Do you want to be a part of what God is doing in a different country and culture?
Do you want to help those living in extreme poverty?
Are you highly relational and/or enjoy trying new things?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, you should go on a trip with 410 Bridge!
I’ve traveled with 410 Bridge twice, once to Kenya and once to Guatemala. I was encouraged by these trips and inspired by the people I met in the communities.
I found opportunities that answer each question mentioned above.
I saw God working in and through the lives of the people I met. I learned about the 410 Bridge model and the ways it is benefitting individuals and families in a variety of ways. I also interacted with lots of children (and adults) and tried new things like making tamales and chapati.
Why 410 Bridge?
410 Bridge takes a holistic approach in combating poverty, seeking to empower people to be the solution to the problems they experience instead of waiting for foreign aid to “fix” what is wrong. People living in the community understand their problems better than someone living far away in the United States. Child and community sponsorships open opportunities for improvements in business training, farming techniques, education, clean water, and health in addition to the most important area: spiritual development.
Over the course of your trip with 410 Bridge, you will get to experience the body of Christ in another culture, learn about living in poverty, encourage and be encouraged by fellow believers, and have the chance to empower the next generation.
Ready to hear more about how I know this to be true? Let’s jump in!
Experience the Body of Christ
On your trip with 410 Bridge, you will get to meet your brothers and sisters in Christ serving a different part of the world. Chances are they do things very differently than you do, but what they are doing is working. You will hear stories of community improvement in education, business training, and more.
On my trips to Kenya and Guatemala, I was able to see the body of Christ at work.
We focused on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 on the trip I took to Tumutumu, Kenya. At one of our nightly debriefs, each of us was given a slip of paper with the name of a team member on it. We were encouraged to look for ways our person was being a part of the body to share at the next night’s debrief. Were they being the feet and running to help? Were they being the mouth and conversing with people?
This emphasis on the body while in Kenya opened my eyes to the importance of the body of Christ around the world. While I had been aware of brothers and sisters in Christ around the world prior to that point, meeting the Kenyan believers gave me faces and names of people I look forward to seeing and hearing again, if not in this life, then in the next.
Learn about Living In Poverty
On your trip, you will meet people who have little material means, but are rich with the joy of the Lord. I met the most joyful and thankful people ever in Kenya and Guatemala.
Their situations are less than ideal from many perspectives. I was in Kenya during a drought in the spring of 2023, but the believers expressed no doubt that God would provide and meet their needs.
You will hopefully come away from your trip reminded of the many blessings you often take for granted, and with a newfound desire to find your hope in the Lord, no matter your circumstances.
Encourage Fellow Believers (and Be Encouraged!)
I was impressed by the power short term teams possess to encourage fellow believers on my most recent trip to Rancho Viejo, Guatemala. Everywhere we went, our trip leader would emphasize the important work church leaders, teachers, and parents were doing. He also encouraged the children to go to school and keep learning, and to be grateful for their teachers and parents.
Because the focus of the trip is not on what you are doing for the people in the community, you are free to engage in relationship with them. You have the opportunity to be with people instead of doing for them. You will celebrate their victories, mourn their losses, and experience their day-to-day life, all while mutually encouraging one another (Romans 1:12).
Visiting a different culture can be incredibly humbling. The people I met in Kenya and Guatemala were examples of what it looks like to love and serve people well. I often thought that there was no way I could ever bless those people as much as they blessed me. Traveling with 410 Bridge offers you an opportunity to grow in your faith and as a person.
Empower the Next Generation
Your involvement in the community you visited doesn’t have to end when you drive away from that community or board the plane to return to the U.S.
Continue to make a difference in that community or with those children through child or community sponsorships. Become an advocate for the children, communities, and the work 410 Bridge is doing.
Are you ready to take the next step and join in what God is doing around the world? For more information about taking a trip with 410 Bridge check out our Trips page!
