By Mark Hallman

I might have the coolest job at McLean Bible Church; I work with organizing and equipping short-term mission trips around the globe. As part of this I am co-leading a missions trip to Zambia—bet you have never been there on a family vacation. Preparation for Zambia started on my first day of work this past June, and has been a constant learning curve. Here’s a little bit of dirt on the trip.

Details are not my gift: Before we take off, planning a missions trip has almost endless particulars and my mind does not do well handling details. This might seem like a problem, but I have a co-leader that is amazingly gifted with tracking fine details. The short to-do list includes: selecting the team, organizing team devotionals, writing support letters, buying plane tickets, organizing a weekend retreat, along with in-country food, transportation and housing! It’s ironic, but I forgot the rest of the list.

Zambia is really far away: According to Google Maps, the village we will be serving is 7,706.08 miles away from my desk where I write this. Zambia is, if you have not looked already, in Southern Africa and boarders Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Botswana. Nearly 50% of Zambians are 14 years old or under and the vast majority can read and write in English. Zambia is also home of the famous Victoria Falls and is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Serve everyone: We will be working with a Community Orphan Trust run by an American NGO in a small village in Zambia. We will be serving the village in a myriad of ways including: building a piggery, planting crops, ministering to at-risk children, orphan and widow home visits, teaching a health/hygiene class and vacation bible school.

If this seems daunting, let me tell you, it is. But it is much more of an honor than a chore. The Future Leaders Program has allowed me to assume large responsibilities and freedom to work in areas that I am passionate and look to grow in. While this sounds exciting and interesting, it is a lot of hard work. My job is demanding and requires that I depend on the Lord for continued strength and energy and through this I have to jealously guard quiet time with the Lord each morning so I am filled to overflowing each day. I have found that as you diligently pursue Christ, He will draw near to you. (James 4:8 “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”)

In the midst of an ocean of details in assembling a missions team, or life in general, our base must be on Christ (see Isaiah 28:16). Let Him guide and refresh you; let Jesus do this for you today.