- Who will I meet?
- Will I make new friends?
- Will I get to see ________ in Albania, in Nepal, in Kenya, in Scotland…?
- What does it look like to share my faith?
- Will I be bold enough to actually share what faith means to me?
- Will I learn ________?
- Will I like my Trip Leader? Will he like me?
- What will it look like staying connected with my friends and family back home?
- Will I be different after the summer?
Are you asking yourself any of these questions? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one! And they are good questions that can help you start to think about what expectations you may have for your summer with Royal Servants.
You may have conscious expectations - ones you are aware of.
You may also have unconscious, or hidden expectations -ones that will sneak up on you as you start to prepare for and serve this summer.
I want to encourage you to start thinking about what your expectations are for your Royal Servants summer. Pray and ask God to reveal them to you. And then take the hard step of placing them in the hands of theLord. This is TRUST.
Trust is an aspect of the life of a follower of Jesus that we talk about often. It’s also one that is frequently easier said than done (and believed).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” -Proverbs 3:5
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” - Jeremiah 17:7
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." - Psalm 20:7
Yes! Those are bold truths! However, it doesn’t always feel that easy does it? It can be hard to trust, to understand what it is. It can be hard to give your life over to Jesus every day, trusting Him in the small things and the big things.
When I personally feel myself struggling with trust, often in the form of anxiety (if you want to learn more about how trust and anxiety are connected, start by reading Matthew 6:25-34), I have to check my expectations - of myself, of other people, of perspectives and conversations, of what discipleship is and the ways I think my faith should grow, etc. - and I have to let them go; I have to give them over to God. I have to remember who He is, who I am in Him and then speak His truths into my doubts, His faithfulness into my uncertainty, His love into my insecurities, His power into my weaknesses.
I love these verses from Psalm 37. Each verse starts with a command to trust; and then each command is followed by a promise from God.
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. (3)
TRUST: ‘Trust in the Lord and do good’ - You have signed up for a discipleship intensive mission this summer. In taking this step, you have trusted God with your summer and are doing good in serving, growing and spreading the gospel among the nations. Keep trusting in Him as you step into this summer. Lay down your expectations, and do the good He’s calling you to do.
PROMISE: ‘Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness’ - inthe NIV, “enjoy safe pasture”. When we trust in the Lord, He promises us safe pastures - life in the land of hope because of His faithfulness, His steadfastness. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Enjoying safe pastures and resting in God’s faithfulness doesn’t mean life will be easy, it also doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges this summer. What it does mean is that in the midst of the challenges that come, we can rely and TRUST in Him. His faithfulness is our companion.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give youthe desires of your heart. (4)
TRUST: ‘Take delight in the Lord,’ - Serve with joy, invest in what God is bringing you into this summer. Let go of the expectations you may be carrying with you as you look to what this summer of service will be. And as you let go of these expectations, delight yourself in the LORD and what He will do in and through you.
PROMISE: ‘He will give you the desires of your heart.’ - When we turn our hearts towards God and trust in Him, our desires begin to align with His.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act. (5)
TRUST: ‘Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him,’ - Commit these next months to the Lord, as you prepare to come to Training Camp. Commit your time overseas to the Lord, as you anticipate serving with ministry partners and sharing the gospel in their communities. Commit your support raising to the Lord and the unexpected ways He can provide. Commit your heart to the Lord and what He has to teach you, it may not be what you expect. Keep trusting in Him.
PROMISE: ‘He will act.’ - God will not be silent, He will not leave you, He will not forsake you. Instead, He will ACT! It may not be the way you expected, but He is good and faithful, and trustworthy and He always has a purpose.
So open your heart and your mind to the Lord. Lay down your expectations and trust God to move in you and through you!
Important Information
Booking Domestic Travel
We will be sending out all of the travel forms and Updated Mission Trip Schedule soon. You will be able to book your domestic travel when you receive those documents. You will receive them via email and in the mail.
Forms Due
In your Prep Packet folder, there is a bright orange sheet called the Reference Sheet. This sheet briefly explains how each form should be filled out and sent in. Also, on the reverse side it lists important dates when things are due. I suggest that you add all those things to your calendar, take a picture of it with your phone, and stick it on the fridge. Each form has its due date listed on the side. Most forms are due May 13th, but some, like the Health History Form, Medical Permissions Form and Passport Copy, will be due sooner. To get copies of any of the forms, you can download them from the Royal Servants forms page. Please print them 2 sided if possible.
Mission Trip International Airfare Amounts & Deadlines
In your prep packet, we let you know that we are required to start booking international tickets at the beginning of May. Listed below are the actual dates we will be booking each trip. That means each participant must have enough money in her or his account to cover that cost on that day. If you have enough funds in your account, we will automatically book your ticket. However, if you don’t have the funds in your Royal Servants account, you may also give us a credit card to cover the cost.
We won’t charge your credit card—really! We will simply put a hold for that amount and then remove the hold when your account has enough funds to cover the ticket. We would only charge the card if you dropped from the program and didn't have enough in your account to cover what we paid for the ticket. Reign Ministries is only able to process holds for Visa, MasterCard, and American Express cards (debit cards may be used, but there has to be enough funds in the account and the hold will make those funds inaccessible until released). You can find more information on this under "Financial Deadlines" in your Preparation Packet booklet.
If you want us to purchase your ticket by putting a hold on a credit card, you will have to call the Reign Ministries’ office before the booking deadline. You are not able to use our online giving to place a hold. You can make a tax-deductible donation for your ticket online, but the amount is immediately charged. You can call our office 763-535-9555 ext. 721 for the Royal Servants Department or ext. 718 for the Finance Department. We are in the office weekdays between 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM CDT.
Please note: Donations made online via ACH giving (via your checking account) after April 23 may not clear the bank in time to count towards the airfare. Therefore, this online giving feature will not be available April 24 - May 8.
Trip - Airfare Cost - Booking Deadline:
Europe - $1690 - May 1
Ireland & Scotland - $1250 - May 1
Kenya - $1800 - May 1
Nehemiah - $2032 - May 1
Costa Rica - $1030 - May 8
Nepal - $2040 - May 8
Biography & Belief Questionnaire
If you haven't already completed your Biography & Belief Questionnaire, please do that as soon as possible.
Medical Information
In your Prep Packet you will find a copy of the Medical Information Sheet, which contains important information regarding health and medication requirements for this summer. Also, give the “Health and Safety” section in your Prep Packet a read! As the summer comes closer, our staff will be reviewing your health forms and may email you for some follow up information.
Check out the 'Things to Ask your Doctor' on the Medical Information Sheet as you prepare for your appointment, and be sure to bring your Vaccination Form for reference and your Physician Form for your physician to fill out and sign.
If you have specific questions about:
- Filling out your forms - email Linda MacDonell at lmacdonell@reignministries.org
- Dietary restrictions and concerns - email Hannah Han at hhan@reignministries.org
- Other medical questions and concerns - email Kaylee Hofsink at khofsink@reignministries.org
TIP: If your registration has been accepted, be sure to read through all of the materials sent to you. There is some pretty important info in that packet - make sure you don’t miss a thing!
If you haven't submitted your registration, don't worry, you still have time! Go hit submit today!
If you have any questions about Royal Servants or the registration process, please email us at lmacdonell@reignministries.org.