Mission -What is it?

A lot of ways to answer this, but I think of mission as sharing your unique expression of Christ with others, and allowing others to share their unique expression of Christ with you.

This involves giving and receiving. You are engaging in a process.

And you let the process change you.

Any of the following can be an opportunity for mission work:

-Run into a friend, and sincerely ask how he/she is doing

-Confide about a past experience to someone in a similar situation

-Open up about your faith, or doubts, thereby becoming vulnerable

-Listen to the sincere advice of a friend, and act on that advice

-anytime!

This does not necessitate leaving your hometown or country –it can happen in the midst of your daily routine- but it does require you taking a step outside your comfort zone and connecting with other people.

I hope to remember that mission is not reaching down, but reaching out. It is realizing you will be affected by helping others, and that you may ultimately take more out than what you put in.

That is what I think of as mission, and what excites me about mission work through the Young Adult Service Corps.