Basically, this is it: Westerners keep going abroad to "help others" or "fix problems that seem easier than our own" are really just making things worse for everyone.
Wow.
Going into the Cambodia trips, we spent a lot of time talking about the reasoning behind heading into this specific mission field. That if you're signing up because you want to watch God move, or you want your heart to be touched by something you see, you're not going for the right reasons. Missions aren't about you. If your answer to a call to missions is "I want to be God's hands and feet, and help spread the gospel in any way I can whether I'm comfortable or not"....well then you're a little closer to being on the right track. We made sure to spend time focusing on our hearts being in the right place; if you're in it for yourself, you won't be effective. And ultimately, you'll bring the rest of the team down along the way.
But even so, it's hard to be in a different country trying so hard to impact other people's lives, and not want to take a selfie with the little girl that won't leave your side. Or write the Facebook post that looks something like this: "This place is changing my life! I can't wait to tell you all stories about what I'm seeing here!" I'll admit it, I was guilty of these things. Blogging about MY heart changing, but not spreading as many stories about the redemption and life changes I saw in those I came to serve. I have some pictures with kids that I loved spending time with along the way. But it's important that when we do volunteer work, it needs to be solely for the other person's gain. Not our own.
It's important to note that not all people go to third world countries with the right intentions. The video I referenced earlier ends with a game of "Who Wants To Be A Volunteer" (A spin off of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire).
Watch it for yourself here: http://mic.com/articles/103788/one-hilarious-video-perfectly-sums-up-a-big-problem-with-western-humanitarianism
Watch it for yourself here: http://mic.com/articles/103788/one-hilarious-video-perfectly-sums-up-a-big-problem-with-western-humanitarianism
I love the section of the article that says, "Well intentioned westerners journey to distant places as volunteers with little regard for culture, history, or the ethical challenges their presence brings into communities that aren't their own." How true that is. Oh but it gets truer (is that a word?) "The problem with voluntourism is it's singular focus on the volunteer's quest for an experience, as opposed to the recipient communities actual needs." Meaning...we send teams over there with this head full of ideas on how to fix everything about the place. I can get rid of malnutrition, human trafficking, corrupted government! Those problems are easy to fix. Give kids some money to buy the food they need. (Nope) Tell the girls that they have worth and shouldn't sell their bodies. (Not gonna work, sunshine) Talk about how amazing our government is, and get them to do things the same way! (Who are you kidding? Our system isn't working either)
None of those ideas are going to change anything in the long run. Sure, you might fill a child's tummy for a few days. You might get a girl to leave the brothel until her parents send her back demanding that it's her duty to care for the family. We need to look past the "I can only do something about this while I'm in their country" mentality. There are organizations we can support that have teams on the ground 24/7 and are actually able to make a lasting impact. People that are invested into the culture and community enough to gain trust and have their opinions and ideas heard. (I'll post some links to the bottom of this post if you feel like God is pulling on your heartstrings to do something.) But I believe it's important to remember this: That place you're going to serve for a few weeks is someone's reality. It's their day to day life. The struggles they face every day you're there are struggles they've been facing for years, and will continue facing for years to come. You may be waltzing through for a few days, but this is their life. When that's on your heart and mind, serving them selflessly becomes a lot easier. When the experience is no longer about you, but about them...you've hit the mark.
I, for one, don't want to be remembered as that girl who just wanted to take selfies with all the kids she met. I want to be known as the girl that brought a smile and the Lord's heart for service and went all out for the whole time I was with those I was serving. (And keep in mind...the mission field is here at home too. Look around you...there is just as much hurt here as there is in other countries. You just can't physically see all of our issues.)
These are some of the organizations I have worked with in the past, and have really enjoyed watching God move through. They each have a piece of my heart, and I hope you'll join me in supporting them as they fight their own specific battles.
Agape International Missions (Fighting against human trafficking) - http://agapewebsite.org
Christian Relief Fund (Helping bring hope and resources to individuals)- http://christianrelieffund.org
Amazon Smile (Choose an outreach, and a % of your purchase goes to it) - https://smile.amazon.com
