sustainable short term missions
As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, I helped lead a group of five sixteen-year-olds on a trip to Belize in November. For the past few years, a Montreal high school has been partnering with a trade school ministry in a small Belizean village. The trip was an opportunity to merge my work in ministry and youth work with my field of study, international development.
I hesitated when asked if I wanted to go. Studying the harms of voluntourism and service trips in the developing world had left me quite pessimistic (and pridefully critical) about short-term mission trips. Though our intentions may be good, short-term volunteers from the Global North have too often adopted a Saviourist approach to these trips, thinking they need to share all their knowledge and answers in the developing countries they "serve".
The Western Church in which I was raised (and that I love) sadly shares the gospel with no understanding of cultural nuances and local languages.
Most importantly, we focus on lack of material possessions in our approach to poverty alleviation. The dignity of no parent is restored by giving his child a toy he/she could not provide for them.
All this to say, I was conflicted. But as I learned more about this specific partnership, and the ethos of this trip, my heart softened to the idea of going. I said yes when the coordinator told me, “I don’t want to do this the gringo way. I don’t want us to help in a way that hurts people. Let’s try to design a trip that better understands the heart of God.”
And the trip was amazing. We learned so much about sustainability, mutuality and partnership. We sought to be intentional, and thought twice about short-term mission “defaults” that need to be challenged. I was so proud of these sixteen-year-olds, who were critical thinkers, acknowledging their cultural biases and who served humbly.
While I still think the Global North needs to reflect upon more sustainable, prayerfully-considered short-term work, I now believe there are ways to do this trips without inadvertently marginalizing the developing world.
I hesitated when asked if I wanted to go. Studying the harms of voluntourism and service trips in the developing world had left me quite pessimistic (and pridefully critical) about short-term mission trips. Though our intentions may be good, short-term volunteers from the Global North have too often adopted a Saviourist approach to these trips, thinking they need to share all their knowledge and answers in the developing countries they "serve".
The Western Church in which I was raised (and that I love) sadly shares the gospel with no understanding of cultural nuances and local languages.
Most importantly, we focus on lack of material possessions in our approach to poverty alleviation. The dignity of no parent is restored by giving his child a toy he/she could not provide for them.
All this to say, I was conflicted. But as I learned more about this specific partnership, and the ethos of this trip, my heart softened to the idea of going. I said yes when the coordinator told me, “I don’t want to do this the gringo way. I don’t want us to help in a way that hurts people. Let’s try to design a trip that better understands the heart of God.”
And the trip was amazing. We learned so much about sustainability, mutuality and partnership. We sought to be intentional, and thought twice about short-term mission “defaults” that need to be challenged. I was so proud of these sixteen-year-olds, who were critical thinkers, acknowledging their cultural biases and who served humbly.
While I still think the Global North needs to reflect upon more sustainable, prayerfully-considered short-term work, I now believe there are ways to do this trips without inadvertently marginalizing the developing world.
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| A view of Armenia, Belize. |
Here are a few concrete things I believe are key to sustainable short-term mission trips.
1- Avoid "superiority terminology"
“This trip is going to allow us to give to the poor”
“Let’s bring Jesus there”
“What a great opportunity to be the light in the darkness”
“Let’s help the less fortunate”
Again-I know these are often well intended. But these kinds of statements create a false hierarchal binary between the West and non-West. They are complicit with an imperialist narrative that marginalizes the Global South. Calling a group “less fortunate” implies that the speaker has been afforded some fortune that others necessarily want, and are “less” because they don’t have it.
Yes, the West is materially rich. But we need to erase vocabulary that doesn’t acknowledge and confront our own poverty: emotionally, spiritually, communally, etc. We have so much to learn from our international brothers and sisters, and effectively calling them “lesser” doesn’t create a spirit of mutuality that is essential to mission trips.
We (the Western Church in particular) also need to be careful in using rhetoric that insinuates that God isn’t already in the developing world and at work there. Even in areas where the gospel is not known or where a local church is not established, let’s remember that God is, by His nature, omnipresent. Luke 19:40 states that “even the stones will cry out in praise”!
2- The fewer the merrier
If you want to plan an effective trip, limiting the number of participants is key. Think about how dealing with 10-30 foreigners could be a source of stress to local hosts who sometimes need to coordinate pick-ups from the airport, meals, housing, etc. Only five students came on the trip to Belize, and that was a game changer. We were able to have far more meaningful dealings and conversations with locals, who told us themselves that a smaller group is less intimidating and easier to trust than “a huge group of gringos”. I would go so far as to say that groups should largely consist of people that genuinely have an interest in missions or development work beyond the week-long trip. Find the youth that want to be involved in what God is doing in the developing world in the future. Find the youth that will let this experience change their lives, not just their Instagram feed.
