Well I have nothing deep to write today that's for sure. I am sitting at the university library during a snowstorm. My class has been cancelled and this would be prime paper writing time. But noooooo I choose to blog about nothing becuase I don't want to write the introduction to a thesis or a commentary report about the US media giants. I would much rather read friends' blogs and veg out. I have so much to do this week that my brain might explode and so I justify blogging by claiming I am doing it for my mental health. But really...why do I do this???
I hate philosophy by the way. I have no desire to throw around opinions on concepts that have been chewed on for hundreds of years. People have devoted their lives to these things and still noone knows the answer! How frustrating. I would get an F in a few of my classes if I was caught saying this. "F" is for frustrating.
I went to the gym again today and I'll probably feel it tomorrow. I had a hard time raising my hands in church on Sunday because my arms were so sore from last week's upper body workout. Oh well, that's what you get when you slack off and lose all your strength and have to get it back. T-Rex will have her muscles back.
Speaking of muscles...I love the show American Gladiators. I am stuck with the suspicion that the gladiators rarely truly try to take out the competitor. I mean really, they could beat the snot out of those people if they really wanted to.
Now I must go and get it over with....
Monday 28 January 2008
Friday 11 January 2008
Overseas Mission Myth #2
MYTH #2 - IF WE ARE INVOLVED IN BUILDING ANYTHING, WE TAKE JOBS AWAY FROM LOCAL PEOPLE.
Sometimes this is a myth and sometimes it is not. Just as we cannot go to other countries and do things that may take away from the local economy, we also cannot generalize about what the results of our actions will be.
The way to make sure this is a myth is to check out how your building project works. If you are paying a flat rate for a building no matter how soon it is finished, and if you are hiring the same amount of workers that would be hired if you were not there, then you are not taking money or jobs from the local economy. If you are paying less money or hiring less people, then this myth may in fact be truth. If you check it out first then you can be sure about what you are doing.
When we travel, we pay a flat rate for our building and hire local maestros and workers. Also, the family often works on their own home (similar to the Habitat for Humanity system). We do not care how quickly or slowly we get the job done because it will be built even if we leave. Often our role is to talk with the family or play with the children. I mean really who are we trying to kid?? We do not know how to build with cinder blocks and a machete! The reason we do building projects is to meet the people and have a chance to share the gospel. Our partners in Guatemala see the buildings as a way for the church to make contact with families.
So, no need to worry about this myth if you do your homework first!
Sometimes this is a myth and sometimes it is not. Just as we cannot go to other countries and do things that may take away from the local economy, we also cannot generalize about what the results of our actions will be.
The way to make sure this is a myth is to check out how your building project works. If you are paying a flat rate for a building no matter how soon it is finished, and if you are hiring the same amount of workers that would be hired if you were not there, then you are not taking money or jobs from the local economy. If you are paying less money or hiring less people, then this myth may in fact be truth. If you check it out first then you can be sure about what you are doing.
When we travel, we pay a flat rate for our building and hire local maestros and workers. Also, the family often works on their own home (similar to the Habitat for Humanity system). We do not care how quickly or slowly we get the job done because it will be built even if we leave. Often our role is to talk with the family or play with the children. I mean really who are we trying to kid?? We do not know how to build with cinder blocks and a machete! The reason we do building projects is to meet the people and have a chance to share the gospel. Our partners in Guatemala see the buildings as a way for the church to make contact with families.
So, no need to worry about this myth if you do your homework first!
Friday 4 January 2008
Overseas Mission Myth #1
After a semester long hiatus, I am back to blogging. There have been so many times I have thought of things to write but didn't have the time to do so. We'll see how long this lasts. I'll probably stop when I have to start writing papers again.
Anyway, we are going to Africa on Feb 28th which inspires me to write this series of blogs on church work overseas. There some common myths about overseas work that are floating around out there. These myths relate to short-term trips to foreign countries.
MYTH #1 - IT IS FINANCIALLY WASTEFULL TO SEND PEOPLE ON SHORT-TERM TRIPS OVERSEAS.
This is a total myth. This statement comes from a North American mindset that money is of primary importance. To the majority of the world survival is important and many Christians will sacrifice even their survival for sharing the gospel. What is more meaningful than money is the support and encouragement from believers on the other side of the world. The fact that someone cares enough to spend their money and take the time to come and visit you, speaks more than a cheque ever could. Most people do not want to be charity cases and have money thrown at them. However, they, like us, can use encouragement and support through prayer, acts of service, etc. When we visit other countries even for a short time, we get a glimpse of what daily life is like for the people we meet. We hear their stories and learn about them and their culture. We see their sacrifice and their needs. This makes us pray with understanding, serve where needed, and give when appropriate. It is a lot easier sometimes just to write a cheque, than it is to become a student and learn from others.
When we return to our country we can raise money for what is needed or raise awareness of the prayer needs. It is easier to do this when you have seen and experienced what you are talking about. One thing that our partners tell us is that they want to us to share our experiences with the people back home. For them it is more important that the people here know what is going on with them, than it is for them to only get some cash. Luis Martinez our partner in Guatemala tells of when he was offered thousands of dollars by a businessman. The businessman said that he would never support another person to go overseas short-term again because it was a waste of money and instead he would write Luis a cheque for the amount it would cost to send someone short-term. Luis told the businessman that he should keep his money because "money doesn't have eyes."
Anyway, we are going to Africa on Feb 28th which inspires me to write this series of blogs on church work overseas. There some common myths about overseas work that are floating around out there. These myths relate to short-term trips to foreign countries.
MYTH #1 - IT IS FINANCIALLY WASTEFULL TO SEND PEOPLE ON SHORT-TERM TRIPS OVERSEAS.
This is a total myth. This statement comes from a North American mindset that money is of primary importance. To the majority of the world survival is important and many Christians will sacrifice even their survival for sharing the gospel. What is more meaningful than money is the support and encouragement from believers on the other side of the world. The fact that someone cares enough to spend their money and take the time to come and visit you, speaks more than a cheque ever could. Most people do not want to be charity cases and have money thrown at them. However, they, like us, can use encouragement and support through prayer, acts of service, etc. When we visit other countries even for a short time, we get a glimpse of what daily life is like for the people we meet. We hear their stories and learn about them and their culture. We see their sacrifice and their needs. This makes us pray with understanding, serve where needed, and give when appropriate. It is a lot easier sometimes just to write a cheque, than it is to become a student and learn from others.
When we return to our country we can raise money for what is needed or raise awareness of the prayer needs. It is easier to do this when you have seen and experienced what you are talking about. One thing that our partners tell us is that they want to us to share our experiences with the people back home. For them it is more important that the people here know what is going on with them, than it is for them to only get some cash. Luis Martinez our partner in Guatemala tells of when he was offered thousands of dollars by a businessman. The businessman said that he would never support another person to go overseas short-term again because it was a waste of money and instead he would write Luis a cheque for the amount it would cost to send someone short-term. Luis told the businessman that he should keep his money because "money doesn't have eyes."
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