Mistake #5: Going With an Organization that Doesn’t Have Deep Relationships with Locals
It’s interesting how many “start-ups” there are leading mission trips around the world. You know what a start-up is… a business that is just getting started in their field of service. There’s a reason why businesses advertise how long they’ve been in business, and why loaning institutions and accrediting agencies want to see a history of a company. Because when you’re just starting out, there’s a MAJOR LEARNING CURVE.
So, unless you want to consciously participate in some organization’s learning curve (which happens), then you need to make sure that the organization you are going on mission with has a successful history doing what they do. This would include their accomplishments related to what they claim to be doing as a whole, as well as the personnel facilitating the mission having the necessary experience to demonstrate competency. You’d be surprised how many missions this summer will be facilitated by older teens, or early 20-somethings whose experience amounts to: “This is my third time going to so-and-so and doing the abc mission.”
On our Summer Internship, you are going with an organization that has over 25 years of experience facilitating short-term teams. Moreover, we’ve been doing so in Central America and East Africa, the destinations of the Summer Internship. On top of that facilitating personnel, not only have decades of experience, but the majority of personnel involved in your mission are actually nationals of the destination country! In the book of Galatians, we learn about the potential division between Jew, Greek, Slave and free (Galatians 3:28). This passage highlights the power of culture to divide, yet also the possibility that those who may be separated by culture can be unified by Christ Jesus our Lord. Working cross culturally can be a great challenge that requires not just spirituality, but long-term experience and competency. The unity we experience with our brothers and sisters around the world is found in Christ Jesus, but we have also engaged a consistent labor to study and understand cultural norms and practices. This allows us to be effective leaders, communicators, and guides for your experience.
