Short term missions: Tears of awesomeness vs. "What just happened?"

Many of us have been a part of both.  The mission trip that leaves us in tears of awesomeness, and the mission trip that leaves us wondering "what just happened?"  The truth is, it's sometimes hard to tell just what kind of experience you are going to have before the trip.  The BIGGER truth is that ultimately your "experience" isn't what matters.  What matters is glorifying Christ. 

To be real, we all want to go into missions knowing that the end result will be tears of awesomeness AND a glorified GOD.  So, without reading a book recently or searching all over the internet, I have put together what I feel are 5 ways to set yourself up for DISASTER:

          1.  Take a team of 30 to visit your church sponsored missionary. 

Agree with me or not, I believe this is one way to set your team up for a "what just happened?" moment.  The struggle is, it seems to make sense!  Your church financially supports this couple, they have visited your church many times, you seem to be already connected.  You ask the missionary couple if they would host your team next summer and they say yes.  Perfect!  What happens next is where I think the train falls off the tracks.  The missionary couple isn't used to having teams visit.  They are gifted at building relationships in their community and spreading the Gospel, not at preparing for and looking after a church group.  They invest their time leading up to your trip preparing for you, instead of fulfilling the calling that God has sent them there to do.  They do all of this for your team, but yet, it still seems like things weren't ready.  Unfortunately, I have heard many times from full time missionaries that the hardest week of the year is when the mission team comes.  Have there been successful mission trips to serve alongside fulltime missionaries?  YES.  Have I heard more "what just happened" stories than "tears of awesomeness" stories?  YES. 

          2.  Pick a new country every year.  See the world! 

Missions cost money and we all like to travel.  Why not pick a new country every year to go on your mission trip?  Everyone wins.  You get to see a new country, people are served, God is glorified.  We'll call it: voluntourism.  Or maybe you're part of a youth group that has a tradition of allowing the seniors to pick where they go each year.  A new country, a new organization, and everything else that goes with it.  This model might be fun, but each year you are setting yourself up for a potential "what just happened?" moment.  How much more effective would your missions be if you developed a partnership?  If your group went back to the same community, the same church, the same people, every year!  And partnered with them!  They prayed for you, you prayed for them.  You sent teams each year, they sent their pastor to come preach at your church.  You can still allow the seniors to pick where they want to go, but if you cast the vision, your seniors will pick that partnership community every time. 

          3.  Have no say in what your team does that week.  The mission organization knows best, right?

If what you do on your mission trips relies solely on what the mission organization or missionary does, then your are setting yourself up for a "what just happened" moment.  Let me explain.  Each person has been gifted differently...correct?  Your job is to find an organization that provides opportunities for your team to use those God given gifts in an EFFECTIVE manor!  Sure, someone who is gifted at construction might play with kids a little and someone who is gifted with kids might do some construction, but don't sign up for a mission trip that has your church's allstar children's ministry team building a house for an entire week just because it was cheap.  In the same way, don't sign up for a week of children's ministry when you have a team full of construction workers. Use your gifts, that's why God gave them.

          4.  Allow cell phones on your trip.  After all, the world doesn't stop just because you're on a mission. 

I have seen this DESTROY mission trips.  I understand that the world doesn't stop.  That people have jobs, and businesses, and family.  I understand that technology can be used for GOOD.  And what about if there's an emergency?  My response: I get it. You don't have to tell me all the GOOD reasons why cell phones should be allowed on the trip.   I will however, tell you what could go wrong.  Johny gets a stomach bug.  Nobody has a cell phone on the trip except the group leader.  Little Johny gets some rest, gets some fluids, and is good to go in 24 hours.  Mission trip moves on.  Same scenario:  Little Johny gets a stomach bug.  Entire team pulls out their cell phones.  Church is notified, parents are notified, American doctors are notified, prayer chain goes out, George calls church, read about killer virus that was in country 10 years ago, this could potentially be it, team gets notified, church and group leader decide the only responsible thing to do is evacuate the kid, $20,000 evacuation helicopter is scheduled, it's their only choice, how can this be happening, ahhh!!!.  Sounds crazy and exaggerated doesn't it?  I've seen it almost get to this point before!  Is it worth it?  Will the world keep turning without that cell phone in your pocket?  YES! By all means, make sure the trip leader has a cell phone for emergencies, besides that, enjoy your week away from that pesty piece of technology. 

