The Drive-By Missionary

Let me say first: I met my husband on a short term missions trip.  So in that way, I am biased.  I can honestly say that the 1 week trip I took in college changed my life--forever.  And I know that many of my friends can say the same thing, that they were significantly impacted by the short term work they’ve done in other places or countries.  But today, I wanted to broach this topic (short term missions) in a different way.  Hold onto your hats…

David and I wearing our team shirts from the missions trip where we first met!  Awwwww...

My husband and I were lucky enough to host our favorite missionaries for a couple of days over the past two summers.  I won’t mention any names for security’s sake, but you know who you are (wink, wink).  Randomly, the aforementioned topic came up and I sensed an immediate shift in the air.  Since I am bossy, nosy, and relentless all wrapped up into one, I prodded the issue further.  Obviously, my week long experience (and the several others that followed) had been positive and I was eager to explore their perspective.  Basically, their short answer was this: Change happens because of a time investment you make in a person/people group.  Not that you can’t make a difference or an honest connection with someone in a short period of time, but consider this--if YOU alone had to raise thousands of dollars for your brief stay in the country, combining your team’s final expenses could fully fund a missionary for a year or even longer in some places.

I was blown away (and also argumentative).  But what about me?  I WAS actually changed for the better (and NOT just because I had met my husband).  The short term trips I had taken (all within the U.S.) opened my eyes to people’s poverty, true neediness, and also their reckless generosity and kindness.  Would just sending the funding truly have been better?

I don’t know the answer to that question.  Actually, I don’t think there is one perfect answer.  But as I’ve struggled to come to grips with this issue, I will say that my feelings are very self focused (as per usual with me).  I was changed because of those trips.  I learned so much.  I felt like I made a difference.  Honestly, I’ve not thought much about what impact or long-term significance our trips made for the people we visited all those years ago.  Now I did help build a house and educate children, those things obviously matter.  But did MY presence make a difference -or- was I just one of many rotating “helpful” faces that was there and then gone?  A drive-by missionary.

I sense feathers being ruffled, so let’s all take a breath together.  Keep calm and carry on, as they say.  The last thing I want is for anyone to feel like I am pointing fingers or making blanket judgements about these trips.  Because not only do I have several of them under my belt, but so do most of my dearest friends.  And for me (or anyone) to question whether they were valid, necessary, or life-changing is insulting.  So, that is NOT what I’ve set out to do.  I’m stubbornly wrestling with a different perspective; I hope you can see past frustration (although I have a hard time doing that myself!) to the value of exploring this through.

My husband, being the forward thinking, smarty-pants he is, directed me to an article concerning TOMS shoes awhile ago.  If you aren’t familiar with TOMS, they are the adorable canvas flats that every hipster is wearing right now.  And if you buy a pair of shoes from them, they will give a pair to a needy child in Africa.  Right up our alley, huh?  However, the article raised a few questions that I thought were pertinent to today’s discussion.  Like instead of giving a pair of TOMS shoes to the child in need, why not give them a pair of locally produced shoes?  Then you get to support both local business and families, while supplying a direct need.  Because, as the article argues, shoelessness is not the problem.  Poverty is.  A pair of canvas shoes is a quick, admirable fix for a child who has none, but is a band aid over the gaping wound of the real issue.  By bypassing local businesses, there becomes less opportunity for the struggling workers in country.  There has to be a better way.  Because yes, TOMS is hands down doing a short-term, good thing.  Getting consumers to consider others benefiting from their purchases is amazing.  Giving shoes to the shoeless is amazing.  But by implementing a few changes (like the ones above), could TOMS be doing a more socially conscious, long-term, even better thing?  These are the questions that keep me up at night.  Because good is still good, right?  Is it still good if you know that it could be done better?

Honestly, I still believe everyone should go on a mission’s trip.  But I think you need to ask yourself a few questions first:

Check your motivation.  Are you open to learning from this experience and possibly being a full time missionary?  Or are you just looking for something to do over Spring Break and hoping you’ll find a husband as well (oops!)??  Make sure your heart is in the right place.

Let’s be cost-effective.  Missions trips can be just as significant when they are done within the United States.  As another great article pointed out: I shouldn’t be so focused on the starving babies of Africa that I miss the hungry family right down the street.  Be intentional; call around.  We so often forget that local churches and ministries need help too!  Not that we couldn’t or shouldn’t travel to different countries (Um, hello Ethiopia?!), but first consider the price.  Sometimes a generous donation to a trustworthy organization or missionary overseas can do far more than a team of eager or even trained volunteers.  By funding local workers instead of stepping in ourselves (the TOMS argument), could we be helping to provide a long-term solution for people living in need?  Maybe?  Hopefully?  I am cursed with being able to see good on both sides of this dilemma (a.k.a. Going Yourself vs Sending $$), so cue me now pulling out my own hair.

Finally, build lasting relationships.  Churches, if you DO decide to travel somewhere, don’t make it a one time thing!  Build friendships with the people you are ministering to.  Follow through by communicating with them after you’ve gone home.  Then go back and visit them again!  Don’t make my mistake and be just one of many rotating, friendly faces.  Choose to truly change lives by doing the harder thing--consistently investing time and resources even when it is inconvenient.  We've seen this work fantastically at both our former and current church, established relationships built through yearly trips and maintained contact.  And I’d suggest that as you plan your continued involvement, instead of guessing what is needed or offering what your church is ready to give, simply ask.  Maybe another team IS necessary this year, but then again maybe it isn’t.  Find out how to responsibly partner with these organizations and don’t just assume what is best.

So as you can plainly see, I stand conflicted about this issue even on my good days.  But I also strongly felt that I needed to speak for the missionaries who were unable to speak on their own behalf.  Even now, I’ve had several friends recently return from short-term missions trips and several more on deck ready to head out.  Thank God for servants like these and their willing hearts.  I believe they will be rewarded for their hard work.  However, my heart breaks for my dear friend who stands waiting still for the funds she needs to do full-time missions work abroad.  I hurt for the missionary couple who found their monetary support lacking and had to abruptly leave service in country (alongside our favorite missionaries), just as a college team arrived “to help” at their university.  Because surely the money that funded that college trip could have financially backed that couple for at least another year in ministry.  Please hear me: This isn’t said to make you feel badly about any brief missions work or do-gooding you’ve done in the past.  Not at all.  Instead, I hope that you have new food for thought to inform your future ministry decisions.  And maybe as we carefully work together in consideration and respect, we can slowly turn our short-term answers into long-term solutions.