And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:18-20

“You’re only going for a week?”

“What are you possibly going to do in a week for them?”

“Holding and playing with a kid actually takes away more from them than it gives them, especially at orphanages.  It causes them to feel abandoned and upset when you leave.”

“Why don’t you just send money if you really want to help?”

“You’re exploiting the children for your own benefit of looking ‘selfless’.”

“You’re promoting a Western savior complex.”

 

This past week, I spent one of the most wonderful weeks of my life in Carrefour/Merger Haiti.  It was filled with the love of God, bonding with my teammates, and countless mangos and plantains.  However, no matter how hard I tried, there was one thought that I could not shake while I was there.  I knew there would be people happy to hear about my trip, but I also knew without a doubt there would be others that had many negative things to say about what I had just poured into for a week.  The above statements are ones that have been said, thought about by many more, and written in countless articles about how short term mission trips are something negative and useless.  Actually, a couple of my teammates had stumbled across one of these right before we left, and were discouraged by it.  This caused them to seriously think about what they were doing, thoughts that I had been having as well.  Thoughts like:  What if all these people are right? What if I am no exception of this cycle of useless visits to other countries? What if it is all for nothing?

Until you go, I understand you having this mindset.  Until you go, all you see are pictures and statements about how “Love goes beyond oceans.” And frankly, until you go, all that seems like nonsense.  But once you go with the goal to spread God’s love, you understand.

 

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

1 Chronicles 16:24

 

*Disclaimer*

What comes next is what I discovered in Haiti, hopefully to encourage you.  It is not to bash anyone or anything, it is to provide a hopeful article about short term missions amidst all the negative ones.  It is so you can read something that excites you about your own short term mission trip, or the possibility of, instead of worrying about all the negative thoughts from everyone back at home.

 

“You’re only going for a week? What are you possibly going to do in a week for them?”

“Holding and playing with a kid actually takes away more from them than it gives them, especially at orphanages.  It causes them to feel abandoned and upset when you leave.”

This is honestly one of the thoughts that I was very guilty of thinking about others that had gone on trips, because in a sense, it is true.  Holding and forming a relationship with anyone, especially a child with abandonment issues, can cause more harm than good.  I especially did not understand how people thought they could do something life changing in a week, considering I barely remember yesterday well enough for it to count.  But we have all been looking at it the wrong way.  See when I went to Haiti, I did not do anything life changing myself, not one single thing.  However, while I was there, I did tell them about something that is life changing.  I was there to tell them about Jesus, and he does not leave them after a week like I would have to.  He is able to hold and talk to them 24/7.  The thing is, we should not go to hold and play with a child or two, because yes, that is pointless.  That is putting their happiness and hope in something that could not even satisfy them if it was there all the time.  You have to go, and the reason I went, because you are best able to share Jesus with people one on one, face to face.  You have to go and tell them about something (the only thing) that is constant and never changing, because yes, you will end up hurting people if you yourself try to be that healer.

I began to realize I had put God in this box of only being able to work over a long term.  But it would not have mattered if I would have been there for a day, or even an hour.  If I was called to be there by God, He would have been able to use me regardless. We just have to stop putting Him on a time table of how we think He should work.

Who am I to question if God is calling someone to another country? If He is, it is for a reason and my understanding of why is not necessary.

“Why don’t you just send money if you really want to help?”

 

“And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.’”

Mark 16:17 

         Do not let yourself be told the lie that your money will do the same thing as you physically being present in someone’s life.  I like to think of it now like this.  Say you had two parents: one that spent time with you, held your hand, and told them they loved you in person, and one that lived far away and just sent you money.  Regardless of the fact they both love you and do things for you, the difference is obvious between the one that is actually present in your life, verses the one that just sends you money. When you love someone, you give them not just your money, but your time, love, and direction to others that can help more than you (Jesus). Money builds houses and buys food, but it does not save souls, and it does not cause happiness.  I met countless individuals and families that according to standards here, have nothing.  However, many of these people with “nothing” were more alive and  happy with Jesus and the necessities to survive, than the monetarily richest people I know living in America.

The second part that does not work when it comes to just sending money is that it takes away the opportunity that causes many people to become passionate about staying long term.  People do not usually just randomly decide to move to another country without having a connection there.  Time and time again, I have seen people go abroad starting with a week, then a couple weeks, then months, then years.  The problem is, without these short term mission trips beginning their journey, many connections that cause them to further invest in long term missions would not be made.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Romans 10:14-15

    Once again, this is what I have found personally from visiting Haiti, I realize this is not accurate for all people.  It is definitely possibly to go to a country and not be changed in the slightest.  But through my experience from this week, I now have the desire to continue to see how I can help further in other ways, and in other places (including my current home.)  I am now so much more open to doing whatever God has called me to do, and move however and wherever he wants me to.  Furthermore, I can without a doubt say it happened because of the little taste of Haiti I received for a week.

“You’re exploiting the children for your own benefit of looking ‘selfless’.”

This is the one I had the most trouble with by far.  It is because of all the Facebook/Instagram posts that I was so annoyed by every time someone I knew would go on a trip.  I even questioned bringing my camera to Haiti, because I did not want to be focused on taking pictures instead of building relationships with the people there.  However, this mindset changed when a little girl at the children’s home we visited looked at my bag, immediately smiled and pointed, and yelled “Photo! Photo!” *see picture above* As I took a picture of her, showed her, and then gave her my camera and let her take her own pictures, she was so excited and entertained for hours.  Coming back, I looked at the pictures on my camera, and I thought about how I would be so silly to not share these pictures with other people just because I was worried about other’s opinions.  It was crazy how I had become so twisted, tricking myself into thinking that I was somehow better by not posting pictures.  I’m realizing I have no right to judge someone negatively by what they choose to post on social media, because I have no idea of the story, child, or anything else behind why the picture was taken.  The child could have ran up and said “Photo! Photo!” or the ones in the picture could have had a strong connection and wanted to remember it.  Or, it could have been a precious moment that someone pulled out their phone to document.  Regardless, it does not matter at all.  I realized this in Haiti, but I cannot wait to apply it to the rest of my life as well.  Life is not just a bunch of photo opportunities, it is the relationships you make with the people you take the pictures with. But, if pictures are taken, if memories are made and you get a picture of it, do NOT be ashamed to share them so you can better explain the memories to others that were not there.  Do not be ashamed to have taken the time to document a moment that you want to remember for forever.  Our stories on these trips are not just for us to keep to ourselves, but to tell others about so hopefully we can inspire them and tell them about what God has done in our lives.

“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:39

“You’re promoting a Western savior complex.”

    This problem with this idea, is the idea in itself.  I cannot speak for all groups, but my group did not come to save anyone.  We do not think that us going to Haiti caused all of the problems to leave it, especially in a week.  But you see, we could pack up and move to Haiti right now and live there for the rest of our lives, and make zero difference.  OR we could go and carry the good news of Jesus Christ, tell and remind our new brothers and sisters that they are beautiful and that God loves them, and point them to people and places in Haiti and above that CAN help them.  And that is exactly what we did.

As I said before, I write this to encourage you.  Ask God what he wants to do with you. Maybe he wants you to go live in Ethiopia and share the good news for the rest of your life.  Maybe he wants you to volunteer at a local soup kitchen and feed those around you that are hungry.  Maybe he wants you to go to Haiti for a week, form relationships with a team full of wise and experienced Christians, and play and sing hymns with a Haitian boy named Dave.  You won’t know until you ask Him, and until you go.

 

 

Psalm 96:1-3