Do your homework!

Do your homework: What kind of missions are you supporting and could it actually be hurting?

I think there comes a time in every “missionary’s” life when something finally clicks. You finally start to “get it” and really see what is going on the in the developing world. Actually, this may happen even if you are not working in the developing world. Maybe you are working in the U.S. doing social work or are in some way involved in trying to help those who are less fortunate. You can still relate to the discussion I am about to begin. I think it took us about a year of living in Uganda for the veil to be pulled off of our eyes, and we began to see clearer what Aid and missions work is doing.

I want to begin by saying, if you do have a heart for helping others, which I think most of us as humans do at least to some extent, then bravo. Good for you! That is what we are supposed to do. We are supposed to help each other out. There are going to be times when you are on a mountain top, and your friend is in a valley and needs some help, and you will help them. Then there will be a time when your life has taken a downward turn, and you will appreciate that same friend’s willingness to pull you out of your slump. I just wanted to make that point because even though I am coming to realize that there is some harm done in helping, I don’t believe that we should ever quit loving our neighbors and offering a helping hand.

So as I was saying, once we had been living in Uganda for about a year, something started to change within us. We had been exposed to the great need all around us. We had been exposed to so many different people and organizations trying to do something about it. All of these groups seem to have great names with words like, hope, cure, vision, compassion, peace, and empowerment. We met people working for these organizations. We all have very interesting and different stories, but we all shared some sort of calling to help. Our lives had led us to this point where we had the opportunity to experience missions full time and totally immerse ourselves in this life instead of just doing short term work, going to fundraising events, and writing checks (all of which I think are equally great things to do and be involved in). 

This is a difficult thing to describe, but I will try to put it into words as best I can. The conversations Newman and I had with one another about the business of foreign aid began to change. We both felt like something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. When I really think hard about it, I think that these feelings came about from just a few frustrating interactions between me and the local people. I felt like we were here to help, and people seemed to want our help at first, but then when it came time to do the real work, nobody wanted to put forth the effort. I think this is universal. I am not saying that our neighbors, or our staff, or Ugandans in general are like this. In fact I have come across many who are willing to put forth the effort and are highly motivated. However, there were those who I interacted with, and I just felt like they wanted me to spoon feed them and something just seemed off. This really seemed to come from strangers more than people I knew. They saw a white face, and they thought “Money!” This may sound harsh or politically incorrect, but it’s the truth. In the U.S. we are so sensitive to racism and racial profiling which is a good thing. We have progressed and are so accepting (most of the time). Here, you walk down the street and you are completely called out simply because of your race and you are immediately judged and treated differently because of it. At first, it was cute to have a little baby yell out “Mzungu!” and I didn’t mind so much when children would run alongside me and giggle when they touched my arm. After about a year of that, you kind of start to get annoyed and think, why do they do this? Who told them to act this way towards us? What have the mzungus done to receive this type of attention? So, once I started to consider why people seemed to want to be spoon fed and why just because of my color I was a celebrity/target, I became concerned.

I began to dig deeper, and as it turns out people have been writing about and researching this very concern of mine. It wasn’t just that my heart was becoming hard. Apparently I was just finally catching on. I was just really starting to see what was going on, and I took it as a good sign that I actually cared enough to reevaluate what we were doing. I began to see that people wanted me to hand them everything for free and children saw me as Santa Clause because we had taught them to think this way. Enough people had come over to these communities with the intention of lending a helping hand, and very often it came in the form of free gifts and services. Of course that is appreciated by those on the receiving end and those on the giving end receive a huge amount of satisfaction and are greatly humbled by helping.

