BJ_BOBBI_JO
Guru
Posts: 2344
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« on: January 15, 2010, 11:10:29 AM » |
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Im certainly not an expert on short term missons. But I have been doing short term trips here and there and enjoy them so very much. I just got back from another one on January 4, 2010. Short term trips are good ways to offer help to the people of that region or to offer help to the full time missonaries of that region.
I have known of groups to go on these short term trips with both good and bad experiences. So I wanted to offer what little I know at this time about getting ready for a short term trip to another country.
-study and research the country and culture you are going to so that you are less likely to make some cultural misstakes that offend the people and possibly put a damper on the missions work you are doing.
-DO NOT go and think need you to change them for the better by having them conform to your culture, dress code, worship style and so on. Just because you are from a rich country does not mean you are more intelligent or that your ways are the better ways. There will be culteral stuff you dont understand and that's the way it is. deal with it..
--your way of life and culture, how you worship God, the church music you like and how you dress is not the #1 correct way for everyone in the world to live so dont push it off on others in a differnt culture or else your words will be ignored and everything you have done will be wasted.
--do not treat their food as if it is yucky even if it is. Try to eat it down if possible and try to show thankfullness for it. in many cultures it is very rude to show discust at their food, homes, clothing and way of life.
--if possible mingle in with the people and love them. If possible try to engage them in conversation and learn something about their culture and enjoy it. Like learning a song or game from their culture.
--NEVER EVER talk about your negetive feelings about the horrible stuff you see such as homeless ppl laying around and so on. be very careful how you state thigns and if need be just dont say it. dont show your shock and horror on your face or in your tone of voice.this stuff can embarrass the people of that country and they dont want others reminding them that their country has drugs and filth all over the place. it makes them feel judged when we harshly voice our discust about their country.
--ALWAYS always always pray before the trip and each day that you see and hear the people from Gods eyes and ears and NOT your own! Because if we hear and see others from our own eyes and ears we will harshly judge and not be able to fully love them.
--GET OVER IT!!!! so what if ya dont have fancy accomidations, so what if there is mice and roaches, so what? deal with it and expect it dont bad mouth the country because of it. so what if you dont have proper clean santitation, deal with it. you arent there to be on a fancy vacation or to be praised and blessed for helping God.
--Enjoy the time you have. Have fun when you can. Dont be afraid to go outside your group of people and intermingle with the people of the country if possible. Enjoy them. Love them. Befriend them.
--dont think that just because you come from an educated rich country that the people in the poor countries are dumb, they are not dumb and they know a lot more then you think.
--you are not their to be their savior
When I got back from Jamaica this time I looked around online for stuff to read or watch from other groups that have went to do missions work around the world. and I was appauled at some of it. I watched a vedio of a church group who went and started walking down the trails to the homes of thepeople of that country meeting them, That's not a bad thing. BUt what bothered me is that they expected the people to sing their way and dress their way in order to be a reached Chrsitian. The women were all dressed in religious garb all looking a like and singing bland boring church hyms and the men spoke to the people as if they were stupid and unable to be saved unless the Americans would come and force their styles upon them. Bad bad bad, not good. When we go to another country to do missions we got to realize that they might not consider our hymnal music as the correct music, or they might see our religious dress codes as silly or different from theirs and if we push ours off on them it will only damper the good we are trying to do. Let God work on them, let God deal with them. And dont think that our way is the right way for everyone in the world. The culture you go to may have loud drums and clapping in their church serviuces. so what. or they might wear very little and may not sing hymnal music, so what. get over it. love them 1st and dont force them to conform to your culture and your style.
have fun! enjoy it! it can be very fun and rewarding and you can make some wonderful friends by going on short term missions trips. you will come home different and better able to understand the world outside of your own country.
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