Imagine a team from France calls your church and says they want to visit. They want to put on VBS (which you have done for years), but the material is in French. They have heard about how the U.S. church has struggled and want to help you fix it. They want to send 20 people, half of them youth. Only two of them speak English. They need a place to stay for free, with cheap food and warm showers if possible. During the trip half of the group's energy will be spent on resolving tension between team members. Two people will get sick. They'd like you to arrange some sightseeing for them on their free day. Do you want them to come? -- Darren Carlson
Friends, if you either host or go on (or lead) such trips, we desperately need to rethink this thing. Perhaps churches should invest more in mission education than on construction trips to Lima.
It does sound strange when you put it that way. Yet our students have been going on trips for several years, and it has been in situations where the overseas church has called us and asked us to come. Most often the church is not struggling, but feels that it would be beneficial for both parties to work together on a VBS, humanitarian relief, street evangelism, etc. Our kids have told us that as they are leaving the people they have worked with say how much it has meant to them (local pastors, kids in orphanages, etc.) and hope that they can come back.
ReplyDeleteI guess every case is different. I haven't read the whole article yet, but I'm grateful for the opportunities our church's students and adults have had to be part of the trips.
Thanks for the feedback, Chris. I hope you will check out the whole article published at the Gospel Coalition.
ReplyDeleteI heard about a VBS last year in a sensitive country where they actually raised an American flag!!
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine a group from Saudi Arabia doing a kids program in USA that involved raising one of their flags?? I bet you would have a few concerned mothers. fair enough.
Wow, Andrew! And they probably included that in their powerpoint presentation when they shared their "testimony" upon their return home.
DeleteWe have an out of state ST trip welcoming a refugee family this week (praise God!)Their task-- deliver household items to prepare for a refugee family who sadly, when they were fleeing Iraq couldn't plan their time in such a way to meet these amazing young folks. They'll be here a day late, but the schedule is already in place, so unfortunately the team will not be able to welcome them in person. Don't get me wrong, I am really thankful for this team in this busy time, and this Iraqi family of 6 will be happy to have a soft pillow to lay their weary heads. Here is the email I got from her today (Monday):
ReplyDelete"
Is there any project you might have for our 15 students to do on Wednesday?
My leader would prefer not to just drop and go, or do a simulation for a few hours and leave. We have the entire morning blocked out for your ministry.
Do you need an apartment cleaned, yard work done, painting, children’s day camp, etc"
Aye!
I am thankful they did not cancel though
DeleteIf I got a letter like that my answer would be a resounding yes!
ReplyDeleteTell us when and were we can come!
DeleteThe viking team!
Thank You Cody for making it so clear that we all have to rething short term trips. I guess that the problem can still be that if we have time to look into our own missions, we justify us that our case is always diffrent, and is not getting the point, we need a mirrow! Even for the "best" cross cultur missions this would be the most need thing to have. Let someone else be our mirrow so that people from another backgrounds can tell us our cultural blind spots! You have to be an outsider of the US to tell whats spesial (for outsiders)in the Us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback!
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