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Rethinking Missions

Consider what would happen if, for whatever reason, it were no longer possible for students to go on "missions trips" to other countries. What impact would that have on the world? Would we even be missed?

Over the past few years, I've had the privilege of corresponding with two different men, both from South Africa. As I've talked with these men, both of whom have an infectious zeal and passion for God, for young people and for the lost, I have noticed a very disturbing trend in their opinions toward American-lead missions efforts (specifically, short-term missions trips). It seems that some (maybe many) indigenous leaders tend to view us as nothing more than trophy-hunters, out scouting the "wild" hoping to bag some "big game" lost folks. One of these men described it as "missions zoos," where all the Americans can go and get a good peek at some natives in their natural habitats. The other talked about the arrogance of many leaders of such trips, who treat indigenous people with contempt, as if our insights into Christianity were somehow superior to those of ignorant third-world Christians....