Short-Term Teams – You better shop around

Part 2 – Participant Responsibility and Preparation

If you are considering participating in a short-term trip, you have some responsibilities before you choose where you are going and who you are going with to serve.  You should examine your intentions as you begin thinking about your purpose in going.  You should check into the organization you plan to go with before signing up.

When considering participating in a mission trip the first thing each individual should ask is, “Is God calling me to go and serve?”  Yeah, I know it would be nice if God always spoke to us verbally and we could physically hear Him say, “John go serve two week in Kenya!”  This is a whole topic in itself.  What you need to do before going on a short-term mission trip is take some time to pray, asking God to give you direction in where He wants you to serve and to help you have wisdom in choosing an organization to serve with as you go.  If you do not feel God calling you to go, then do not go.

The CWO application has a couple questions to help potential team members think about the desire to go on a short-term trip.  “Why do you wish to go on this mission opportunity?” is the first question that addresses this.  Asking yourself why you want to go can help you determine if God wants you to go.  If you are going just to check it off your bucket list of things to do or places to go, then do not go.  I have had team members go for this reason and it is quickly evident they are not interested in going to serve but ready to go on their next “adventure.”  Their interest is seeing the world and not serving with those in the country they are visiting.

I do need to add that if you are going just so you can get to the country where a child you sponsor lives, do not go.  I know the desire to see that child you have sponsored for many years is strong but if this is why you are going your motive is selfish.  I have seen team members sit around and not participate in the activities of the team just waiting to visit their sponsored child.  The saddest part is knowing that this selfish act has caused a hardship on the child’s family because they need to miss work and sometimes travel for a whole day just to bring the child to visit.

Another question we ask on the application is, “How do you plan to use this experience when you return home?”  This may seem like an odd question before you leave but again it may help you know what your motive is for going on this trip.  A short-term trip is a good way to test your ability to function cross-culturally, especially if you are thinking about serving long-term.

This is a great way to get a glimpse of what long-term missionaries deal with on a day to day basis, helping you know how to pray for them.  It can also help you know the real needs so that you understand what financial support is helpful.  I have seen people go on a different short-term trip every year each time with a different organization and to a different country.  They do not have a desire to understand and learn but, again, are checking it off their list.

It is your responsibility to set your expectations before going.  The beginning of setting your expectations is to investigate any organization you might go to serve with on a trip.  Ask lots of questions before applying for a trip.  If you do not get any clear answers you may want to look somewhere else for a place to serve.  I would ask for a reference of someone who has already gone with the organization.  They will be able to help you know what to expect when going to serve.

A short-term trip should be viewed as a learning experience.  Be ready to go observe and ask questions (when appropriate).  This is not a time to sit back and relax but a time to study the culture around you, investing time with those you are working with and serving alongside them.  Begin building relationships that can last and grow as you serve.  This can seem like a lot of hard work but it will be well worth it as you return home and reflect on what God has taught you through your short-term trip.

What’s next?  In part three about short-term trips we will look at what happens when you get home.

Short Term Teams – the Good & the Bad

Part 1 (the sending organizations responsibility)

Greg Yoder participated in the first Christian World Outreach (CWO) work team that served in Johnstown, Pennsylvania after the flood of 1977.  He then served on the first team to Haiti in 1978 that held a youth camp.  After graduating from college he served in Haiti from 1980 to 1988. He taught at Quisqueya Christian School and prepared for short-term teams to come to Haiti in the summers for 3 ½ years and then worked full time as the CWO administrator.  After moving back to the States he connected with CWO by serving on the board and leading teams. In 2003 he began working part-time leading CWO teams and then began working in the US headquarters in 2005 where he now serves as CWO’s president.

There continues to be a debate about whether short-term mission trips do much good.  You have probably seen posts on Facebook or received an email with a website link about all the negative things associated with short-term mission trips. You have also probably read stories or talked to a friend about how a short-term team has had a positive effect.  I must admit I have been a part of teams that fall under both extremes and hopefully have learned something from those experiences.

It is healthy for every organization that participates in sending short-term missions to struggle with this question for each team that goes out to serve.  After all, the buck stops with the organization that offers short-term trips because they are the link between those receiving a team and those going.  It is their responsibility to make sure they are making a trip meaningful and useful to those receiving a team.  It is also their responsibility to make it a positive learning and growing experience for the team members going to serve.

