Outside Our Borders
So this month I was sent to Haiti (don’t worry it wasn’t in a banished kind of way). We are telling the story of a college student who felt called to Haiti for one of our upcoming Bible studies. This was a trip that was bathed in much prayer and consideration and now that I am back on American soil there are at least a handful of people at LifeWay who will probably sleep a little better. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and when you tell the US Embassy that you are going there it prints out like 6 pages of reasons to change your mind. But, I went and I’m back and it was an amazing trip.
It has been 6 years since my last international mission trip and I had forgotten what it was like to return to America. It is absolutely insane to wake up in a house with no running water or electricity in a country where the average education doesn’t go beyond third grade and then 13 hours later you are dodging teenagers leaving their prom (at your nice hotel), the majority of whom are bound for college. It is a juxtaposition that my brain really can’t handle. I am still processing the experience and sorting everything out, so let’s do it together (don’t worry I’m not expecting any real answers). So far these are the questions I ask that I don’t know the answers to:
- How do you come back from a place that has so much need and hardship and not have everything you know feel pointless?
- How do we help people without Americanizing them?
- Why is it that a people that are so impoverished seem happier with their life than I am?
- What kind of change is required in my life now that I have seen?
In case you want to check out the missionaries that we worked with, this is their site. They are about to be stateside for a year, but they have been working in that country for a long time. You’ll get to meet them in our documentary, but until then you can pray for their work in Haiti.
There have been 5 replies so far
We’re glad you’re home! Can’t wait to hear your stories!
1 | Chris Ediger
Friday, May 25, 2007, at 10:42pm
Hopefully I’m the first antagonist to this site. I have a feeling that I’m the kind of person you’re trying to reach. I used to be one of them - and was personally close friends to many of you on Threads staff. However, I don’t think I could ever be friends with many of you anymore because of your morally superior stances. I refuse to bow down to a Book.
Anyway - onto your blog entry, Tiffany. Indeed, we often come out with more questions than answers. Here’s another: Are non-Christians as culturally effective as Christians when they take ‘mission’/volunteer trips?
Recently read an interesting article about cultural differences that relates to what you’ve shared. This could easily apply to Aaron’s latest post, too! http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9218127
2 | Conscientious Objector
Saturday, May 26, 2007, at 3:52am
“Are non-Christians as culturally effective as Christians when they take ‘mission’/volunteer trips?”
I think that anyone who is giving up their time to help fight poverty, disease or in general benefit someone other than him/herself is doing God’s work. I guess I’m assuming that by “culturally effective” you mean actually making some positive impact on the quality of life of a person/people. To me, social justice oriented action doesn’t belong to a political party or denomination or even religion. A lot of conservative Christians would call me heretical for saying so, but I think that the act of serving another person instead of yourself IS serving God. It is bringing heaven to earth.
There are a lot of pitfalls when religion gets mixed into the kingdom of God that Jesus talked about in the “Book”. One of the biggest ones is that we start making enemies out of people based on sexual orientation, baptismal method or political preference. To me, the bottom line of it is loving God and loving people. Really loving them. Like by listening to them, cooking meals for them, letting them be real, being someone people feel safe with… and all the way to digging a well for clean water. The little stuff matters as much (or maybe more?) than the grand stuff.
I’m sorry for whatever happened to you to make you feel morally inferior. I’ve never felt that it was the job of Christians to play moral police and the result is usually pretty ugly when it happens, so I understand how you feel. It shouldn’t have happened that way and I’m so sorry.
P.S. That article was pretty crazy. It makes me sad to read about stuff like that… I hate that education and money are so split across this nation that people aren’t getting the same opportunities for growth… or worse, that they have come to believe things about themselves as a result of their economic/educational status that hinder them from achieving things that, all other things being equal, they would be capable of. If you haven’t read BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell… I think you might like it.
3 | Samantha Wedelich
Saturday, May 26, 2007, at 10:48am
I think coming back from any country where people have less than you, yet do not complain is a very overwhelming experience. Tiffany, I think I was with you on your last international mission trip and remember returning from the Peruvian slums so sad at the way people live. Yet, we boarded a plane, returned to America and were frustrated by the fact that our connecting flights were cancelled because our original plane was late. But, there are people that live here in the United States in those exact same conditions. They are homeless or live in a state of poverty that we choose to ignore. Often, we do not bother to find out why an individual is homeless - we just assume it is because of alcoholism or something bad like drugs. But, it could easily be that they lost all they had because of debt. I agree with Samantha that people need to be loved - in Jesus’ name and through His name. We do have to realize that at the heart of every single person is a soul that experiences problems and has difficulties.
Tiff - I think people that are impoverished are happier with their lives than we are is because they have learned the art of contentment is not happiness in things, but happiness in their relationships and gratefulness in what they do have. So many times we desire more and are not content with what we have. A friend gets a new car, and despite that ours is only a year old and running fine, we need a new one, too, because our car is just not good enough. People that are in poverty do not focus on what they do not have. They recognize what they have and are thankful for it.
4 | fromtexas
Monday, June 18, 2007, at 11:11pm
fromtexas: Randy Alcorn says as much about the lack of joy found in our excesses in his stocking-stuffer book, the treasure principle. He points out that our giving to others is just as beneficial to us in terms of not being tied down to our possessions, as it is to those we give to. He has a lot to say about giving, but one thing I found interesting was this idea that Jesus told the rich young ruler to give it all away in an attempt to make the man happier (not more pious or religious or to make those he gave it to happier or to prove his allegiance). Once the man released himself of his “stuff” that he, himself, would actually be happier and less burdened. I hadn’t ever thought of the purpose for being told to give so that I would be happier.
“Are non-Christians as culturally effective as Christians when they take ‘mission’/volunteer trips?”
Definitely! If your biggest problem is your marriage then any competently trained marriage counselor can help fix your problem. If your biggest problem is your hungry stomach, then anyone with a carrot in their hand can fix your problem. If you biggest problem is running water then anyone who shows you how to dig a well is your savior. You don’t need Christ for that. You need a shovel. However, if your biggest problem isn’t necessarily your immediate, heart-felt needs but rather living (and dying) at odds with your very creator and sustainer, then only the Christian’s revelation of hope can help you meet your biggest need.
And by the way, our unique ability to help others meet their biggest need isn’t due to Christians being morally superior despite what some professing believers would imagine (those who preach a gospel of, “Before I met Christ, I was just like you…”). Just because Jesus invited us to the banquet table doesn’t mean we are princes and princesses. We’re still just beggars trying to show another beggar where to find food. If I were morally superior then I would have little need for Christ and His Christianity. Right Christianity demands acknowledgment of our moral inferiority.
5 | benny
Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at 2:34pm
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