Team Member and Host Testimonials
For eighteen years, congregations, individuals, missionaries and national church leaders have seen MOST Ministries as a leader in sending short-term mission teams around the world. The majority of our staff has been missionaries in other countries. Our trained team leaders are second to none. Our missiology is field-focused – we work with our missionaries and national church partners to accomplish their strategic ministry goals. Our commitment to excellence includes the safety of all our team members with an extensive crisis management plan and continuous monitoring of safety and security issues around the world. Finally, our commitment to training our teams goes beyond just the team members themselves and involves the whole congregation. But don’t just listen to us; listen to what our team members and our hosts around the world have to say about working with MOST Ministries!
From our Team Members
"I see great benefit to a partnership with MOST Ministries. MOST does all of the administrative stuff that I'd want absolutely NOTHING to do with. They make travel arrangements, work with the field hosts to arrange the specific details of our projects, arrange all lodging and meals, provide travel insurance, and supply a Team Leader that will work with they team in advance of the trip and then on the field. These Team Leaders are well trained and experienced. They handle (and I mean literally!) ALL money details on the field -- except for personal "souvenir type" spending money. They know CPR and First Aid. They know the procedures for medically evacuating Americans out of a foreign country and, Lord Forbid, dealing with the death of a team member on the field---don't think that's ever happened--but they are prepared. MOST Ministries also provides training booklets to teams in advance to thoroughly equip team members spiritually and emotionally for the culture shock experienced in the new country---and upon reentry to the USA. They provide recommendations for packing, supplies etc. ETC. For all these services, there is, of course, a slightly greater expense for the trip. But it isn't really much -- and I seriously wonder if you would not actually save through their process."
~Pastor Randall Pekari, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bristol, CT
"There’s another side of me as a missionary I didn't realize I had."
~Sylvia Jakobeit, 642 Mexico Construction Team
"Because of MOST Ministries, I feel more driven to participate in missions. There is a time and a place for everyone in the mission field. I MUST get my congregation more involved. . . . The Bible Study booklet (Book C) was incredibly meaningful for my preparation. From the moment I started the booklet until we were on the plane coming home, I felt the Holy Spirit directing my life. What a sense of peace."
~Diana Sullivan, 622 Guatemala Medical Team
"The way the trip was organized and how it progressed from the flight out, to the rental of the vans, to the living quarters, to the way the clinics were run, to the flight back home, made it seem so well-planned and transparent. I know how much work goes into planning a trip like this, but for those who went, it was almost effortless."
Greg Suchyta, 649 Puerto Rico Eyeglass Team
From our Hosts
"MOST Ministries is an excellent Christ-centered service provider (of short-term mission teams)."
~Pastor David Chuchu, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya
"The MOST Ministries team was by far the largest group of Christians to ever visit Qiqihar, China. Their services to the Qiqihar residents was inspiring and deeply appreciated by everyone who received the glasses. The example set by an elderly member of the eyeglass team, who was over the age of 80, was especially inspiring to all. As a result of the hard work of the Most Ministries team over the five-day period, the membership of Eunkwang Church increased by 400 persons."
~Rev. Sungwan Park and Peter Koh, Lutheran Church of Korea.
"Members of the congregation are already asking if you are coming back here any time. There are still some people coming to my house asking if they can have somebody take a look at their eyes. People got really amazed with the work you did, as they could feel God’s grace through your initiative. Some people from the government were also interested in the idea of the clinics and said that our town will always be open for you. The members of the congregation are now more willing to work in the mission of taking Jesus’ love to others, because they have received His love from a group that came from so far away. They felt this love in each one in the group, and now they think they are ready to go and share it with others, too. . . Another story comes from a person who came to the place I was to announce the Gospel. This person came to me and said: 'Look, I think I will start going to your church because of the love and the care that Mark (he was in charge of pouring eye drops on people’s eyes) showed me.'"
~Pastor Alex Ziemann, Lutheran Church of Brazil
"Our pastor so aptly stated in his closing comments to the team that "there are no words to express" the love, the commitment, the witness, the … (lost for words) conveyed by the team in their few days with us. And so it is truly difficult to put in a few words on this page to describe the effect they had on all those around them. They literally left many people in tears, as they truly were a tremendous reflection of God’s love for us all; physically, spiritually and emotionally."
~Mike Wade, LCMS Missionary to Argentina
"We have a very positive impression of MOST and appreciate their ministry. . . . (They) knew their work and had a clear vision of training people from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia with the small, mature MOST Team. . . . The whole event went far better than I had expected. . . . Please continue to screen team members very closely and train them well. This trip was so positive because the people were solid. Sometimes I spend hours and hours trying to mop up after a well-meaning visitor who throws things into confusion."
~Del Meyer, LCMS Missionary, West Africa
"We were truly blessed to have two MOST Ministries women's teams. From November 4-19, over 500 Nicaraguan ladies gathered with them at the different Lutheran Congregations across the country. They were so joyful enjoying workshops, fellowship and Christian love. . . . They used their talents and gifts to present the Gospel message in a clear, simple and enjoyable way. The teams gathered with housewives, women living in agricultural areas, working urban women, university students and church workers. They used our Lutheran church facilities to do all their daily activities and make witness to the surrounded communities. . . . We thank God for all those beautiful ladies from MOST Ministries who came to share their love and faith in Jesus with these Nicaraguan sisters. We thank MOST for sending us so many blessed and eager volunteers to God's mission field of Nicaragua. We thank all of you for your prayers and blessed support."
~Sandor Arguello, Lutheran Church-Canada Missionary to Nicaragua