The man…looking at him with a smile that only half concealed his contempt, inquired, "Now Mr. Morrison do you really expect that you will make an impression on the idolatry of the Chinese Empire?" "No sir," said Morrison, "but I expect that God will."
Robert Morrison
Many people go into culture shock as they step foot into Mexico. But do Mexicans experience culture shock in other Latin American countries?
Lorena was born and raised in Mexico; but now in her late twenties, she’s just moved to the States. She and her husband, Francisco, are attending a mostly all-white church. The congregation meets in a nice building in an upper-middle-class neighborhood.
On my first ever short-term mission trip, I was part of a team that built a house for a single, young mother of a handful of small children. At the time I would have done just about anything for the family. In fact, I did—sort of. Just a few months later I was back down in the same neighborhood where our group built two more homes. To my delight, I was able to find the young mother after a couple hours of searching. I was thrilled! The experience was super emotional. She asked me for money to buy food and I unloaded my wallet. Wow, was I grateful for the opportunity to be there and help. For the years to follow I thought about this family and their little home frequently.
I believe this is common of short-term mission trips. They’re impacting, stirring, unforgettable, and life changing. However, now that I’ve lived in Mexico for several years, I look back on my short-term mission trips with some embarrassment. I don’t boast that I now have belt-notches of wisdom, but I do look at the same scenery through a thicker lens.
You’ve heard about other mission trips – some that went well, others that … ok, were a bit of a disaster. So you’re wondering, what can you do to make this mission trip the best it can be?
I could give you a hundred ideas about how to prepare, but there’s something even more important. Instead of starting with detailed instructions, let me just share 4 things you need to believe if you want your team to be a success.
Back in college I took Debate 101. The national resolution for the quarter was “Technology degrades the quality of human life.” So for our final grade we had to debate both sides of the issue against a fellow student. I could think of nothing else the entire quarter—continually trying to out-debate myself. And when it came down to the real debate, I convinced myself pro-technology that day of the debate, and anti-technology for the next day.
Outside of the university scene, however, I find myself in the middle, struggling between the pros and cons of technology—except for last Sunday. Pastor Miguel told us a story that flipped me back into debate-day mode [...]
Below is a list of the three most common options for organizing a mission trip to Mexico (most of this applies to other countries too). Each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages — no one is better than the other. The job of a group leader is to know his group’s strengths and weaknesses — especially his leadership and organizational abilities — and to decide who to work with based on that [...]
Toddh left a good comment on my article “Down on VBS.” I think a fair assessment can be made that I’ve beaten up missions a little, so at Toddh’s request, it’s time for a “constructive proposal.” While we’re still waiting on Aaron’s list of “top 5-10 things groups from the States can do on a short-term mission trip to Mexico,” I think it would be good to start off with a bit of theory.
I recently heard a story of a man who camped on the outskirts of a Muslim tribe, sleeping, eating, and waiting [...]
When I heard Felipe Calderon, the new president of Mexico, was sending 3000 troops to Tijuana in an attempt to clean up the corruption and curb drug related murders I was ecstatic. I figured the city would be a safer place and, as a byproduct, more mission trip groups would be willing to come down and do ministry with us. Well, it looks like I was wrong — at least for the short-term. This morning the message on my answering machine was from a group in Southern California saying that due to the military involvement in the city they were canceling their trip that was scheduled for mid February.
A garbage truck stopped in front of my house just in time the other day. I had a plastic grocery bag filled with broken glass and dirt that I’d swept up from the street. The night before, someone busted out the window of an abandoned car that has been in our view for the last [...]
Señora Cynthia (my wife) and I had the pleasure of attending the annual Christmas concert by the Tijuana Choir and Opera. The director and two choir members attend my church. I purchased two tickets for 100 pesos a piece, donned my best button-up, and escorted my date into the (unwashed) king cab.
The concert hall [...]
One of my job duties is translating letters we receive in English from sponsors in the U.S. and delivering them to the corresponding children in Mexico. Last week I opened up a hand written letter on pastel, floral stationary directed to a ten year-old girl in the program. By the look of the penmanship, the author, Mary Anne Johnson (name changed to protect the sponsor), appeared to be elderly. Most of the letter was straightforward stuff (talk of the weather, hope you’re studying hard in school, etc.), until three-quarters down the page when Mrs. Johnson wrote: “And thanks for not being one of those illegals.” [...]