Callie Palmer heard about an opportunity to help share the gospel in the Galapagos Islands, famed for being the spot where Darwin birthed his theory of evolution. Reflecting back she said, “Immediately I knew I wanted to go, and now I’ve been twice. Both times my church supported the effort.” Students need to be involved in sharing their faith, but in a foreign country? I think it is one of the most significant things a student can do . . . to develop her faith and to put her faith to work.

Why should your students participate on an international mission trip? There are many reasons, but here are some I think are most important.

• Students get to see God provide for their trip in miraculous ways. Raising money for an international trip is a challenge. I think seeing God meet that challenge can be a tremendous faith-step for students. Finding support for the trip requires reliance on God–and God always comes through!
• A cross-cultural experience helps students appreciate the simplicity of sharing Christ. Even if the language is not English, students see how easy it really is to share the good news of Jesus Christ. In my experience, students who have shared Christ overseas are much more likely to come home and share their faith.
• Students return with a clearer focus on what’s really important. They are less distracted by material and temporal things. Students find out that most of the rest of the world lives without the iPod, the cell phone, myspace, and the latest fashions. More importantly, they discover those things are not what gives their lives meaning either.

Do you think international missions for your church is out of reach? Think again. Callie Palmer’s church has less than 100 members and they sent her to the Galapagos Islands two times. Your church can do it, too. Maybe you can’t send a group overseas, but you may be able to sent one or two.