Loobie, Susan G.  Short-Term Missions: Is It Worth It?  Latin America Evangelist. (Jan./March, 2000).  Available online at:
http://www.lam.org/news/article.php?id=109

Summary:

Two surveys show that many current long-term missionaries were motivated to follow this career by short-term mission experiences.

·        Latin America Evangelist surveyed career missionaries in Latin America.

o       Out of 112 respondents, 70 (64%) attributed their current occupation to a positive short-term mission experience.

o       38 of the 42 who said STM didn't affect them were over age 50.

o       60 of the 70 who said STM did influence their decision to serve long-term were under age 50.

The Spanish Language Institute in San José, Costa Rica, surveyed its students.

o       74% of the students had been on a short-term foreign mission trip.

o       A survey of Institute students 30 years ago showed that only 31% had been to Latin America previously for any reason.