          5.  Love em' and don't tell them why. 

I stole this one from a blog of a good friend of mine, Josh Skogerboe.  (You can find his post here: Francis of Assisi was wrong.)  In his blog, Josh says this: "Love and service are a natural and healthy RESPONSE to the Gospel, but can never be mistaken for the message itself."  The key to any mission trip is to not just love on people, but to tell them WHY.  Because Jesus DIED for our sins, was BURIED, and RAISED on the third day.  If you forget to leave this message through words and not just actions, you missed the boat.

Now, after writing these 5 ways to set yourself up for a "what just happened?" moment, I want to clarify something:  God leads.  Your job as a mission goer is ultimately to go where God leads.  God is truth, what I wrote above is opinion.  God trumps me everytime.  Before planning your trip, I ask that you spend time in prayer, time in His Word, and time seeking Godly counsel.  After that, if you feel that God has confirmed your calling to go serve alongside a missionary couple, or visit a new country, DO IT.  With that, as you plan your next trip, do your RESEARCH and please consider the things I have written in this blog. My desire is for every mission goer to come home with TEARS OF AWESOMENESS.            

Feed the Hungry: Is it that Simple?

If you were able to catch the season premier of Anthony Bourdains "No Reservations," you would have seen a scenario that has played out in Haiti time after time.  Anthony Bourdain and his crew arrived at the Haitian airport and headed across the street to a small food market.  They were served a plate full of Haitian rice and beans, a spicy coleslaw called picklies, and a couple pieces of chicken.  The crew sat their, eating their food, while they filmed their first section of their show for the Travel Channel. 

As they cleaned up their plates, they began to talk to the lady who served them the food.  She still had a large kettle full of rice and the day was almost over.  Business had been tough for her lately, and well, as long as she could remember. 

Then, they looked around and noticed a crowd gathering in the distance watching them.  As they noticed this, they couldn't help but think that the people watching them probably hadn't had a substantial meal that day, or potentially, in days.  Then they thought of the money that they had in their pockets. 

Wow, this seems like a perfect opportunity for them to help.  They had enough money to completely buy out the lady of food, providing much needed income for her and her family.  The food could then be given out to the crowd watching that was obviously hungry.  Perfect!

If you were watching this unfold with me on my tv, you would have heard me saying "no, no, NO, NO, NO!"  As the men began to unfold their plan, what I feared played out.  Men began yelling, people began pushing, arguing rang out.  A guy with a belt began hitting people and kids were being thrown to the side. 

Anthony Bourdain then began to talk in the background.  Him and his crew were heartbroken.  What they thought was a good idea, the right thing to do, caused utter chaos.   

 Jesus says this in Matthew 25: 35-40:

35 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

I run into situations like Anthony Bourdain did all the time.  I have been asked for help by people who genuinely needed it.   Just yesterday, I was made aware of a situation at an orphanage that I deeply care for.  If they do not come up with $3,000 in the next 12 days, they will lose their orphanage.  100 kids will hit the streets trying to find a new home.  Earlier this month, the pastor of Mariani messaged me stating that they need to pay their next land payment of $5,000 by June or the project needs to be put on hold.  These are just 2 of the thousands of needs that the people of Haiti have. 

I do believe that Christ is the ultimate provider and fullfiller of the needs of Haiti.  I also believe that God is sending His people to be His hands and feet.  So in an effort to start some dialogue, if you were in Anthony Bourdains situation, what would you do? 

Are Missions Worth the Money?

