Missions: Home or abroad?

My wife and I got into a discussion last night that I thought was very interesting. So I thought I would share it with all my readers today.

We got to talking about a friend of hers that is going on yet another foreign mission trip. This person have great courage going on such a trip with the medical conditions she has. I want to get that clear up front that I respect her for being willing to go on such trips regardless of how it might affect her medically.

But I have to wonder, why are spending all that money and sending all these lay people into foreign countries when there are people here in America who need the help of the church? Why are we not feeding those who are hungry in our country? Why do we watch people die on the streets everyday from illnesses that can be cured if only they had access to medical care?

I am not saying that we should not help those in other countries to live better lives, to have access to medical care they need or to feed the hungry all while preaching the gospel that will save them when this life is over. But rather, I am saying that we need to stop and take a look deep inside ourselves and ask the hard question: Why are we not doing that here in America?

As of 2008, the population of America was 304,059,724. As of August of this year, 1.5 million Americans are homeless. As of last year, 47 million Americans do not have health insurance. Currently, it is estimated that 33 million Americans go hungry everyday. Of those 12 million are children. And nearly 152 million people are unchurched in America!

Before you send another dime to a foreign country, stop and consider these statistics and ask yourself, should I spend that money here in my own country to help others? Before you sign up for another foreign mission trip, stop and ask yourself, are there people here in the USA that could benefit from hearing the gospel message?