Being able to share what you experienced with others upon your return will not only serve to inspire them but will also help you process what has happened and apply all that you've learned to your everyday life at home.

To make things easier for you and more meaningful for others requires some planning and thinking on your part before you leave, while on your trip and when you return.

Talk to your Senior Pastor and/or Missions Coordinator to let them know that when you return home, you would like to be able to share about your trip with as many people in the church as possible. Ask them to help set up a  schedule for you to speak to different groups.

This could include any of the following: the entire congregation for a few minutes during a worship service or perhaps at an annual dinner or special missions event; one or several of your home groups where you could have more time to share; a Sunday School class, youth group, men's breakfast, women's luncheon, senior's meeting. You may even want to invite a group to your home to share your story. Also, read the article in the Fall 2009 issue of Alliance.ca entitled Tell Your Story With Power and Impact. You can also find it at http://cmalliance.ca/storytipsp2482.php. This will give you suggestions on how to take photos and videos that can be used in a variety of ways among the Alliance family.

Be thinking about what you would like to tell members of your church when you get back, especially thinking about the age groups you will be speaking to. Try to anticipate what they would be most interested in and would want to know.

Write in your journal what you did each day; what you saw, felt, tasted. Ask questions like: What kind of games do the children like to play? What foods do they like to eat? What do teens do for fun? What is school like? What types of jobs do people do?

As soon as possible upon your return, share as much as you can with your Missions Coordinator, Senior Pastor and Seamless Link Advisor (formerly known as District Missions Consultant). Let them help you determine what kinds of things to share with various groups.

Choose photos suitable for the type of presentation you or your missions team will be making. This may mean preparing one presentation for youth, and something totally different for an adult group.

Go through your journal and pick out relevant information for the various groups you will meet. Then decide how you will present your information: PowerPoint, video, passing around your photos, setting up a display, etc. Whatever you choose, make sure it is well done and something people will be interested in seeing. If you need help, ask around to see who could design the PowerPoint for you, or assist you to set up equipment, etc.

In advance of a church presentation, provide the church office with a couple of favourite photos they can use to help announce your upcoming presentation through a church bulletin, newsletter or PowerPoint.

Ask people to pray for you as you prepare and give your presentation, that what you do will bring glory to God and speak to the hearts of those who listen.

Before your meeting begins, you may want to play music from your host country to help set the mood. You may want to bring a taste of the food from your host country as well as curios or souvenirs.

Tell your audience why you went on the trip, what you learned about the culture there and what the trip meant to you. Share any amazing testimonies of things you heard or saw. Before giving information from sensitive areas, be sure to follow the Communications Guidelines available from your Missions Coordinator or Seamless Link Advisor.

Depending on the age group of your audiences and the time you are allotted, you may want to play some international games, or have the youth bring their laptops (if there is a wireless connection) and have them check out various web sites you have found to be helpful.

At the end of your presentation, and with the International Worker's approval, you might ask if anyone in the audience would like to receive regular prayer letters from the worker, and then make arrangements for that to happen.

Be sure to stay within your time limits, but be open to talk to anyone further about your experience following the meeting. Also, be prepared to talk to anyone who may be interested, on a one-on-one basis, before or after any church service, or in a chance meeting in a coffee shop, or through social media.

We have an ongoing need for good quality photos of individuals and congregations in action at home and around the world. See your work displayed on our web site, in brochures, on posters, etc. Send identified high resolution images (300 dpi or 5?x7?) in JPG format as an e-mail attachment to the Office of Communications or on disc (CD or DVD) to: ATTN : Communications The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada 30 Carrier Drive, Suite 100 Toronto ON M9W 5T7

Don't forget to say 'thanks' to your supporters - both publically as a group and privately through individual thank you letters.

Find an international student or someone in your neighbourhood from that part of the world and establish a relationship. You may even consider having an exchange student live in your home for a year.

Get involved in prayer opportunities for missions and unreached peoples. Help others in your church to go on a short-term missions trip too, by encouraging them, helping to raise funds or helping to organize a trip.

Share your story beyond the scope of your local church by sending it to the National Ministry Centre, along with photos and/or video, for use in their publications that go out to all our Alliance churches across Canada.

Your short-term missions trip can be much more than just a dot on the timeline of your life. Sharing your stories with others will help ensure your experiences have eternal impact.