When I think of all the money that goes into airfare, housing (etc.) to fund short term missions trip (I once read 3 billion dollars a year), I can’t help but wonder if all the money involved in sending a huge group of untrained North American teens for 12 days to a developing country is worthwhile. Instead, why not take just a fraction of this colossal amount of money to fund locals to do that work more effectively? I would encourage donating to NGOs before thinking of planning such trips. This is far more sustainable than spending thousands of dollars to paint a school in Africa when every member of your group has no experience painting. Qualified locals can do this same job!
3- Put away your camera and savior complex
This one is HUGE (and I’m so guilty). Would you walk up to a child in a North American park or classroom, take tons of pictures with him/ her, and post it online without knowing the child’s name or asking for parental consent? Of course not. That would be unthinkable. I’m guilty of this- I did just that during my first short-term mission trip in 2012. Before going on the trip, tell participants they can’t take pictures with the kids- and check and see how many of them still want to go. Unfortunately, I think many Westerners (especially millennials and generation Z) most look forward to taking pictures of themselves hugging orphans or laughing with elderly women when they participate in these trips. If we’re honest, these pictures do get a lot of attention (likes, comments) on social media. But we need to acknowledge that these pictures victimize local people and conceptualize us as saviors. Photos effectively cure our western saviour complex, our need to tell the world that we are so helpful to the materially poor. It’s self-fulfilling and self-absorbed and, ultimately, wrong. If you take pictures of people, avoid posting them. Stick to pictures of the village where you are, or yourself! If you absolutely want to post a picture of people who were a big part of your trip, ensure you actually know them (don’t post a picture of someone whose name is unknown to you) and ask for consent (parental consent if it’s a child). Be present, and put away the iPhones!
4-Support long-term workers
When on these trips, value sustainability. We need to let go of our agendas, skits, and programs and take on a role of support rather than leadership. Avoid doing jobs that local people can do themselves. Don’t get me wrong- I absolutely value serving. However, in a short-term mission framework, work like building a school or painting a wall without inviting locals to do it with you simply creates a cycle of dependency. Poverty alleviation should not require Westerners to come with toys and tools every year. There is nothing sustainable and self-sufficient about that. Moreover, local leaders and long-term workers are the ones who have built trust in the community, and are thus in a better position to tell you what the community’s needs are.
When on these trips, value sustainability. We need to let go of our agendas, skits, and programs and take on a role of support rather than leadership. Avoid doing jobs that local people can do themselves. Don’t get me wrong- I absolutely value serving. However, in a short-term mission framework, work like building a school or painting a wall without inviting locals to do it with you simply creates a cycle of dependency. Poverty alleviation should not require Westerners to come with toys and tools every year. There is nothing sustainable and self-sufficient about that. Moreover, local leaders and long-term workers are the ones who have built trust in the community, and are thus in a better position to tell you what the community’s needs are.
Not to break your bubble or anything, but a two-week trip is not going to have long-lasting impacts on poverty alleviation. It just won’t. However, your support can be a great encouragement to long-term workers whose labour can have a further enduring outcome. Have you ever thought of having team members babysit a full-time missionary couple’s kids so they can have a date night? Perhaps we should focus on encouraging and supporting international partners rather than take over and act like we are experts.
What I loved about this trip to Belize is that we did not want to lead- we were there to support the local ministry in its work. Grasp what God is doing in the country you are in, and see how you can use your few days there to be a part of it.
What I loved about this trip to Belize is that we did not want to lead- we were there to support the local ministry in its work. Grasp what God is doing in the country you are in, and see how you can use your few days there to be a part of it.
5- Read about it
I recommend both these books to anyone planning a short-term service trip or participating in one.
Serving With Eyes Wide Open, by David Livermore. A guide for culturally-intelligent short-term missions.
Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. Our group did the video resource together and it led to unbelievable conversations.
I recommend both these books to anyone planning a short-term service trip or participating in one.
Serving With Eyes Wide Open, by David Livermore. A guide for culturally-intelligent short-term missions.
Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. Our group did the video resource together and it led to unbelievable conversations.
This list is obviously not exhaustive. There is still so, so much to learn. But I now can say with assurance that I absolutely believe there is a way to do short-term work that is helpful and intelligent. I have hope that cross-cultural partnerships can further the Kingdom of God and foster positive development outcomes. With a humble and teachable attitude, a great paradigm shift can occur and have a tremendous impact on the ethos of short-term mission trips and their impacts.
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