God can do the work of taking a group of Americans out of their daily grind and move them to speak to his beloved children on foreign soil, then don't you think He has done all the preparation work we could possibly need? 

When I went on my first trip to Africa I noticed that my Dad stopped to talk to everyone. He talked to people at the gas station, peddlers by the side of the road, and the motel staff. Literally everyone!  After a day or two of this, I realized that my Dad had "divine appointments" with every single one of those people.  As a team member on the trip, I thought we were on a mission to share the gospel with the villagers, but my Dad was on a mission to share the gospel with every single person we saw until we got out to the village. He was on a completely different trip and had an entirely bigger vision for what God wanted to accomplish. Wouldn't it be awesome if every person who went on a trip with RTH had that vision? So please pray that team members would have fresh eyes to see all of the divine appointments God has planned for them. Pray that they will recognize and already softened heart when they see one.

It has often been said that prayer is not about getting God to do what we want, but it is about God changing our perspective so we want what he wants. As you pray for the Reaching the Hungry trips going to remote villages and tiny impoverished towns this year, may it change your worldview and may it bless you with God's vision for your life. 

Please keep in mind our upcoming trips to...

• March 31 – Mexico Orphanage Trip REG HERE
• April 1-13 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• April 28 – Mexico Outreach  REG HERE
• May 19 – Mexico Orphanage Trip  REG HERE
• June 23 - July 3 - Guatemala Mission Trip  APPLY HERE
• July 8-20 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• August 5-14 – Philippines Mission Trip
• Aug 24 – Sept 6 -Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• Sept – Costa Rica  Mission Trip
• Sept 29 – Mexico Orphanage Trip
• Oct 21-Nov 2 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• Dec 8 - Mexico Christmas Outreach