The sending organization should first know those who are receiving a team.  They should have a good enough working relationship so that they get an honest answer to the usefulness of teams.  They should know the culture well enough to know if they are being told “yes bring teams” just because those asked are being polite or if they really want / need a team to come.  The sending organization should also make sure that they include those receiving a team in the planning, the fundraising, and that they participate in the project.

I have asked our in-country staff if it is beneficial to have teams come and the response has always been yes.  They have said that it is an “encouragement” to have teams take time to come and serve alongside them, and they know that it helps those who support the ministry in prayer and financially to see firsthand what they support.

Usually any negative reaction to short-term missions is partly because the American comes in as the “expert” in everything, works alone on the project and believes they are the only ones who can get the project done.  Because of this we can create a group of people who sit back and watch the Americans work without saying a word.  They will not tell the “guest” that the project is not something wanted or needed and so the time and money spent on this trip is wasted.

I have seen some unused playgrounds that teams have felt were needed when the real need was for desks and other classroom needs.  I have seen a room full of discarded toys left over after picking out the useful donated items like pencils, pens, rulers, notebooks, etc.  I know of a building built that goes unused because it was built American style.  I know of equipment that has been installed but never used because those receiving it do not know how to use it or the replacement parts are not available locally.  I have also seen teams viewed as just a way to receive the funds to complete a project.

The solution is to start with the sending organization building a long-term relationship with those they serve and then for them to understand the real need of those receiving a team.  This relationship would be one built on trust and promote open and honest discussions about teams.  It is best that those receiving a team are part of the planning so they have ownership and the project is accepted as theirs.  One other way to help them take ownership is to have those receiving a team invest something in the project by raising funds or bringing supplies.  Because this is not typically asked of those receiving a team it may seem odd but it is acceptable.

It goes without saying, or maybe not, that the receivers and the team members work side-by-side on the project.  This brings both sides together and helps build relationships that can last longer than any building or other project that a short-term mission team could participate in.

CWO has been a part of short-term mission trips for almost 40 years.  We have made mistakes along the way and have learned from those mistakes.  Our goal is to make short-term mission trips a part of the ministry to encourage both those receiving a team and those going and to be a part of the existing ministries.

More about short-term mission teams and the team member’s responsibilities and preparation on the next blog post.

Reaching out in rural Haiti – Part 3

It is November 1979. Living in a foreign country can be lonely, especially when special holidays are approaching. It is so encouraging when I have visitors.  My sister, Sharon and two friends, Melaina and Laura came to visit.  It was so fun to show them this country and her beautiful people.

Learning a different language is not easy. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever learn it.  I spend countless hours studying, memorizing and practicing. I wasn’t expecting this learning process to be so frustrating.

An unexpected ministry opened up, teaching phys ed to the female students at Quisqueya Christian School. Some of the students are missionary kids, some are children of the elite class.  CWO realizes the need to minister to all classes, the poor and the wealthy.  I am excited to develop a relationship with these young women.

I continue visiting the youth from our camps, traveling through cities to the winding roads up the mountains. It is humbling to visit our youth in their homes, huts with thatched roofs and shacks with tin roofs. They are excited that I would spend time with them. It is always a blessed experience for me.  I long to learn their language, Creole, so I can really communicate.

nov-1979-photo-2    nov-1979-photo-1

Getting Ready for a Short-Term Mission Trip

Getting ready for a short-term mission trip can be so exciting. There are so many things to get ready for. You need to get your support letters written and mailed. You have to get your supplies for the trip no matter what venture it is. You have to pack your bags. You have to prepare for your trip whether it be a Vacation Bible School, construction, medical or any other type of trip. At least these are the things that I do before a trip.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to go on so many trips and each time I get so excited for this process. One thing I can easily overlook and that is arguably the most important part is preparing my heart. I can often get so excited about the less important things I forget to pray over my trip. I forget to ask God to give me the right mindset and heart for all I am about to face. I forget to pray for each life that we will come in contact with. I forget to pray that God will bond the team so we can bring all the glory to Him.

I think getting the right support financially, getting your bags packs and finishing up your VBS lessons and other plans and preparations are all good things. These are all things that God wants us to prepare, but I think there is more God wants from us. As we prepare for each mission trip we should be fully seeking God’s guidance and wisdom. In fact this should be how we live our lives day to day, seeking God first and allowing him to guide the steps as you go on your way.

Sarah Yoder – CWO Trip Participant