“For we are but travellers on a journey without as yet a fixed abode; we are on our way, not yet in our native land; we are in a state of longing, not yet of enjoyment. But let us continue on our way, and continue without sloth or respite, so that we may ultimately arrive at our destination.” –Augustine of Hippo; Sermon on Martha and Mary

Augustine of Hippo famously envisioned the Christian life as a pilgrimage—an earthly sojourn en route to our heavenly homeland. He taught that the believer is a viator, a traveler guided by the love of God through the City of Man, ever longing for the City of God. This pilgrim identity shapes not only how we live but also how we serve.

Short-term missions (STM) trips are often criticized for being performative or paternalistic. But what if we saw them instead through an Augustinian lens, not primarily as a chance to “go and fix” but as an opportunity to be discipled as pilgrims? When done with humility, intentionality, and love, short-term missions can form Christians into people who serve with the long view of eternity, who embody Christ’s presence as guests in a foreign land.

Here are three ways to live out a pilgrim posture in short-term missions.

1. Be a Neighbor

Pilgrims don’t plunder; they bless.

Many STM trips fail because they’re built on the assumption that we already know what others need. But humility invites curiosity. We ought to instead ask questions to learn about the local history, the local culture, and the local church’s story. Instead of leading with solutions, we ought to lead with our ears. When we travel to serve in another city or country, we should remember we’re guests. Pilgrims don’t impose. They receive hospitality with gratitude and leave a residue of grace behind. 

So be openly Christian, but never obnoxiously so. Be generous—leave a good tip at the restaurant, pick up trash, write glowing reviews at the restaurants you visit, and honor the missionaries and locals who hosted you. In other words, leave every space in a better condition than when you first arrived. Let the people you meet speak of you: “I wish they were my neighbors” (cf. 1 Peter 2:11-12). That’s the aroma of Christ in action.

2. Be an Advocate

Pilgrims don’t forget where they’ve been; they remember and testify.

The STM experience doesn’t end when the plane lands. In fact, it’s only just begun. As someone who has tasted the joys and burdens of another field, you’re now an ambassador—not just for your home church but for the church abroad. Solidarity with the weary and burdened is to journey together as pilgrims through the City of Man.

So keep praying for the community you served. Stay in touch with your hosts. Share their prayer requests at your church. Use your social media platform to raise awareness about their spiritual and physical needs. Organize fundraisers. Write support letters. Let your voice amplify theirs. This is advocacy, and it’s one of the most important ways to steward your experience as a short-term missionary.

3. Be a Disciple

Pilgrims don’t expect ease; they expect to be treated as foreigners.

Short-term missions will often put you in unfamiliar, inconvenient, even uncomfortable circumstances like language barriers, foreign food, strange smells, awkward cultural moments, or tight sleeping quarters. Instead of resisting these moments, receive them as part of your discipleship. Let them press you deeper into prayer, dependence, vulnerability, and powerlessness. Augustine knew that restlessness was not a problem to be solved but a signpost to God: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” STM often disrupts our comforts so that God might deepen our union with Christ and remind us of our pilgrim identity.

It’s easy to think we’re the ones “bringing Jesus” to others. But the pilgrim’s humility reminds us that Christ is already at work ahead of us. You’ll often find yourself learning more than teaching, being changed more than changing others: their hospitality will melt your pride, their prayerfulness will convict your dryness, and their joy in the midst of poverty will expose your greed.

So go with open hands, not just to give but to be given to. Let the mission field disciple you, reminding you of who Christ is, where your true home is, and how beautiful the majority world church is.

A Pilgrim’s Journey

The gospel reminds us that Christ himself became a pilgrim for our sake. The eternal Son journeyed into our broken world, took on flesh, and dwelt among us. He wasn’t only a missionary—he was the mission. And in his resurrection, he now sends us out to be witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), walking with others on their road to Emmaus, listening, loving, and pointing to the One who makes hearts come alive.

Short-term missions, when done in the spirit of Augustine’s pilgrim theology, can be a formational journey, a way to grow in grace, and a glimpse into the City of God. May we go, then, not as tourists or heroes, but as fellow travelers bearing the hope of the gospel.

Moses Y. Lee is the lead pastor of Rosebrook Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Maryland. He’s also a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, where he’s conducting research on Herman Bavinck, J.H. Bavinck, and Harvie Conn.