The saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”—but who are Romans anyway? Rebekah found out when she visited the ancient city on her mission trip to Europe. She discovered that Romans today come from all over the world!
In Rome, Italy, Rebekah and her mission team members met people from Bangladesh, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Sudan, Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Peru, and China. All in just a 2 week trip!
On our Europe mission trips, you and your team will receive training to engage in cross cultural evangelism within diverse neighborhoods in Rome.
Our unique mission opportunities open doors to share Jesus with people groups who may never otherwise hear the Gospel.
See why mission trips to Europe are reaching more than just Europeans—they are engaging the least reached nations on Earth!
Rebekah’s Mission Trip to Europe
Rebekah definitely looked forward to her summer mission trip to Europe—but she also felt nervous. Why? Because she and her team of college students were almost all introverts!
“Going into a trip where there’s a lot of interacting with people and bold evangelism,” Rebekah admits, “I think that was a little intimidating for all of us.”
Could God really use this soft spoken group of young adults to do street evangelism with strangers?
Absolutely! Rebekah and her team didn’t let discomfort stop them from sharing the love of Jesus. They learned how to initiate spiritual conversations with internationals and then went to public parks to practice.
Talking to Strangers = Answered Prayers!
Starting conversations with people she had never met was the hardest part of Rebekah’s short term missions trip. But after taking that first step, she found conversations to be much easier—and quite exciting!
“We were learning to lean into the Holy Spirit and what He was asking us to share with people and [leading us to] which people to walk up to and talk to.”
Rebekah met Tanvir*, a man from Bangladesh at a local park. Tanvir shared about his health issues, and Rebekah asked if she could pray for him. Although they had a good conversation, Rebekah wished she could have said more.
But Rebekah had prayed a very specific prayer at the start of her outreach. She asked God to let her meet the same person twice—unlikely in a city of millions.
Yet, that’s exactly what happened! The next week, Rebecca saw Tanvir again and was able to continue their conversation. Her memory of his story and prayer needs encouraged Tanvir.
That experience impacted Rebekah most on her mission trip. God had answered her prayer and opened the door for 2 Gospel conversations with the same person!
But guess what? Rebekah’s mission trip to Europe almost didn’t happen! When it came to choosing a location for a summer missions trip, she didn’t initially consider Rome.
Maybe, like Rebekah, you were thinking of a different destination when considering missions.
Keep reading to learn why Rome is actually an ideal location for a mission trip!
Why Mission Trips to Europe?
When you hear the phrase “missions trip,” you probably don’t think of a large, European city first!
But because of global migration, European countries like Greece, Ireland, France, or Spain, have become home to diaspora from all over the world. In other words, people dispersed outside their country of origin move into large cities.
This makes countries in both Eastern Europe and Western Europe perfect for reaching a wide variety of people groups in 1 place.
Sharing the Gospel Strategically
At International Project, our mission trips to Europe focus on evangelism to Unreached People Groups (UPGs).
We consider a people group unreached when there is no indigenous community of Jesus’ followers able to engage this people group with church planting.
Technically speaking, in a UPG, less than 2 percent of the population actively follows Jesus.
Nearly all of the top 10 countries with the most UPGs are in Asia and the Middle East.¹ Several of these nations severely restrict or even ban Christianity, making Gospel access nearly impossible.
We focus on UPGs because often, people from unreached countries can only hear about Jesus outside their homeland.
Fortunately, many diaspora UPGs have migrated to European cities!
You can obey the Great Commission and “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) in 1 diverse city!
From Rome to Home
Mission trips to Europe are a great chance to meet and engage with UPGs from across the globe who have yet to hear about Jesus.
And because of migration, some of these same UPGs likely live near you in the US!
That was a key takeaway for Rebekah. After doing evangelism in Rome, her team considered how they could take their new evangelism skills and use them back in California.
“How can [cross cultural ministry] look where we live in the US…where there’s so many other cultures all around us?”
Like many mission trips for young adults, your experience on the mission field might inspire you to reach out to local communities of UPGs in your own city!
Related: Missionaries in America
Getting inspired to go? Learn what makes our mission trips to Europe unique!
Why Mission Trips to Europe with International Project
Our 2 week mission trips to Europe offer you an excellent opportunity for cross cultural evangelism and discipleship training.
Here are some valuable experiences you can gain from your Rome mission trip:
Evangelism Training + Hands On Experience
Our short term mission trips train you to share Jesus across cultures—and give you lots of practice!
In Europe, long term missionaries walk you through cross cultural evangelism step by step and do outreach alongside your team in real time.
As an introvert, the chance to put her training to use right away empowered Rebekah. “God met us in our ‘Yes’ [and it was okay] to try things out and fail, and learn from our mistakes,” she says. “[This trip] feels like a safe space to do that.”
Our mission trips to Europe give you more than just a team building experience—they offer robust evangelism training for your entire team!
Opportunities for Spiritual Growth
“This kind of trip is so awesome because…you’re being filled and learning and being spiritually formed in new ways,” Rebekah says.
This short term missions outreach catalyzed growth in Rebekah’s relationship with God as she learned to rely on the Holy Spirit. She watched in awe as God answered her prayers and opened doors for her to share Jesus with unreached people in Rome.
Inspiration + a Path to Long Term Missions
Serving alongside full time missionaries, you get a front row seat to UPG discipleship and church planting in action.
Rebekah got to witness what missionaries do in Rome on a regular basis when she served at the Agape Center.
This outreach offers language lessons and a safe place for migrants to build community in their new city.
The Agape Center provides a great place to meet international friends and engage in spiritual conversations with UPGs!
Inspired and encouraged, Rebekah left her mission trip to Europe knowing her missions journey isn’t over.
She believes the Lord has another missional assignment coming her way in the future. “God has a purpose and a mission,” she says, “And I need to be a part of it!”
It’s Your Turn: Join Mission Trips to Europe!
Mission trips to Europe start with teams of college students or young adults groups from local churches. Gather your group and we’ll find a date that works with your group’s schedule!
Just ask Rebecca and her team—their mission trip to Rome taught them to get out of their comfort zone and courageously follow God wherever He leads. “We all came away with more of a boldness and confidence in our ability to do [the] things that God is asking us to do.”
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Source
¹https://joshuaproject.net/global/countries