There was an awesome article I read recently on Forbes.com, and it was an interview with Peter Greer, CEO of Hope International, which is a microfinance organization. I will put the link to the article below because Peter really hits the nail on the head as far as what I have been feeling and noticing. He quotes an author, Bob Lupton, who describes so well what happens when people try to help those in need by just giving it away for free. He says, “when he gave something the first time, there was gratitude; and when he gave something a second time to that same community, there was anticipation; the third time, there was expectation; the fourth time, there was entitlement; and the fifth time, there was dependency. That is what we’ve all experienced when we’ve wanted to do good.” I have seen this even with the children that come to my front door day after day. They start out with just giving us a smile and a hello, and so I give them a sticker or a drink of clean water. After a few more visits like this to our house, we got less smiles and friendly greetings. Instead, we just get a face in the window that says, “you give me water” or “you give me money.” 

Another great example that Peter Greer gives the interviewer is of a community in Haiti that was visited by a missions team each year that would identify the household with the most need, and they would build them a new house. The community caught onto this and instead of trying each year to improve their living situation, they competed to be the neediest or the poorest, so that they would be chosen to receive next year’s new house. Now, for that team of people who were on the missions trip building houses, that trip probably changed their life. They were probably forever impacted by what they saw and the people they met. They probably went home and had a whole new outlook on the wasteful spending and lifestyles of the people around them. I think that’s a good thing. I think we all need to realize how the developing world lives, be grateful for all that we have, and be willing to share our blessings with those less fortunate. If it takes a short term missions trip like that to change someone’s life and turn them on to missions, then I think that’s great! That’s how it happened for me. I went on a short term trip with PMI, and was forever changed. All that said, do your homework and look into what you are really doing. Look at how it is impacting that community. Is what you are doing sustainable? Are you creating a dependency? Are you encouraging and empowering a community to help itself, or are you just giving handouts? You can argue the same thing in the U.S. Are we encouraging handouts and creating a dependency on Aid or are we empowering and encouraging people to help themselves? It’s the same as raising a child. I have yet to do it myself, but I have been around enough different families to be able to say that parents who gave their children everything they wanted without them having to work for it, usually ended up with children who were less grateful and more dependent. Parents who had their children do chores and work for their allowance or whatever they were given, generally had children who have a strong work ethic, they appreciate what they earn, and they are less dependent. I think we can all agree on that.

This does not mean that we don’t need people to give their time, money, and resources. It takes people giving those things to set people up for success. We need donors to give to PMI so that my husband has a salary and so that we could build all of the buildings for our clinic and supply them with beds and equipment. We need short term missions teams to spread the news about our clinic on the ground while providing medical care and education. The difference is though that PMI is empowering and enabling a staff of Ugandans to run their clinic sustainably, change the lives of their families, and provide affordable and high quality care to the community. They are not giving it out for free, therefore those who come to the clinic are showing that they are taking ownership of their healthcare, and they value it.

Basically all I am trying to say with all of this is, do your homework. Research the organizations you support. Think about how you are trying to help, and even consider if maybe what you are doing is doing more harm than good. Please read this article below, as he puts all of this into words better than I can. It’s a two part article, but I am only posting the link to the 1^st part below. Also, I am going to attach a link to another article that is a little more on the amusing side and is also SO true. It’s called 10 Reasons I Love/Hate Being a Missionary. I can identify with just about every word he says, except that we don’t have children and he does; however, we have missionary friends who do have children and I know they identify with this 100%.

Sorry this is so long, but it’s been on my heart for a while now, and I just thought I’d share because I know a lot of our readers have a heart for missions and I want people to really consider this. Thanks so much for reading and for supporting us. We love you all!

Love

Trish

 http://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybowyer/2013/07/30/your-help-is-hurting-how-church-foreign-aid-programs-make-things-worse/

http://bringlove.in/10-reasons-why-i-lovehate-being-a-missionary/

Back in Uganda

Hey Everyone!

