If you go...

If we go overseas on mission, how should we behave? How should we dress, act, share, spend etc? How will the locals feel about us? Will they think we are really helping, or will they think prosperous westerners are there again to make themselves feel good about "giving to the poor", after which they will go home and forget them?

Certainly dress is more of a sensitive point in some cultures. Ethiopia, which is largely Orthodox Christian, is one nation where a conservative approach is best. Why? Because showing flesh will offend the locals. Well meaning western Christians who are in a media and sexuality saturated culture, who go into a conservative culture like Ethiopia, can really stumble in their witness if  they take popular western dress. Who's right? Who's wrong? You'd have to look at the bible to understand what is godly and what's not. Standards set by Hebrew culture, which is clearly the closest we have to that set by God himself, certainly look more like conservative Ethiopia that modern U.S.A., Canada or Australia!

Behaviour is something we need to be sensitive about. In some countries, it is socially acceptable and even popular, for men to hold hands as they as they are in public as a sign of friendship; but it is not OK for male/female couples to do the same. Exactly the reverse of most western countries! It is good to research, get advice and then act with sensitivity, putting the credibility of your witness before your own wants.

What can we share? What will edify rather than offend the recipient? This is not just influenced by culture, but also social status, gender relationship and other factors. There are so many situations possible that consultation as interactions arise or "on the job learning" is a good approach.

Spending is another factor. Even buying a meal, a simple piece of clothing, soft drink or lollies may be minor expenditure to us, but how would we feel if someone visited from a really rich part of town for a few weeks and every day blew more than our days wage on luxuries? Putting our feet in their shoes will certainly make us more sensitive and less likely to cause offence.

The tendency tourists and even new or short-term missionaries have to land on a culture without enough preparedness to ensure their witness is not denigrated by insensitive behaviour is an unfortunate one. We hear much of the insensitivity of tourists; let's work to ensure we as Christians on mission have better track record.

To Go or To Give? - That's The Question

Many of us when we become interested in a need or a country decide we would like to go and help, which is an admirable intention. The question is, would it be better to go or to give from where we are? So what's in it for them, and what's in it for you?

Let's look at it from the aspiring missionary's point of view first.  If you go, you get to use your skills to help. If you stay, you get to send your money. From a skills justification point of view, we'd be fairly certain that the skill you have could probably be hired at or near the mission site. There would be some exceptions for sure, but some remote advice may help get things across the line. Then we need to question if "bang for buck" it's a good proposition to go if no one else can do the proposed task. Fairly clinical I know, but it's good to do some serious navel gazing some times :)

From the recipients' point of view, a bucket of money they can govern themselves may or may not be a good idea. If the mission is established with sufficient governance to ensure finds are used well then that's great; if not, there is risk of the funds being wasted or even misappropriated. A mitigation for this risk is again someone near the mission who can intervene and assist if necessary in an administrative manner.

So where does this leave us? Does it take the wind out of your sails? Does it look like only long term mission and not short term is viable? Let's think again. How do people get a taste for long term mission and confirm their calling? They get a taste by going on short term mission of course!

The bottom line here? I personally don't believe in short term mission trips as a "nice experience". I don't believe is "mission holidays". Going to a south sea island is a nice experience for sure. If you are going on holidays anyway, I guess it's good to help a bit. Going on a "mission trip" and treating it as a holiday too? That's more difficult.

To me, the best way to do mission is to really concentrate on mission. Go to serve. Go to confirm the impression in your heart that YHWH is calling you to a longer term, more effective commitment. It is my sincere opinion that time is short for this world. We can ignore the times; run and hide; or go and help. If you have not been on a mission trip, please pray about going. If you haved been, please pray about going for longer!