Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13

Anyone who has traveled on a missions trip knows that, odd as it seems, most of the time we don't go for the people we will eventually serve. Certainly many may benefit from the work we do or the sermons we preach or the encouragement we're able to give. And it's likely that our hosts will be extremely gracious and appreciative of us being there.

No, we go there to "change the world," and discover that actually we're changed inside and are more affected by what we see and hear and taste and smell than what we’re able to accomplish. Listen to people talk when they first return from a missions trip. Rarely will people talk about bad experiences. Sure they'll mention the flat tires and engine problems and construction gone wrong, but you’ll also hear a fire and a fervency in their voices, a renewed zeal that they would never get by sitting in a pew or attending a Youth Group meeting.

There are thousands of ways of serving the Lord, but if you've never ever been on an overseas missions trip, I'd encourage you to make the decision to go one one. I've seen 6-year-olds and I've seen 80-year-olds, so age should never be an excuse. You'll re-ignite your passion for Christ and His kingdom by serving Him this way. Plus you'll inspire others to follow in those steps.