Did you know that pursuing good personal health is a powerful way to impact the Kingdom of God? It’s true!
You are a valuable part of God’s creation and made in His image - that means you are worth wellness. Yes, even on a mission trip when you're there to serve others.
During mission trips, you have to be intentional with how you spend every minute of your time. You have to put effort into making your health, both mental and physical, the main character of your mission trips. Good health can help ensure we are ready and able to obey the Holy Spirit wherever He leads us, and practicing healthy habits in the missions field can set the stage for a fruitful and fun outreach.
Interested in outreach? Apply for Discipleship Training School (DTS) with YWAM Orlando!
What Is Missions Outreach?
Missions outreach is a core component of discipleship training and Christian gap year programs. At its core, it is an international mission trip that allows young Christians, from high school students and youth groups to college students, to get out of their comfort zone and serve and share the love of Jesus Christ with people from different cultures and communities around the world.
Outreach is the second phase of YWAM Orlando's Discipleship Training School. While there is no shortage of mission trip opportunities for young Christians, our missions training experience is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get to know God and make Him known across the nations.
After 12 weeks of immersive training on our campus just outside of Orlando, Florida, you'll spend 8 weeks doing overseas missions. Travel to beautiful destinations, participate in service and ministry, lead worship in local churches, and take the first step toward living without fear for the rest of your life!
While outreach experiences, especially summer mission trips, can be very active depending on the location and specific mission work, it's important to take the time to invest in your health during your stay or while traveling overseas. If you are not in good health, you may not be able to serve the people of this new country as well.
Interested in a life-changing mission trip? Apply for DTS today!
How to Stay Healthy During a Mission Trip
1. SLEEP WELL
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. reported not getting enough sleep every night. Sleep deficiency may not seem like a big deal, but it can quickly start to negatively affect your physical and mental health.
Mission trip outreach is an exciting time, and if you’re traveling with a team, it can be a new bonding experience with your fellow students. Daily responsibilities, ministry, and devotions may lead you to rise early in the morning, and fun social times in the evening can easily tempt you from going to bed on time.
Even with so much to do and see, it’s worth getting quality rest. Besides supporting your immune system, adequate sleep helps you feel refreshed and energized during ministry times. You’ll also have better quality time with your team during your off hours.
2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TRAVEL BREAKS
Often outreach consists of a lot of time on the road or in the air. Not only can travel leave your immune system compromised, but all that time sitting down can leave you feeling sore and stiff and even pose a risk of blot clots in some rarer cases.
The good thing is that time in transit is usually punctuated with small breaks or rest stops - even international air travel has times when you get up and move around the cabin. Take advantage of these breaks whenever you can by getting up and walking, stretching, or doing some light exercises.
3. KEEP A JOURNAL
During your outreach, you’ll be pretty busy exploring new places, meeting and ministering to new people, and trying new things. Journaling serves two purposes: to reflect on and remember the day’s activities, and to give yourself time to decompress and practice self-reflection.
Self-reflection is an important part of spiritual and emotional health; it will help you grow as a person and realize the significance of your mission trip. Even short-term mission trips can be jam-packed with fun and transformational details that you'll want to remember and reflect on later.
Ready to start your next travel journal? Apply for a DTS today.
4. HYDRATE
Water, water, water! Keeping up with your health requires special attention to your hydration, especially during outreach.
Outreach locations and activities can vary dramatically, and this can have an impact on just how much water you need. Warm locations and physically demanding outreach activities will increase your need for water.
Even during cooler, milder outreaches, it’s easy to be swept up in the busyness of the day and forget to drink enough. Monitoring your water intake and drinking an appropriate amount is one of the easiest things you can do to ensure a healthy outreach.
Bottled water won't always be readily available, so we recommend drinking when you can and bringing an eco-friendly, reusable water bottle with you on outreach.
5. BUILD QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS
Healthy relationships are vital in every season of life, but especially for young people. Because you’ll be working with your team closely, it’s wise to put effort into building good relationships with your team.
The Campus Phase of YWAM Orlando’s Discipleship Training School provides a unique opportunity to learn and grow with your team before outreach. When you’re on outreach, it’s good to continue to care for those relationships while you build new ones with the people to whom you’re ministering.
Prioritizing healthy relationships will create a stress-free environment and pave the way for a super enjoyable outreach experience.
Want to know more about DTS? Contact YWAM Orlando to talk to a coach and get answers to your most burning outreach questions.
6. HAVE DAILY QUIET TIME
Yes, having quiet time is an important part of maintaining good health on outreach.
The psalmist writes, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul thirsts for God."
In the same way, our physical bodies require nourishment to be well, our souls require time with the Lord to be satisfied. Setting aside time each day for quiet and reflection is an opportunity to take your worries and concerns to the Lord, to allow him to minister to your heart, and to prepare for the day’s ministry.
Mental and spiritual health go hand in hand with our physical health. You can't have one without the other.
7. PRIORITIZE HEALTHY EATING
One of the most exciting things about traveling to other countries is the opportunity to try out new and yummy international foods. But it's important to remember that how we eat has an enormous impact on our health, so be sure to prioritize healthy eating as you try new things.
Because certain cultures may subsist on diets heavy in grains, starches, and meats, be sure to keep an eye out for fresh fruits and vegetables when you can. Eating is something you do every day, and eating well usually doesn’t require any extra steps or more work - it’s just something you have to choose!
8. HAVE AN EXERCISE ROUTINE (AND KEEP IT SIMPLE!)
Fitness can be an easy thing to neglect when you’re traveling. To make sure your personal fitness doesn’t slip through the cracks, create a super simple routine, and stick to it.
I brought a jump rope to use during my Discipleship Training School outreach to Delhi, India. It was easy to incorporate jump rope time and calisthenics into my morning schedule. Sure, it wasn’t the most exciting routine, but it was just enough to help me stay fit on outreach.
I also loved brisk morning walks; not only did they help keep me active, but they allowed me to see more of the city I was living in. When it comes to personal fitness, don’t make it complicated; just be consistent.
9. PRACTICE SELF-CARE
Self-care is the act of tending to the needs of someone super important: you!
It’s good to be mindful of your personal needs and create routines that help you meet them. God is interested in you and your health, so I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to give you a strategy for caring for yourself on the mission field.
Remember, caring for our own needs does not exempt us from caring for the needs of others. Fruitful outreaches require that we practice a loving preference for our team members and those to whom we minister. The wonderful thing is, as we care well for ourselves, it enables us to care better for those we are serving.
Learn to care better for yourself and those around you when you do a DTS with YWAM Orlando. Apply today!
Have a Great Outreach and Missions Trip Experience!
Time spent in missions is certainly a blessing - both to those being served and those who are serving. God uses outreach times to change the world through our efforts. In addition, he transforms us as we obey him in faith.
Whether you are preparing for outreach or you’re already on the field, we invite you to consider that one of the most valuable gifts you can give someone is a healthy you! From all of us here at Youth With A Mission Orlando, we wish you a happy, healthy outreach!
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Written By:
Tommy Rutt | YWAM Orlando Missionary