Short-term Missions?
Are we done with the current concept of short-term missions?
Short-term missions have become extremely popular. Multiplied churches and schools are organizing their adults, youth groups, and students (high school and college) to gather their funds for a great, lifetime experience to the mission fields of the world (including local, state, country and foreign).
Often the justification given by many is that it is a means of recruitment of missionaries. While getting to see another part of the world could be helpful for soft and comfortable Americans, many times the view of the team is from a plush hotel. Travel is restricted and few see the darker areas of the country. In other words, clear protection is provided so that the experience is safe and secure (surely no plan to endanger anyone); returning unmoved participants to their life of ease.
Another justification is to be a blessing to native people with work accomplished for them by gracious American believers. How often is the reverse true and sometimes voiced, “We went to be a blessing but were instead the ones who were blessed.”
Let us consider some other ‘fruit of our zeal’:
How many nationals (believers and unbelievers) are left watching Americans work, doing the labor that could feed (and even evangelize)
national families? I heard of a missions trip to a Filipino island to build a home for the missionary. It was seen as a breakthrough for the churches to actually gather a team to go help THEIR missionary. Yet, here was a missionary, wanting to evangelize, disciple, and plant a church. Can you think of a better way to reach your community than hiring local people to build what is culturally acceptable as a means of evangelism of the lost and/or blessing to local believers with both income and fellowship? Speaking of culturally acceptable, I once entered the home of the missionary in India and was sure I had somehow returned to America without taking a plane ride. Many contractors and others are determined that their method of building or some other concepts is best in a place where those ideas are foreign and inappropriate for the area. This is similar to the issue of starting an American church in a foreign land; instead of a local church that ministers to local people.
How much more work could be done if the resources spent on (often inexperienced) American labor were invested instead on construction materials and evangelistic outreach? Count the cost of each individual on the trip, multiply it by the number going, add to it the funds brought for hosts, tourist activities and amenities to pamper the traveler. What if that were added to the materials being purchased for the projects to be accomplished? Perhaps twice as much could be done using local labor or an unknown number of souls won by targeted evangelistic efforts.
How much more work could be done if missionaries were not pulled away from their work to babysit their fellow Americans, hoping they do not negate the work being done in the mission field by misbehavior and cultural insensitivity? People expecting to be a blessing can instead be arrogant and overbearing, stepping on cultural practices and violating cultural taboos. I once called out to the missionary in Ireland and suddenly had everyone’s attention; someone mumbling, “Loud American”. A neighbor lady in Australia jumped in fear when I tooted my horn in greeting, only to find out that car horns there are for EMERGENCY only. Adventurous Americans can find themselves in big trouble by ignoring team rules and going their own way. Do you want to add your illustrations?
Can we simply restore the true purpose of short-term mission trips to seeing the world through the eyes of different cultures and burdening the souls of American believers for the lost (whether they become missionaries or support those who do)?
