You’ve picked a destination, started dreaming about matching T-shirts, and someone’s already asking about the packing list, but is your youth ministry actually ready for a mission trip?

In Part 2, Mike and Kyle talk about what needs to happen before you ever load the van or board the plane, from choosing the right students and leaders to building a team that’s actually prepared to serve. Because sometimes the biggest mission-trip problems start before the trip even begins.

Are short-term mission trips actually worth it?

They cost a ton of money, require months of planning, come with matching T-shirts and sometimes leave us wondering who the trip was really for.

In this episode, Mike and Kyle unpack the good, the bad, and the awkward of short-term missions. Are we actually helping? Can helping sometimes hurt? Are mission trips more about changing our students than changing a community? And after leading plenty of trips ourselves, would we still say they're worth it?

Spoiler: Yes—but only if we rethink what a “successful” mission trip actually looks like.

Embrace the Awkward gets extra awkward this week. Mike and Kyle take turns asking each other uncomfortable, ridiculous, and completely unprepared questions with no prep, no editing, and no escape. What could possibly go wrong? Come embrace the awkwardness with us.