Mission trips cost money.  There's no getting around it.  By the time everything is said and done, if you can do an international mission trip for less than $1,500pp you've done pretty good.  Now, say you have 20 people going from your church, that's $30,000!  Wow, that's a lot of cash to go serve! 

So, the question is, is it worth it?  Wouldn't it make more sense to send that $30,000 to Haiti instead of spending it on getting there?  Many people would argue that this is exactly what you should do.  Here are two questions that go through my mind as I come back to this question:

• What would happen if everyone sent money to Haiti, but nobody went?
• Are relationships valuable? If they are, can you have a genuine relationship by sending money?

Are some people called to send money?  Yes.  Are some people called to go?  Yes.  Are some people called to do both?  Yes.  Over the past year, I have seen many teams do both.  They have come with their hands as well as with funds to purchase material and support families.  As a result, relationships have been built, a school is under construction, and teams are returning. 

Middlebrook Pike from Tennessee is one of those teams that God led to Haiti.  They were a college group, eager to get their hands dirty before classes started up again last fall.  They came to Mariani not knowing what to expect, but knowing that God has a way of using people who are willing to take a step in faith. 

The week the team from Tennessee served at Mariani was awesome.  The project was still very fresh so more trenches were dug and a ton of rocks were moved.  From rocks the size of softballs, to rocks the size of beachballs, Middlebrook moved them all.  School was still out for the year, so kids from the community jumped at the opportunity to help.  They had an assembly line of 20+ filled with Americans as well as Haitians.  It was awesome to step back and see Haitian men, women, children, and a group of Americans come together as a team.  Some of the Haitians were paid workers, some were volunteers, but they all were working just as hard for one purpose. 

Mixed in with the hard work was a lot of relationship building.  The team couldn't speak creole, but somehow by the end of the week the line of communication was flowing freely.  Kids were laughing and grown men were having a good time.  Songs the team were singing in english were quickly being picked up by the kids, and before you knew it, the song was being sang in creole as well. 

When the week was over, it was hard to say goodbye.  Tears were shed and many handshakes and hugs were exchanged.  We ended with a time of prayer with the whole "team," consisting of Haitians and Americans.  Are missions worth the money?  Middlebrook is coming back this year, and the Haitian church can't wait until they return. 

From Plantain Trees to Trenches

The field that the church of Mariani purchased was covered in plantain and coconut trees.  It seemed strange to me that this open field was right in the middle of a residential area.  It also seemed strange to me that in a country where there seems to be a church on every corner, I hadn't seen one yet in the community.  It was almost like that plantain field new what it was made for.  Not for homes, or tents, but a church. 

Harvey Oaks Baptist was the first team to serve at Mariani.  The team of 18 was primarily made up of youth.  Many people might say that youth groups shouldn't go to Haiti.  This Harvey Oaks Baptist team proved that this is not true.  Praying Pelican Missions and I know that every youth group is different.  We also know that nobody knows each particular youth group better than their leader.  When I first learned that the leader from Harvey Oaks was taking a group of youth, I did my best to fill him in on what he was getting into.  Was he sure that Jamaica or Belize wouldn't be a better fit?  "Yes", he assured me, Haiti was where God was calling them.  I am convinced that the deciding factor shouldn't be whether you are 16, 26, or 60, it should be whether God has called you.  If God has called you, He will equip you. 

I'm not sure if Harvey Oaks was fully aware of what God had equipped them to do.  They arrived in Haiti excited, pumped, and full of energy.  We took the drive across town and they could tell they weren't in Nebraska anymore.  They settled in at Cote Plage (the lodging facility that our teams stay at) and had an amazing meal prepared by our team of Haitian cooks.  The next morning, they headed off to Mariani.  They hitched a ride on a tap tap up the mountain and walked into the church service...on the street.  The church had pulled out their benches, chairs, stools, etc right in the middle of the street.  Why?  Because it was level ground without any rubble on it.  They strung tarps between the trees above them, added a few decorations, and that was it.  Church is more than a building isn't it? 

