If you haven't already read this post and this one, I'd encourage you to go back and do so. That said, what is it that I really think about short term missions trips? In my limited experience, and with only the ability to experience it from this side not that of a host missionary or a member of a specific people group, I think short term mission trips are good things....if people go in with the right attitude. In my opinion, missions trips should always be about the love of God poured out through service. That's it. Do other things pop up in the middle of such trips? Of course. I learned so much on my trips about mysef, about the world, about God. And I love what those trips did for me. But the reality is, short term missions trips should not be about what they do for the trip takers. The focus has to be a loving God who loves people through people. If I were to offer advice to people heading out on trips I think I'd say the following:
Know what you are getting into.
Know where you are going and what life there is like. In this day and age, with blogs popping up all over, this should be so easy. And it might not hurt to read some books on missions or on the place where you are headed. I can honestly say I have seen some pretty crazy things from people who just had no clue about what they were getting into. Like Americans who could not figure out how to discretely handle money in a very poor foreign country and instead would flash it around like crazy. (And I don't mean because they were trying to hand out money to people; I mean they literally couldn't figure out how to pay for things without pulling out a big ole wad of cash.) Or Americans who wanted to know what types of things they might bring as a gift for a child in an orphanage. Specifically, would an MP3 player or an Ipod be a good idea? Um....NO! And I've heard many similar stories from long term missionaries that just indicate a general insensitivity and unawareness on the part of short term missionaries.
Go into it with the attitude that you are going to scrub toilets because that is what is needed by God.
That probably sounds completely ridiculous but I am very serious. Even if you have a plan as to what you think you will be doing, there is a good chance that plan may change, especially in developing countries where things change often. Plan to serve in very menial ways. And plan for the plans to change. If you arrive and you are asked to scrub toilets, you will not be disappointed because that is what you planned. And if you arrive and you are asked to do the job you originally thought you would do, you will be pleasantly suprised that you are not scrubbing toilets.
Remember that you are not the expert anymore and that you will probably be serving in a supporting role.
Even if you are serving in your area of expertise, you are not an expert in living in the place you are visiting. You may need to become a 'helpmate' who happens to have some expert credentials. Frame your thoughts along the lines of looking for opportunities to make someone's work easier by seeing a need, asking if you can meet it, and then meeting it. Don't fall for the idea that you are ringmaster. Instead view yourself as the clowns who assist the ringmaster. In some cases, you may be the clowns who come before the show; your American presence is a curiosity which in turn draws people in and allows local ministry leaders to do the main jobs of teaching. In some cases, you may be the clown who is cleaning up elephant poop, literally. And in some cases, you might be the clown who is resetting the stage for the ringmaster; you are doing physcial work so that the long term missionaries are freed up to spend more time on their ministries.
Temper your words.
It is so easy to be flip with your words when you are in a new place, with many new things, when you have very little sleep and may be feeling stressed. This is one of the mistakes I made on our Peru trip. Because I was with friends from church and because I was literally running on no sleep in a 24 hour period, I was a bit punchy. And for our first meal, we were treated to a blue corn pudding. It was actually purple and had the consistency of phlegm. It was pretty unique by American standards, and it quickly became something to joke about. However, watching us joke were a group of Peruvian women who had prepared that for us, who probably were looking at us as thoughtless and selfish since there are people in Peru who struggle to find food. At some point in time, we did realize we were going too far. But I think it took our team leader basically saying "cut it out" in a nice way. And I did apologize to the women in the kitchen. But I still felt like a clod. It is also very easy to have a misunderstanding due to a language barrier. Think twice before making comments about the current method of doing things, the food, your sleeping arrangments, and the weather. And if you have done or said something that created a problem or that has left you wondering how others might have interpreted it, by all means, apologize.
Please put away the toys, trinkets, and candy.
I know this sounds like I am a crabby old lady yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off the lawn. As a teacher, I don't like using junk to motivate kids or to communciate that I care. And the more I have read on short term missions work, the more I see any type of gift, no matter how small, as very hard to balance. Yes, the kids like it. But is it really necessary? Is there a chance that those gifts which seem so small in our minds could possibly create problems later on for those who whom we gift or for those whom live and work among the people full time? To be honest, I have never taken lots of little goodies to disperse individually. And I don't think it's ever made me feel like I was not accomplishing my goals. If you have something to give, ask the long term missionaries what might be the best way to share that gift. And if you have something large like a gift of money, you must must must ask before you give.
Pray.
Pray about if you really should go. Pray before you go, for your team, the people whom you will serve, for the leaders who are leading, for bonds to be made, for people to see Jesus in you, for people to know Jesus better, for people's lives to be enriched because of your presence. Pray while you're there, for your heart to continue to reflect God's love through your service, for your words to be wise, for the meditions of your head and the words from your mouth to pleasing to God, for your team members, for the long term folks you are working beside, for the people you came to serve. And then pray some more while you are there. Stop the busyness and choose to sit and pray. When I was in Peru, the first few days were hard because there was a lot of time to interact with those who had come to attend the revivial at the church. Problem was, my Spanish was minimal and I was finding it hard to be outgoing to meet and greet and mingle. I decided I may not be ablt to "do" something but I could pray so I committed myself to using that time where it felt like I was just sitting to be times of prayer and encouragement. I prayed for all the things I mentioned previously often throughout the days. I sat down and wrote notes of encouragement to my team members. Neither of those would have been my preference, but it was something that seemed to fit with what the need was at the moment-for someone to be still and quiet in the presence of God about the trip. Once you get back, continue to pray. For hearts to be changed both those of the team and the those of the people you served, for the long term missionaries to be able to have the strength and wisdom to succussfully minister, for the needs of the country/city you just visited, and most of all for God to be made famous in all places.
No comments:
Post a Comment