Beneficial Trips or Not
Somewhat controversial yet interesting piece by James Hastings in the current issue of the Baptist Times about short term mission trips.
He makes the accusation that what we have done is introduced “missionary voyerism” where “our youth swap two weeks’ sun in Benidorm for a fortnight ogling the poor in third world countries”. He then goes on to argue that the main purpose of this for many youth is because it will look good on their CV’s. Finally he argues that we should “gather up all the air fares the church youth planned to spend on their trips to Africa, and send that money directly to those who need it.”
It’s a piece I want to disagree with wholeheartedly. I have seen a number of young people go and benefit from these types of trips. I also know that during the trips they have helped local communities by being involved in aid and development type projects, which have been planned and carried out ethically using local materials and so forth. I have seen, mainly from older travellers, how when they have come back they have instigated projects to raise money and help on a more long term basis the communities they visited. I have seen the odd one hear the call of God and go out into more long term missionary work eventually and finally, with an older friend who did a similar thing I have seen a real shift in their faith.
However, I also recognise much truth in the article. The main longer term benefits to the communities have seemed to have come from the visits of older people, rather than teenagers. For the teenagers it has seemed to have been more experience based. I don’t know how many of them it has changed enough to mean that they have a pint or two less alcohol each weekend to help support the places they visited or the way the communities have benefitted from knowing that people are interested enough to visit and help build a project for the longer term.
My conclusion….I don’t know….and whilst I don’t know I will continue to support the teenagers going but also encourage people to think about the structural reasons for the inequality between their position and ours. To think about the way we need to address our lifestyles because the effects of climate change and unethical trading are felt hardest by those they are visiting.
Jack the Lass says:
I agree. There was a recent thread on SoF about this (it’s on p.3 of Purgatory at the mo, it’s called “Do-Gooder Vacations”) that was very interesting.
catfood says:
i hate to say it but i kind of agree with the article. all to easy to smile upon our well fed pampered kids a they go off for a fortnight and thuink taht we have done well enough.
but then i am a bitter old hag at the moment so i am probably all wrong
C. Holland says:
You’re missing the point of the piece completely. Mr. Hastings is addressing what we missionaries in full-time work experience all the time: 1) indigenous people in our various fields being patronised as a “pity attraction”, 2) groups coming in for a week or two with no thought to potential long-term ramifications in the field, and 3) romanticising the difficulties of mission ministry.
You are correct that a (very) small percentage of people come back from said trips more engaged in local ministry or even interested in missions. However, it’s the vast majority who are not affected that tend to cause cultural gaffes and harm to the furthering of the Kingdom, leaving us long-term missionaries trying to pick up the pieces afterwards. If it weren’t for the problems the difficult ones brought, I don’t mind that only a few are changed by the trip.