Comments on: Short-term Missions as Wanderlust Adventure http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/ Thoughts on the Journey Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:11:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Ariah http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30872 Ariah Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:33:58 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30872 Pastor Andy, Thanks for chiming in. I'm glad to know you've seen some of the fruits of the work you guys have done. My point in writing these posts wasn't to throw out every single short term trip or others, but was to challenge the overwhelming amount of them that occur. So, to the degree that good has come from it, I say praise God. But, I also challenge the notion that any church with a handful of kids in their youth group needs to go on a week-long service trip to another country or continent every summer. I think the kids should be challenged, but I think we can think of other ways of doing that and still truly helping impact others. Pastor Andy,

Thanks for chiming in. I’m glad to know you’ve seen some of the fruits of the work you guys have done.

My point in writing these posts wasn’t to throw out every single short term trip or others, but was to challenge the overwhelming amount of them that occur. So, to the degree that good has come from it, I say praise God.
But, I also challenge the notion that any church with a handful of kids in their youth group needs to go on a week-long service trip to another country or continent every summer. I think the kids should be challenged, but I think we can think of other ways of doing that and still truly helping impact others.

]]> By: Andy Robinson http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30843 Andy Robinson Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:02:49 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30843 Ariah, This is a pretty late comment and I wish I had more time, I had waited till I had more time and just realize, I better just do quick and dirty. I used to have great disdain for para church ministries and short term missions trips but have over many years done a 180. I do agree with your sour taste for the mixing of "fun-consumer-centered last days" but overall our fellowship has been very blessed by the missions trip experiences we have taken. For over 15 years we have done short term trips to build a house or be involved in evangelism through YWAM. The result has been much better than I ever would have imagined. The mission experience has helped us launch a church, started from one house we built, dozens of youth into ministry, leadership development, relationship building and missions giving. Was there downsides? Yes, because there were people involved and free will. Did we always have great relationships with the YWAM folks...no. Did we overcome those? YES, we became them. Our kids became the staff over a few years and then they went on to be very wanted staff in various churches. So did the sense of adventure work in favor of the kingdom? Well I can only speak for our fellowship...YEAH!!!! By the way, I went on one of these trips with my daughter. In the training she had reconfirmed a call for her to go to Israel. She came back from Israel a year ago having been a great blessing to many during her time there through the war and everything. My wife and I, not having much of an adventure-some spirit would have never gone there to visit, did so and have been so immensely enriched in our ministry because of it. Ariah, This is a pretty late comment and I wish I had more time, I had waited till I had more time and just realize, I better just do quick and dirty. I used to have great disdain for para church ministries and short term missions trips but have over many years done a 180. I do agree with your sour taste for the mixing of “fun-consumer-centered last days” but overall our fellowship has been very blessed by the missions trip experiences we have taken. For over 15 years we have done short term trips to build a house or be involved in evangelism through YWAM. The result has been much better than I ever would have imagined. The mission experience has helped us launch a church, started from one house we built, dozens of youth into ministry, leadership development, relationship building and missions giving. Was there downsides? Yes, because there were people involved and free will. Did we always have great relationships with the YWAM folks…no. Did we overcome those? YES, we became them. Our kids became the staff over a few years and then they went on to be very wanted staff in various churches. So did the sense of adventure work in favor of the kingdom? Well I can only speak for our fellowship…YEAH!!!! By the way, I went on one of these trips with my daughter. In the training she had reconfirmed a call for her to go to Israel. She came back from Israel a year ago having been a great blessing to many during her time there through the war and everything. My wife and I, not having much of an adventure-some spirit would have never gone there to visit, did so and have been so immensely enriched in our ministry because of it.

]]> By: Russ http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30650 Russ Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:01:47 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30650 Well said. I hope and pray the veil distorting our view of the kingdom - how to live as Christ lived - be lifted sooner rather than later. Well said. I hope and pray the veil distorting our view of the kingdom - how to live as Christ lived - be lifted sooner rather than later.

]]> By: Joshua http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30646 Joshua Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:48:00 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30646 What if we chose to pay the same price that we would pay in America in order to support the local business owners? What if we chose to pay the same price that we would pay in America in order to support the local business owners?

]]> By: jody http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30639 jody Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:23:46 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30639 great post, ariah. i like the idea of simply calling a trip what it is and not trying to make it look ultra spiritual. i also think your point about having a "fun day" which usually includes shopping is kind of sick. its kind of like feeding the homeless and then going to celebrate your hard work at an all you can eat buffet. most would agree that would feel wrong, but thats exactly what we do when we go to 3rd world countries to help the poor and needy and then spend our extra money on things that will collect dust and eventually end up in the american land fills. great post, ariah. i like the idea of simply calling a trip what it is and not trying to make it look ultra spiritual. i also think your point about having a “fun day” which usually includes shopping is kind of sick. its kind of like feeding the homeless and then going to celebrate your hard work at an all you can eat buffet. most would agree that would feel wrong, but thats exactly what we do when we go to 3rd world countries to help the poor and needy and then spend our extra money on things that will collect dust and eventually end up in the american land fills.

