Celebrating Life Through Short-Term Missions

CBN.com I stood on the deck of the sturdy three-tiered boat and watched the sun emerge over the murky water of the Amazon. The tears on my face had nothing to do with the sunrise, but overwhelming gratitude. I was celebrating my 10th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. Ten years before I wouldnt have dreamed that I would observe that benchmark on a rugged missions trip.

I was 32 years old when I found the lump in my breast. It had mestasized to my lymph nodes and the statistics were not in my favor. I had a 40 percent chance of surviving five years after several months of aggressive chemo and radiation. Life suddenly seemed fragile. There were so many things I had promised to do one day.

In a sense, my battle with cancer made me wake up. We dont always have one day. Since that time I have grabbed at opportunities and have no regrets. I have swam in deep craters nestled in the shadow of volcanoes. I have eaten mannish water and fish with eyes. I have held children whose hair was crawling with lice and whose heart was hungry for compassion. I have played cricket with school children on the cliffs of Jamaica and soccer in the streets of El Salvador. I have slept on boats and traveled on rickety busses and bathed in frigid water. Ive even nestled in a tiny boat and searched for crocodile in the middle of the night.

And I have loved every minute of it!

When people discover that I travel each year on short-term missions, they ask why. After all, you have to raise your own funds and leave your comfy bed. Besides, what can you do in one week? The answer is pasted in my scrapbooks, but the stories remain in my soul. Like the young woman who paddled a canoe down dangerous waters in the night for over 12 hours. She couldnt see well and she had never owned a pair of glasses. She leaped in joy when her world came into view. Or the man who came with a swollen jaw because his tooth was infected and how the dental team relieved his agony. Ive watched hundreds line up outside small courtyards and schoolhouses to receive care. I can tell you the names of many who knelt to embrace the love of a Savior. I remember a girl in El Salvador who hung at the back of the crowd. We held a pet contest and a lively group of children held chickens that pecked and squawked, scrawny kittens, and wild parrots perched on their fingers. When we came to the girl she held out her hand. A tiny ant crawled across her palm. She won a prize for the most unusual pet. Later she slipped an arm around my waist and told me how she had never known love. As I sat with her and explained how I used to feel the same way as a child until I found the love of Jesus. It was my pleasure to introduce her to that same Savior.

Though each trip is only seven days, lives are impacted every time; but short-term missions has changed me most of all. Each trip offers new challenges, but my life is richer for it. Ive met new friends of all ages and nationalities. Ive learned to appreciate both my health and the small things I used to take for granted. I now understand the true meaning of the word poverty, and often it has very little to do with material goods.

Every moment, every memory since my diagnosis has been a gift. Watching the sun rise over the Amazon the day I celebrated my tenth year of survival was a reminder that ministering to others has been a wonderful way to celebrate that gift of life.

T. Suzanne Eller is an author and speaker. She and her husband have traveled around the world on over 20 short-term mission trips. She collects gently used prescription eyeglasses and reading glasses for dental/medical trips. You can reach Suzie for more information at tseller@daretobelieve.org or http://daretobelieve.org.