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This is a video I put together for Westside King’s Church in Calgary in order to help prepare the teams heading down to work with San Diego/Ensenada YWaM.

I used the video function on my 3 meg point and shoot camera for the images and audio.

It was helpful for teams as they prepared to go – sometimes something this simple, just a quick peek at what the destination and the work actually looks like, is helpful for participants as they ready themselves.

Click here to download the video at a higher resolution

We do mission because:

• it is good for us
• we feel bad for others
• we are called to be obedient to God
• important people let us know of it’s value
• we owe it to others – they have so little

Ask any number of people of people why we do mission and the answers tend to be various responses somewhere along the theme of responsibility. While I believe in our responsibility, as well as the ethic necessary to move that feeling toward action, I think that there might be something more to the reason ‘why’ …

Here is my answer to the question, “Why do we do what we do?” – it was recorded during a training session in Ottawa, November 07. Check out others at the podcasts tab at the top of this page

If you are a mid-termer – individuals who have worked in a cross-cultural setting for one month to one year – I would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to help out others planning a mid-term experience themselves.

Click here to take this survey to provide valuable feedback for others as they prepare. You can also navigate there from the Surveys link at the top of this page.

Thanks

Thanks!

Here is an series of emails that I sent home to Supriya a few years ago when I was in Sierra Leone. I like how they remind me of the realities of travel. The ebb and flow of strange customs and basic differences, the joys and frustrations. Makes me wish I was back there …

____________________________________________________________

Arrived, safe and almost sound.

My appreciation for air travel was again diminished as I traveled from Calgary to Toronto, beginning with the surly Customer ‘Service’ Agents shouting at people lining up in the too small waiting area. Although I arrived 2 hours before the flight and was the second person in the lounge, I still had a crappy seat near the back (although I was able to change for a window – being a night flight) soon after we took off, I began coughing as a very sharp odor came wafting forward, I thought it was the disinfectant or something, but was soon proved wrong.

My seat companion also began coughing, and after a couple more episodes, I turned backward, to the woman behind me, and asked if she was spraying something. She told me that she needed to use these essential oils, but it was okay, because they were natural. I tried to reason with her, my seat companion joining in – natural or not, they were causing respiration failure – but she would have none of our reason – not for her.

I am not sure how to describe the stench, somewhere between sandalwood and methane … with notes of cat pee, vinegar, and pepper thrown in for good measure.

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Did you notice the new link at the top of the page?

a) what link?

b) yes, and I already clicked

c) not interested

d) I never do web surveys …

Anyways, if you are still wondering what this post is about … look up at the title bar and there, somewhere right of ‘About Mark’, lies the new addition – ‘Take the Survey’. Click it and you will be brought to a short 10 question survey.

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If the image of missionary as doctor may have too much little black baggage attached, perhaps the new metaphor for understanding mission is one of a participant in the scene. A participant in the creation of community.

The students gathered in the dusty schoolroom. Classes had been let out an hour beforehand, but several classes of children gathered in curiosity to see the strangers and to play their games.

This was Kabala, northern Sierra Leone in 2005, HIV was on the rise in the community, and this stigma reduction program was intended to open communication over the taboo of AIDS.
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Often when we attempt to engage in International Relief and Development work, we cannot help but enter with our own unconscious cultural blinders and biases. Even with the absolute best of intentions, it is highly unlikely that an amateur STM participant can avoid some certain mindsets when it comes to personal participation.

I was a part of an ERDO seminar in Toronto a few weeks ago working to illustrate the above point through a fun interactive exercise I did with the group. Check it out!

 

 When Disaster Strikes [18:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

check out others at the podcast page.

When it comes to international work, many novices feel that good intentions and a positive outlook are all that is necessary to accomplish great methods and outcomes. While intentions and positivity re very, very important … there are other necessary considerations to keep in mind when planning an international team experience.

A tool I have used for many years is the very helpful EFC Code of Best Practices. The code helps to set a minimum standard of preparation for teams and individuals engaging in international mission.

When I began training, and then later found this resource, I realised I was sadly lacking in many areas. I started small, worked on improving what I was doing well, as well as adding the most important elements I realized I was missing at the time.

Check them out for yourself, examine your own preparation process against the standards, and email or call me for assistance if you want to begin better preparation!

Section 1: Aims and Objectives
1.1 A Short-Term Mission program will have a defined purpose within Christian mission.
1.2 A Short-Term Mission program will have clear and realistic aims and objectives, which include viability, expectations of outcomes, and consideration of how the program serves the long-term objectives of all those involved.
1.3 The benefits to, and responsibilities of, the participant, the sending organization, the sending local church, the host organization and the host local church will be clearly defined and communicated.
1.4 Partnerships will be established, as far as possible, with host local churches and communities. These relationships, in the context of unity love, will be defined in terms of agreed-upon priorities, ownership, and expectations.
1.5 Appropriate sending local church involvement will be sought. A partnership will be developed, as far as is feasible, between the agency, participant and sending local church.
1.6 There will be a commitment to the participant to provide opportunities for personal and spiritual development throughout the experience.
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My friend Matt at the STM Network recently put together a few Dangerous STM questions … I responded to this one … #2 in his series …

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This is a bit of a long post, but if you can take a few moments to read it, then to the best of your ability, please try to give me an answer at the end. I think this is an important thought for us to collect.
I am attempting to discover current practitioners who can describe original (new) and beneficial (effective and working) methods of team based Short-Term Missions (STM).

I am specifically interested in discovering STM team initiatives attempting specific development projects within the majority world (also known as the Third World or Southern world). Specifically projects focused on sustainable, community owned and community-wide incremental growth. SEE endnote 1 regarding my summary of difference between Relief and Development goals and initiatives.

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