That day, the Harvey Oaks team took part in the dedication ceremony.  In the middle of the plantain trees and coconuts, they broke ground and laid the first stone.  Praying over the property, they asked God to bless it in a way they couldn't imagine.  God is good. 

With that, the week began.  What did they do all that week?  Dig trenches!  As glorious as it sounds, the first step was to dig the footings for the foundation.  Swinging pick axes and handling shovels was on the agenda.  In the midst of that, there was a huge pile of foundation rock on the road.  Their assignment:  move it into piles along the trench.  Was it hard work?  Yes.  Did our team do it alone? No.  Leading up to their trip, the team spent many hard hours fundraising for their trip.  Included in that fundraising was money to hire Haitian workers to work alongside them.  The goal wasn't to come and take jobs that Haitians can do, but to employ Haitians that the team could come alongside.  During the week the team was there, 40 Haitians had jobs that they never had before.  This model is still being used today with the teams that are coming regularly. 

Although this team worked hard, they were building more than a building.  They were building relationships with the Haitian workers, local kids, and young mothers from the community.  They spent time loving people which was so important.  This team started the foundation for the church, but more than that, they laid the foundation for a healthy partnership with the community of Mariani. 

The Beginning...

"The difference between our calling and our ability, is Grace."  That truth echos through my ear as I think back to the first time I stepped on the raw piece of property that is now home to the MEBSH church/school of Mariani.

"What is God calling us to do here?"  To be honest, that's a question that is still being worked out in my head. (More on that later).  What I did know when I stepped onto that property is that there were dozens of kids without a school and a church that is meeting under a tarp on the street.  I knew that to the head pastor of the district, Mariani was a priority.  I knew that we had teams on their way in weeks wanting to help in anyway they could.  I knew that every door had been opened.

With that, The Mariani Project began.  I hesitate to even name it "The Mariani Project," because it's so much more than that.  I understand that the ministry in that community is more than a "project," it's a commitment.  Not a commitment to take over the church and the school but a commitment to come alongside them.  To support them.  It would be more accurate to call it "The Mariani Partnership."   Maybe I'll change the name, but for now, it's "The Mariani Project." 

I would like to attempt to paint a picture of the community of Mariani and the involvement that Praying Pelican Missions has there.  Mariani is a small community on the western edge of a larger southwest suburb of Port-Au-Prince called Carrefour.  Carrefour has a population of over 400,000 people and Port-Au-Prince has a metropolitan population of nearly 3 million.  Simply put, Port-Au-Prince, Carrefour, and Mariani, are BUSY.  People. are. everywhere.  On the streets, packed in the back of small pickups, EVERYWHERE.

Now, I want to take you to the Mariani church and school.  To get there, you either need an SUV, motorcycle, or strong legs.  It is located about a half mile up hill off the main road.  The trail up the hill could be called a road, but there's no way you're getting a vehicle up there unless you have some serious wheels.  Most people hike it, or take a motorcylce taxi.  With that, it's not nearly as busy at the property!  People aren't crowding your space and it's really quit peaceful.  Not to mention it's on a mountainside, so it has an AMAZING view of the ocean.  It is a perfect place to send your kids to school or to worship God on a Sunday morning.  Absolutely. Perfect.

The community of Mariani is made up of a young crowd.  Young family's, kids, people trying to live life.  A lot of people that live here make a living selling goods on the streets or swinging a pick ax at a work site.  The majority of the population works for less than $5 a day and is struggling to make it.  These are the people that Pastor Valco and his church feel called to.  This is where Pastor Valco has been called to spread the hope of Christ.

I, along with Praying Pelican Missions (the organization I work for), have committed to come alongside Pastor Valco and his church.  Many of you reading this have had the opportunity to serve with the people of Mariani.  This blog is going to follow the progress of the church/school that is currently being built on the property as well as the general ministry of the church.  I'll spend the next few blog posts catching everyone up on what has happened in the last 8 months at Mariani.  God is at work and I'm excited to provide a way for you to follow along.