What causes people to want to do this? This is the question that I asked myself as I was sitting in the Center for International Disease awaiting my Yellow Fever Shot. I hate getting shots. I have a great pain tolerance that has developed over the years of my stupidity. But still, I don’t have to like it. The large nurse appeared through the door with a very small needle and a very small dosage that is supposed to last 10 years? Are you kidding me? I can’t get my lunch to stick around for more than 30 minutes! And that little 2 ounce dosage is supposed to stay in my body how long? Science is amazing!
What makes me want to do this? Is it the adventure? I think that’s part of it I’m lying in bed at midnight watching “The Deadliest Catch” while typing this out. Those guys definitely have to love adventure. I love experiencing the unknown. I love going to places I have never been before. I would have been a great member of the Star Trek crew going to places men have never gone before. Sometimes I still try to get Scotty to beam me somewhere - probably because I hate sitting in airports so bad. The adventure is real. It is blood-pumping. It’s exotic. It’s not really natural to some but to others a complete rush that must be had. It’s addictive. The trips up the Amazon where the locals talk about the headhunters; the shirtless men of the bush wondering if you are going to be their next voodoo sacrifice; the van rides through the Himalayas. They all are exhilarating and make the short-termer really wonder; really desire to do the things that really put them “out there.” People really think you are doing something when you put more adventure in your trips.
But is that really what drives me to do this? No. It’s cool but not the thing that keeps me going.
Is it the travel? I love to travel. I hate going through security at airports. It has gotten so bad since 9/11 all over the world that it makes it a pain in the rump to even go to the airport. You really feel like you have accomplished something if you make it through airport security and you haven’t had to be searched by some hairy woman named “Bertha.” But other than that, I love to travel. I love to see new things. It was amazing when I caught a glimpse of Mount Everest just over the right wing of our Yeti Air flight from eastern Nepal to Kathmandu. It was unbelievable to see the people at the markets in Ghana, Africa. If there is any place I could pack up and move, it would be to the Philippines. I love it there. We have recently been invited to go to Myanmar (Burma) which is closed to missionaries and that makes me want to go more. I love to travel! I love seeing new things. I love seeing how people in other countries and other cultures live. That is extremely cool to me. It’s kind of like getting an inside look at the creepy neighbors down the street.
But is that really what drives me to do this? I admit. I would make a great person to team up with someone on “The Amazing Race” (my all-time favorite show right along with Seinfeld), but that’s not it.
Is it the people? The people some places are great and some places they are not. My first trip out of the United States was to Honduras. It was definitely an eye-opening experience. Right off the bat we had problems. One of the guys with our group packed some scissors into his carry-on luggage (which is a huge NONO! with the security people) so he missed the flight. When we arrived there our van broke down on the side of the road so I bought some dried out plantane chips from a street vendor. Wow! I made more trips to the John in the next 24 hours! I went more times than there were bleeps in the Ozzie Ozbourne show on MTV. And that’s a lot! Wow that dude can cuss! Anyway, there was a missionary there, Colin Jones who gave me some meds and the next day I felt like a new man! Thanks dude! While there another missionary, Wayne Ely, who had lived there like 130 years helped us with everything. He took us to schools, and churches and different trade schools and even to an Incan ruin place. Or maybe it was Mayan. I can’t remember. He was awesome! A great translator too. Then there was Moses in Africa, Pastor David in Nepal, Darlene and Don in the Philippines, Pastor Jarred in Brazil, and so many others. They were amazing people to work with. They would do anything for anyone. They carried us everywhere. They protected us. They went out of their way to make our trip successful. But you know, I think they always were glad when we were gone and they could get back to normal.
The people are part of it. They are a huge part of what happens in short-term missions. But they are not what drives us.
Is it the Holy Spirit? That’s it. If not, He is what should be it. We don’t do this for fame or fortune. (If that does happen let me know how you did it. I would love to be famous!). We don’t do this to gain notoriety with the public. We don’t do this to get a pat on the back by the people of our communities or churches. We don’t do this even to gain credit with God. Our good will never outweigh our bad. We do this because we are told to GO! We are told to Go! That’s it. The Holy Spirit puts inside of each of us the desire to obey. Obedience is a need that each of us should desire. Obedience to the whole of Scripture is what we should seek after. Obedience to go is just a small part.
I long to be like the prophet Jeremiah. He said he tried to keep from telling the people about God, but he could not keep from it. It burned like a fire inside of him where he just could not keep it in. I want that. I want to be the one who can’t help but share my story with the world.
Joey Slayton
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