]]> By: joel http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30632 joel Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:51:32 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30632 having just come back from my hngr experience, i'm finding myself drawn into the whole world of short-term missions and the perceived effect and value of such trips. in some ways, i would be okay with the notion of short-term missions trips being expressed as what they are: vacations with some goodwill mixed in. sorting out there actual effectiveness might lead to a far different sort of language: feel-good tourism. the delusions of the whole thing are what strike me, that actual impact can be achieved outside of prolonged relationship and so on. also, i'm quite glad that i stumbled upon this entry while doing research for my social research class. wonderful. having just come back from my hngr experience, i’m finding myself drawn into the whole world of short-term missions and the perceived effect and value of such trips.

in some ways, i would be okay with the notion of short-term missions trips being expressed as what they are: vacations with some goodwill mixed in. sorting out there actual effectiveness might lead to a far different sort of language: feel-good tourism.

the delusions of the whole thing are what strike me, that actual impact can be achieved outside of prolonged relationship and so on.

also, i’m quite glad that i stumbled upon this entry while doing research for my social research class.

wonderful.

]]> By: Phil http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30631 Phil Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:12:27 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30631 I both agree & disagree. I agree that there is often highly altruistic notion promoted with mission trips but I view mission trips sorta like CS Lewis views prayer - its not to change where I'm going, but to change ME. Yes, I can go to all sorts of places as a tourist, but as a short term missionary, you get a much different view of their world... and therefore, God's world. As a participant and/or leader on several short-term trips over the years, there are definitely some that had far more impact on me and the kids on the trip than others. And it had more to do with the expectation-setting, preparation, and leadership of the trip than anything else. Really getting to see, interact with, and know some locals is key. "Why do I whine about not having the right shoes, when that girl with no shoes walked 2 miles to church and praised the Lord so deeply?" Regarding the "fun day" at the end... on some trips its been a much-needed "decompression" time for the team to work thru hard things - relationally and spiritually - before plunging back into our American "reality". It also allows the team to see that a region is much more than poverty and squalor. I could go on a lot more, but hopefully this makes sense. I both agree & disagree. I agree that there is often highly altruistic notion promoted with mission trips but I view mission trips sorta like CS Lewis views prayer - its not to change where I’m going, but to change ME. Yes, I can go to all sorts of places as a tourist, but as a short term missionary, you get a much different view of their world… and therefore, God’s world.

As a participant and/or leader on several short-term trips over the years, there are definitely some that had far more impact on me and the kids on the trip than others. And it had more to do with the expectation-setting, preparation, and leadership of the trip than anything else. Really getting to see, interact with, and know some locals is key. “Why do I whine about not having the right shoes, when that girl with no shoes walked 2 miles to church and praised the Lord so deeply?”

Regarding the “fun day” at the end… on some trips its been a much-needed “decompression” time for the team to work thru hard things - relationally and spiritually - before plunging back into our American “reality”. It also allows the team to see that a region is much more than poverty and squalor.

I could go on a lot more, but hopefully this makes sense.

]]> By: Christy http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30630 Christy Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:39:25 +0000 http://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2008/01/28/short-term-missions-as-wanderlust-adventure/#comment-30630 I've just been catching up on your recent posts, and I also took a look at the discussion going on over at the forums from a few months ago. Basically, I'd really like to thank you for addressing this in the way that you have. This is something that's bothered me for as long as I can remember, and it's incredibly refreshing to hear your perspective. As with many things, we may not agree on every aspect, but I agree that it needs to be challenged. And unfortunately, people get incredibly protective of the things that make them feel they're somehow more spiritual (whatever the heck that means) than everyone else. I was telling Morgan last night- Yours and Mindy's presence and perspective is sorely missed. I’ve just been catching up on your recent posts, and I also took a look at the discussion going on over at the forums from a few months ago. Basically, I’d really like to thank you for addressing this in the way that you have. This is something that’s bothered me for as long as I can remember, and it’s incredibly refreshing to hear your perspective. As with many things, we may not agree on every aspect, but I agree that it needs to be challenged. And unfortunately, people get incredibly protective of the things that make them feel they’re somehow more spiritual (whatever the heck that means) than everyone else.

I was telling Morgan last night- Yours and Mindy’s presence and perspective is sorely missed.

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