Lesson #2: Loaf of Bread or Bread of Life?

One of the reasons people return over and over again to locations such as Honduras for missions trip is that there is an immediate "feel good" response for what is accomplished.  Honduras is #121 in the list of countries according to their GDP, with an average of $1881/person (US is #9 with $46,381).  Poverty is the norm in Honduras.  Many people have no idea where their next meal will come from and very few have homes that we would call much more than a shack or hut.  School is only required for six years, but only required if the government offers a school and you can afford the required clothing, so the literacy rate in some areas is minimal.  Generations of families have lived at the city dump and generations to come will continue to live there. 

Mission trips to Honduras focus on sharing Jesus through meeting material needs.  Health, dental, food, clothing and more are the focus of trip after trip.  So many teams come to Honduras that one place we visited to shop for souvenirs had t-shirts, magnets, hats, etc. that said "I survived a mission trip to Honduras." 

When working in Honduras there is immediate positive feedback for the ministry you offer.  Smiles and words of gratitude break your heart as you serve.  You can tell immediately that you have made a difference in the lives of Hondurans, even if only for a brief moment.  Missions in Honduras makes you feel good.

Wait, before you react - don't get me wrong.  There are many in Honduras who need to hear the message of Jesus Christ.  There are areas of Honduras where there are no believers in the village.  Honduras needs Jesus!

But, here is the lesson I learned - take a team to some place like Honduras and the team comes back ready to change the world.  Their hearts are broken and they are excited and on fire for missions.   They cannot wait to share a "loaf of bread" with someone and then share Jesus.  Take a team to some place like Ukraine or Spain where there is no need for a "loaf of bread," but instead just the "bread of life" and the team comes back excited about what they did, but often not broken hearted at all. 

Missions often doesn't have immediate feedback of "good feelings."  Once again, I had to step back and evaluate my own feelings.  Is my heart just as broken over people who do not have the "bread of life" as it is over those who need a "loaf of bread?"  Do I come home ready to change the world because of the number I met who needed the "bread of life" or do I just think that is how it is?  What about you?  Are you broken over hearing there are less than 1% of the Spanish population who have the "bread of life?"  What is your reaction to the fact that the team I am leading to Eastern Europe in two weeks has yet to receive permission from the government to teach Sunday School teachers how to teach?  I challenge you to look deep in your heart and ask is how broken is your heart over "loaves of bread" and the "bread of life?"