This morning I was checking a couple of the blogs I follow and this one really jumped out at me. www.thechurchofnopeople.com/2011/07/guest-blogger-jamie-the-very-worst-missionary/
You should read it. I decided to respond on here instead of giving a complete rant and my beliefs on short term missions on their comment section. Here is a little of what Jamie said-
"Whenever I pray for short-term missionaries, I pray that their trip would be an absolute disaster.
Seriously, I do. I pray that all of their luggage would be lost, their money would be stolen, and, above all, their coordinated team shirts would accidentally catch fire."
"But the best part is when we bring short-term teams to the ghetto. That’s where we put poor people on display, like zoo animals, so that we can marvel at how they live."
"So, basically, we do it, like, completely opposite of how Jesus did it."
I totally agree with Jamie. I went to mexico every year on a short term missions trip through out highschool. The most amazing experiences came when our own agenda ran out and we ended up sitting around with locals.
When we go to a culture that is relation and serve with materialism not much gets accomplished.
The message of the Gospel is a relational one. So long laws, so long works, hello relationship with Christ. Maybe instead of giving out candy and our old clothes (that we don't want anymore because they are so last year) we could give ourselves. Loving the locals, learning not about the masses but about the individual, starting a relationship.
How does materialistic service show people what it is like to have a relationship with christ? It doesn't. It shows them what it is like to have a relationship with an American.
But through starting a relationship with an individual and sharing what our relationship with Christ looks like maybe they will want Christ as well.... and not another pair of worn out nike's
