A quick internet search will show just the tip of the iceberg of how many organizations there are across the world that facilitate short-term mission trips. It can be a difficult process to narrow down and choose an organization. So how can you tell which are worth supporting, and which are not?
Popular answers may point you to look at where or how the donated funds are spent, what types of people are employed by the organization (natives versus foreigners), or whether the goals of the work encourage a community’s self-sustainability or dependency on others. A more meaningful evaluation process would be determining if the organization is working toward a mission that you can support wholeheartedly.
Mission work is centered on relationships. Very few financial donors are willing to give outright to an individual, community, or ministry without first having a relationship with those who serve, or a deep connection with the mission. Short-term mission trips are often a first exposure to those relationships and to the mission. They teach participants it is possible to have an impact on others, whether you’re serving in another culture, or financially supporting someone who does.
SEE PAST CMA MISSION TRIPS
Crosswinds offers a therapeutic residential boarding school, Caribbean Mountain Academy (CMA), in the Dominican Republic. One of the perks of this school is the ability to provide short-term mission trips for various groups throughout the year. Mission teams come and stay on campus for a week at a time, working alongside the students at CMA as well as many members of the local Dominican community.