A few weeks ago at CCC we invited people to participate in a short-term mission trip next February to Mali, West Africa, to continue the process of building at the Women and Children’s Hospital.

The response that morning was tremendous and I have been relying on God to fill that team. Well Praise God, our team is now complete! We have filled out both the Construction and Medical parts of this team.

If you indicated that morning you were interested in this trip but you have not been contacted, please know that I will keep you informed of our future trips. We have plenty of opportunity coming in 2010 and beyond for you to participate in short-term missions. As I confirm dates for more trips to many parts of the world I will keep you informed.

IMMEDIATE NEED! I do want to let you know about a need we have on another short-term trip that will be happening from February 27 to March 6 in 2010. This team will be going to El Salvador to work with CCC missionary Lance Grush. The team will be putting on an evangelistic program in public schools for kids from 8 to 17 years old.

The El Salvador team is almost full but I have an immediate need for two men to participate.

If you are a man and you are interested in learning more about this trip, please email me at craigw@cccomaha.org or call my office at 938-1575. I would love to give you more information.

Thank you for your interest in missions at CCC. I can’t wait to see how God continues to use people like you to reach a world so desperately in need of Christ.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how important being involved in missions is to our personal growth as disciples of Jesus Christ. When I say “being involved in missions” what I really mean is being involved with God in reaching the world around us for Jesus Christ.

Now, if your thinking that involvement means “lifestyle evangelism”…that’s not really what I’m talking about. I’m talking about physical involvement – something other than just being a good person – where what you are doing and what you are saying has a chance to impact someone towards Jesus.

So the question is, which comes first, being a committed disciple or being involved in reaching others for Christ? Often times we think we have to reach some greater level of maturity before we start to impact the world for Christ. But I submit to you that being involved in reaching the world for Christ is maybe the best way to grow as a more committed disciple!

Of course, since I am the Global Outreach guy here at CCC, I’m thinking about this in terms of world missions. I often get asked the question, “Should we be sending short-term mission teams to other countries when we could just send them the money instead?” My answer is emphatically YES, we should send people on short-term mission trips. There are many good things that come out of a short-term mission experience, but one of the most profound is that it’s one of the best tools in our modern times to grow as a RISKS disciple.

If you’ve been at CCC very long you should have heard that term by now – RISKS disciple. RISKS is an acronym that describes the kind of disciples we are trying to grow here at CCC. If you want more information about that, go to this link: http://www.cccomaha.org/explore.php. In the middle of the page it will give you a detailed description of a RISKS disciple.

Ok, back to the topic I was discussing. I believe that being involved in missions impacts you as a RISKS disciple in the following ways:

Relies on God for “Growth and Identity” – One of the greatest aspects of an STM experience is the need to trust in God due to being in an environment that is foreign and outside your sphere of influence. The less we are able to depend on ourselves, the more natural it is to depend on God.

Initiates Interest through “Reciprocal Relationships” – Relationships are formed with missionaries where they live and work. Relationships are developed with the lost and often expand our worldview with the reality that most of the world is living in darkness. Relationships are formed with team members who are experiencing the same trials and joys of the STM experience.

Serves People in “the World” – Service is often an undervalued aspect of growing as a believer. STM experiences often provide the opportunity to assist people who have genuine, significant needs that we seldom experience in America.

Kingdom Investor of “time, talent, and treasure” – This is a unique service opportunity where all three of these resources usually come into play. An STM experience requires significant time (our most valuable resource), it gives us an opportunity to use the many talents God has granted us, and it generally involves giving of our money as well.

Shaped into Christ-Likeness by “Living, Loving, and Leaning” – These experiences drive a person to live by the Spirit, to love people that we may often see as unlovable (i.e. Muslims), and to lean on others as they work with teams and missionaries and others who are focused on serving the Lord.

Our vision here at CCC is built around the idea of Double Your Impact. The best way for this to happen is for each individual person to double their impact in their community and around the world. I can’t think of any greater opportunity to Double Your Impact than to dedicate two weeks of your life to serving those in need in Africa.

CCC has invested a great deal of time, energy, and resources into building a hospital in a remote part of Mali called Koutiala. If you have been at CCC for very long you have no doubt heard about the amazingly positive impact this hospital has had on the birth rate in Mali over the last few years and the number of mothers who are enjoying life with their newborns.

CCC will continue our investment in this great work by sending another team of Construction workers and Medical personnel next February.

The Construction Team will continue work on the hospital as the second and third buildings are scheduled to be completed in 2010. These buildings are critical to the long-term strategy and the workers we send are vital. We are looking to send 6 to 9 consturction workers. You do not have to be an experienced construction worker to be on this team, you simply have to be willing to work.

The Medical Team will provide medical care at the hospital to patients in need. We are looking to send 1 or 2 Doctors with expertise in OB/Gyn, Surgery, or some other specialty. We can also use 1 or 2 Nurses with specialties in OB, NICU, or the OR. If you are a Doctor or Nurse but you are unsure if your skills meet the needs, please contact us and we can check with our workers in Mali.

Here is the key information you need to know about this trip:

Date: Feb 15 – 28
Cost: $2,600
Leader: Steve Bakunas (led our previous Mali team)

If you would like to speak with me about this trip please feel free to call me on my office phone at 402.938.1575 or send me an email at craigw@cccomaha.org.

If you would like to get started by filling out an application you can get this from:

www.cccomaha.org/resources/docs/STM_Application.doc (this is a Word document)
www.cccomaha.org/resources/docs/STM_Application.pdf (this is a PDF document)

You probably have more questions about this trip so I have tried to provide some answers to common questions below.

Why does CCC send short-term teams to Mali? CCC has had a tremendous investment of time, talent and treasure at the hospital in Koutiala over the last three years. We desire to finish this project well and continue to serve their needs.

Do I have to have a construction background to be on the construction team? No. The construction is light to medium construction and there is work for all levels of experience. However, if you have construction experience your expertise will serve you well on this trip.

What kind of Doctors are needed? The greatest need is for OB/GYN’s or Surgeon’s, but other specialties are also needed. If you are a doctor, we will verify with our missionaries in Mali to make sure they have need of your specific skills. Anesthesiologists are also needed.
What kind of Nurses are needed? Nurses specializing in OB, NICU, or the OR are the primary need.
Is there training required before going on the trip? Yes. Your team will get together on multiple occasions to learn about the culture, discussing fundraising, pray together, and prepare both physically and spiritually for the trip.
How will I raise the necessary money needed for this trip? During training we will teach you how to send out support letters and provide you with effective examples of what others have done. Raising support is part of the faith journey for any short-term mission trip.
Since this trip is to Africa will I have to get shots? Yes. A Yellow-Fever shot is required. Malaria and Cholera shots are optional but recommended.
How do I apply for this team? You can either contact me (Craig Walter) and I will get you an application, or you can click on the Word or PDF application links that are mentioned earlier in this blog.
When do I have to have my application turned in? The sooner the better. We hope to have participants of this team determined by early November, 2009.