American-Centric Prevention

In my last two blogs I wrote about being “American-centric”. I said that we need to be aware of our tendency to see the world through our own culture, and that we can counter that by opening the doors to new experiences, cultures, and opinions. Not only should we be aware and counter the tendency, we must understand how to interact appropriately when traveling outside our culture.

As a follower of Christ, I believe that short term missions trips are a necessary and valuable part of the church. I also know that planning and executing a trip can be tricky at times. I have found that when going to another culture, effectiveness is most often determined by timing, appropriateness, and adaptability. So how can you measure if the mission or project is going to be successful? Here are a few basic questions that I think are essential for you to ask yourself before planning a trip or project overseas, to make sure you’re not being American-centric!

1. Who initiated the project? Often, who initiated the project is the greatest predictor of how successful it will be. Why? Because people on the ground have the most accurate understanding of the real needs in a community. Too often, people come in with ideas and projects that just will not work (or are impossible or inappropriate to the culture). It is also much more likely that the people who initiate are the ones who will take ownership, and getting local ownership is essential.
2. What is culturally relevant? I heard of a project recently that wanted to build a house for a pastor, which is a great idea. However, they did not first consider what is appropriate. The team built the bathroom inside the house. And in that specific culture, bathrooms should never be in the house. The bathroom and the house were never used after the team left. Despite good intention, breaking cultural norms can be very damaging to your work.
3. When are you doing it? Timing can be everything. You have to consider if the people you are working for are available and ready for it. Are you doing a VBS while the kids are supposed to be at school? Timing also means knowing if the people are ready for your work. Have the locals shown the passion and initiative to be apart of it? At CFA, we do not open a center at a church unless the church has first taken the intiative and demonstrated interest in helping people with HIV. 
4. Where will the project be in ten years? You have to think longterm and sustainable. I have seen many projects that were started and never finished or not maintained, like half built churches or water pumps that are too rusty to use anymore. Who will maintain the work? What is your follow up plan? Obviously a lot is unknown, but try to think what the implications of the project are. You are not just done when you leave, there are always left behind effects of what you do. If its an outreach event, who is shepherding the people who came to know Christ?
5. Why are you doing it? This requires an honest assessment of your intentions. Are you trying to make yourselves better known or feel more accomplished? Or are you humbly wanting to serve people who need to know Gods love? Is it to share Gods love, or to build a resume? Your intentions will certainly come out when the work begins through the way that you serve. If you go out of pride and fullness, you will not have maximum impact. But if you go in humility with brokenness, you will be sharing in the grace and the joy of the Gospel together with those you are serving.
6. How will you implement the project?  It’s important to use the right avenue for change. This will also determine the success and effectiveness of the mission. Will you go through the church? Will it just be your team? Will you involve local volunteers? Use the channels and avenues that will be most effective. I think the most effective projects are ones where locals take ownership and involve the local community and church body.

Sharing the Gospel must be our motivation and focus while working overseas. Ultimately, the point of our work is to fulfill the great commission and share Christ with every nation and culture, not diluting our message with our own selfishness or cultural biases. This needs to be demonstrated in any work that we do overseas. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul says, “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on Gods power.”

At the end of the day, I hope that we bring the pure and simple Gospel message of Christ to the nations; nothing more and nothing less.

Empowerment over Entitlement

This post is part of a series called “How CFA has changed my perspective on ministry.”

Our job in Kenya is simple… to empower: to give them the power or authority to do for themselves. I’m referring to our responsibility to empower local leadership to change their community, country, and culture. It has taken me a long time to truly understand what my role is in helping to empower the Kenyan people. We have made a case in the past for employing local leaders in the work of CARE for AIDS, and while that is one essential part, what is our role in standing with them to reach their full potential and achieve maximum impact?

Pray – This may seem like a cliché place to begin, but I assure you it’s not. I have seen just a glimpse of the darkness that our workers face on a daily basis. This is true of social workers, missionaries, pastors, and Christians in these parts of the world. They face enormous risks and endure unimaginable conditions. Most recently, one of our workers, David, defended his family one night against a barrage of thieves wielding machetes. The next morning, he was ready to lead our team as we visited clients in their homes. If we are going to empower local leaders, we must first commit to stand with them in prayer because they are definitely under attack.

Encourage – I’ve always heard my dad say, “How do you know if someone needs encouragement? If they are breathing!!” Our staff and local leaders need to know that they have friends around the world that care about them and care about the work they are doing. We all want to know that our work matters, and our staff is no different. So, let’s continue to call, write, and visit our leaders around the world because sometimes that is the greatest service we can offer.

Equip – I use the term equip with regard to knowledge and skills. Based on our background, experiences, or education, we may have access to knowledge that those in the developing world do not. We need to share that generously, not to prescribe a certain course of action but to equip people and organizations to lead well and make the best decisions in their context.

Resource – I use this term with regard to finances. The proper application of funds is essential, but it looks dramatically different for every situation. Sometimes the resources are needed for relief or rehabilitation or development. Sometimes it is an investment that will produce financial returns or one that will create other social impact. Every circumstance calls for a different response, and we must use our best judgment in determining that response.

On my most recent trip to Kenya, I saw our staff take a huge step in understanding how they have been empowered. They took the initiative to put on a one-day leadership conference for the Nairobi community. Over 150 leaders from non-profits, corporations, and churches attended. Not only did the conference raise money for CARE for AIDS, but it established us as a credible voice in that community.

The staff decided that while our model may never be fully financially sustainable through Kenyan sources, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t contribute to the marketing and development of the work that they are so proud of. They resolved not to just exist in submission to the authority of our Western arm but to take ownership of this organization.

This has been an exciting shift in my thinking, and I am working harder than ever to empower these incredible Kenyan leaders in such a way that will give more ownership over this incredible vision, not less.

What steps are you taking to intentionally empower leaders around the world? 

You Say Potato

The word for potato in swahili is kiazi (kee-ah-zee). After corn, the potato is the most important food crop in Kenya. When I visited in December, the potato was a part of almost every meal. It is used in various recipes including mokimo, which I learned how to make from one of our clients. The cooking process took the better part of the afternoon over a fire pit, with 3-4 of us helping cut and stir to make the meal, our arms tiring from the constant stirring needed. When we sat down to eat, it was truly a community meal.

Living in a country  like the United States where food, particularly processed food, is readily available from restaurants and grocery stores and where kitchens are a norm makes it difficult to comprehend what a daily investment food preparation can be. There are places in the United States that healthy food is scarce, especially for families living in under resourced areas, but, in Kenya, most people rely on local food markets or growing their own crops to put meals on the table.

This is very different than my experience growing up, which is also probably the case for many of you. Can you imagine what it would look like to live in a culture where food takes a lot of time and energy? For our clients, this is a huge concern in providing for themselves and their families.

Food production is changing in Kenya through the programs of USAID and others and will continue to emerge and transform like in the United States during the Agricultural Revolution. This will take time and investment in local business, something that CARE for AIDS is passionate about supporting. Our centers host two seminars a month that train clients in entrepreneurial skills and organized lending groups. We hope that this education and training will prepare our clients to be a part of this growing economy.

Regardless of how you pronounce it, potato or kiazi, hope feels the same in any language.