Something Different this Month
We have something a little different this month. The ten people in the church group that were detained when leaving Haiti with a group of children and charged with child trafficking have been in the news a lot recently. We do not know any of the specifics about that group, but obviously something went very wrong. We thought it might be good at this point to reassure our mission partners concerning a few principles to which we try to adhere.
During our pre-field training, we were sequestered at a remote site in Colorado for several weeks with other new missionary families from various denominations going various places around the world as long-term missionaries. The team responsible for our training covered a plethora of issues that ranged from tips for learning a new language; to responding to terrorism and military coups; to maintaining our personal prayer and spiritual lives, for instance. They also imparted a few helpful rules, three of which were:
ü Do not get involved with bribes
ü Obey the local law
ü Respect the sovereignty of each nation
There are gray areas (unjust laws or the distinction between “bribes” and “fees,” for example), but these three rules have served us well. Tom, one of the members of the training team who had years of mission experience in South America, summarized the concept:
“You are sojourners and guests. You are metaphorically in someone else’s house and you should not just do what you want. What you might think makes sense to do in your own home might not be appropriate in someone else’s home.”
For long-term mission, one key to success is often how well the missionary can “fit in.” Whatever we are trying to accomplish, ignoring these rules tends to alienate the local people and create divisions. And that is not helpful.
Keep praying, Anita and Michael