Not What I Planned To Blog About...

I needed to write a blog post. Then I got distracted by Facebook. This is the result...

I’ve been reading a bunch of articles lately that have gotten me a bit conflicted and, because I’m conflicted, this post has the potential to be kinda’ rough. Bear with me. Or don’t. Whatever you want is fine. I would love to hear thoughts though if you do stick around. (otherwise skip ahead. There’s pictures at the bottom. insert winking emoji)

It started with a couple of facebook posts regarding an Instagram account for White Savior Barbie. I guess a couple of young ladies working in east Africa started using Barbie to make tongue-in-cheek social critiques of missions, specifically short term “voluntourism”, from the “west to the rest” kinda stuff.

You know how facebook does that thing where when you click on a link it suggests others you might be interested in? Well, I got stuck in one of those loops and spent way too much time reading article after article that mostly just made me feel guilty for being who I am, in the place that I am. There was one from a journalist who’s spent a bunch of time in the developing world commenting on western “voluntourists” building a school while unemployed local masons stand around watching. There was one from The Onion titled “6-Day Visit to Rural African Village completely Changes Woman’s Facebook Profile Picture”. This is an especially funny one about the life changing facebook-changing nature of a mission trip. The last one I read was not sarcastic at all but incredibly scathing. The author of this one must have been really hurt at some point and is still holding some resentment.

Here’s the tough part. I agree with the sentiment, if not the tone, of many of these writings.

I agree that in many cases damage and backward progress are the main effects of short-term missions. I agree that there is often a lack of consideration of the long-term impact of a short-term trip. And, I agree that many times these trips do more to stroke the ego and create a less then completely accurate impression of the participants, both to themselves and there facebook friends.

However, I also know that I have been shaped and molded by my experiences in missions and my worldview and understanding have grown and stretched because I had opportunities to participate in these trips. I know that I have been humbled, educated, inspired and encouraged by my interactions with people who live life in circumstances much different from my own. I know that those are all impacts on me and not on those I “went to serve”. So…

For whatever its worth, here is my two cents on “mission trips”. We should keep doing them. Maybe we can re-name them and do them differently though. Maybe we can call them “trips” and we can go places and learn about people and learn from them and maybe, if we need to do work, work together to look for solutions to problems. Maybe sending rich kids to see how bad poor kids have it so they can appreciate all their stuff is just gross and maybe we could avoid posting pictures that make us rich kids look like we’re super heroes and super people and maybe we can just love and serve because that’s what Jesus did and its what he told us we should do too (remember that washing feet thing? Jesus didn’t take a selfie while he was down there even though it would have made for a good one.)

Here’s the other conflicting thing: I’m here, in east Africa, as a white westerner, with no expertise, limited education and little of value to offer but with a strong conviction that this is a good place for me to be, maybe even the best place, that God is ok with me and my family being here and pleased and could make something good of it, for the benefit of people He loves.  

Truth be told, I have days where I wonder if I’m here because I love Jesus and want to love people or if its something else like my ego or self-righteousness or to get great profile pics. I really wrestle with it. I don’t know what the “best approach to missions” is or the absolute best way we can serve people. I don’t know if it wouldn’t be best if we all just stayed where we where born and did our loving God and people from there. I trust Him though, and I trust that He’s the one that puts urges, desires, dreams and passions on all of our hearts and that some of those cause some of us to go to different places. So maybe all of this is ok. Maybe the biggest thing, the things that matter most are our posture and ours hearts.   

I could be wrong though…  Either way, please don’t stop supporting us!(again, winking emoji)

Well… That was cathartic. Thanks for coming along with me on that little train-of-thought ride. It was healthy for me at least. 

Here’s what I was supposed to put on the blog today. Enjoy some pictures that might make us look a little too much like White Savior Barbie (Lord, help us! Closed eyes, smiling emoji):

I've been spending more and more time in a village called Lawmbogo. This is where we'll be getting to know people and working together on various projects. (I need to write a post specifically about this. Coming soon...) This past Saturday the whole family went out and we spent some time playing and some time working.

 

Walking through Lawmbogo we attract quite a crowd

Ellie wasn't sure about all the attention initially but, as usual, she warmed up pretty quick.

Izaac was also a bit uncomfortable but he found a way to rise above it

Now some work- We needed to modify the water tank stands a little before they could be set up. Again, I need to elaborate- another post.

It was medical clinic day so Christina helped take blood pressures for a while

Also, Ellie walked a goat

Homeschool

Well I started homeschool with Izaac.  We have two weeks under our belts and so far it has gone pretty well. I will have him blog about it soon so you can get both sides of the story.  It is strange to be the teacher.  When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher.  I wanted to teach 4th grade. I even went to a year of college to become a teacher.  I'm not sure what changed but I decided not to finish school.  Over the years I have thought of countless things I want to be when I grow up but have never settled on any of them except being a Mom. I thought being a mom would be easy and fun and exciting. And it is those things sometimes but lately it has been very trying, exhausting, and a lot of discipline.  I am not saying we don't have fun and living in a new country isn't excited but it definitely adds a dynamic I don't think I quite prepared myself fully for.  I knew we would have some discipline issues and the kids trying to get away with things they would not have tried in the past because of this new place.  We have to parent a little differently because we are always on display. So I pray a lot.  I pray that I can be the Mom that God created me to be.  That I can raise up children who love Jesus and love people. That they will be an example of love to everyone they meet. So all that to say we started school and I am trusting God that I will do a good job and the kids will learn all that they need to.

Izaac at his new desk we had made for him

Hey James Bond, in America we drive on the right side of the road!

Today I am going to talk about driving.  Anyone who knows me knows I like to drive.  You need someone to drive across the country with, I am there.  I have driven to Florida and back to Michigan, from Michigan to Missouri, to Colorado and back to Pennsylvania, South Carolina and back to Michigan two times, from Portand to LA to Colorado to Michigan and from LA to Portland to Washington to Colorado to Michigan to Pennsylvania. And countless trips to and from Michigan and Pennsylvania.  I really love driving and navigating...in the states.  Here, however, I am a nervous wreck. My first time driving here, a boda (motorcycle) hit me. Everyone was fine but he wanted money from me to repair his bike. So a took a couple days off and let my sister drive anytime we went out. The next time I drove was ok. At least no one hit me this time.  But my third time out I was hit again by a boda. Not sure what these guys have against me. There really are no rules in driving here.  You want to park in the middle of the street...go right ahead. You want to fit four cars across on a two lane street...go for it.  You don't feel like signaling or you just want to leave your hazards on...great! I am a rule follower by nature so this is really killing me.  There are very few posted speed limit signs. You just go as fast as you feel comfortable.  I really like going the speed limit, not making up my own. So Benj does the bulk of the driving here. I like to tell myself it is because I am a better navigator but mostly it is because I am afraid I am going to get in an accident or worse, kill someone.  I try to take pictures and videos of the roads and us driving but they never really do it justice.

On top of everything else you drive on the left side of the road.  I didn't think it would make much difference and now as I am getting use to it doesn't seem to be so different.  I do hit the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal sometimes and I enjoy turning left a lot more than turning right. All and all it just seems more stressful here. More people, motorcycles, taxi vans, busses, and waaaaayyy too many heavy trucks. I think for now I will continue to let Benj drive and just hold onto my Jesus Bar.

Beckie and Ruudy's "driveway"

Construction = piles of rocks and dirt in the middle of the road