 



Some of you may not have even known that we left Uganda, but we did just take a quick 12 day trip home to the U.S. that was very last minute. When my parents were still here in Uganda, and Dad had just finished his last day of work for his internship, we got a call that my grandfather, Dad's father, was in the hospital and not expected to recover. We had all planned on going on a vacation to other parts of Uganda, but instead, Mom and Dad changed their flights to go home the next day and Newman and I were blessed to be able to book a flight home as well. It was very last minute, but it worked out so well. In fact the timing couldn't have been better. I did not know if Newman was going to be able to make the trip because of work, but PMI of course was so supportive and told him to be with family and since we were planning on being away on vacation anyways, the clinic was prepared for us to step away for a few days. After loosing my other grandfather last year and being away for all of that, I said that if another grandparent looks as though they may be passing then I wanted to go home. I was so blessed last time to have Newman's parents with us in Uganda when my other grandfather passed away and then again to have my parents here with us when we got this most recent news was such a blessing.
           The family told Grandfather, who at the time was basically unresponsive, that we were coming home. Well that seemed to do it, because by the time we got home and headed straight for the hospital, Grandfather was sitting up in the bed, talking, and eating. He certainly was weak, but apparently it was a dramatic change from the days before.

 

Grandfather was discharged home two days later on hospice care, which was great because then he was so close to visit with. He showed some slight improvements while we were home, and is still resting fairly comfortably at home amongst family. I feel so blessed to have been able to spend such a sweet time with him. He is a remarkable man. I also loved my time with my Grandmother who is always as sweet as she can be but can also provide some hilarious comic relief in any situation.

 

We returned back to Masindi on August 2nd after 2 unexpected nights in Entebbe and Kampala waiting for our lost luggage to arrive. It arrived safely with all of its contents, and we made it back to Masindi in time for Newman to do some work at the clinic before the weekend. We had two new Pharmacy students arrive the same day, and we have loved getting to know them.

Coming back here for some reason was really hard this time. I think just after having such a good time with family and coming back and not having my parents still here was tough. We spent a lot of time in prayer and now are feeling refreshed and focused to get the jobs at hand done. Please continue to pray for us. We especially need prayer for focus, for God's guidance, for contentment in where we are in life currently, and for God to move this project forward to where he wants it to be. Our time here has flown by and it will be over before we know it. There is much to accomplish, and I hope to enjoy the time we have an be present and not focus on what is next for us too much.

 

We have a team arriving on Saturday night which includes some old friends and Newman's little brother, Will Henry. We are excited about serving with them. Please pray for their travel and for our time together serving between 1,000 and 2,000 Ugandans next week.

 

That's what's going on in our lives currently. I didn't want to write too much because I also wanted to attach at the bottom of this update, a part of my Dad's reflection on his time here in Uganda and how the Lord used him. I loved what he had to say, so I hope you will be inspired by it as well. Thanks for your prayers and support!

 

Love,

Trish

 Below are some highlights of being home

 

Meet baby Jones Dew for the 1st time

 

Mom and Dad telling Grandfather about Uganda

 

Helping Liza set up the nursery after finding out its a boy!!

 

Got in a little beach day :)

 

 

 

 

Made it to Liza's 1st baby shower

 

 

Excerpt from my Dad's sermon : God's Continued Revelation of Himself

 

My first sermon was to be given to the English speaking service at the Cathedral. The topic I was asked to preach on, (to these people I had never met), was Stewardship. I said to Francis, “In the United States, Christians are happy for the pastor to preach on Salvation, God’s Love, and many other topics, but when he preaches on Tithing as the Biblical standard of stewardship, these people are often offended and feel that the preacher has trespassed into their personal lives.” Francis busted out laughing, began shaking my hand and said in his deep African voice, “Indeed, indeed. Thank you, thank you. It is the same here.”

He told me that what a Muzungu preacher says has greater impact and makes a greater impression that which a Ugandan pastor says. So my words, he said, could make a big difference in the growth in understanding for those who heard them. Muzungus, by the way, are white people.

 

I recognized this as a real opportunity, and also realized the importance of all that I might say or represent, for the rest of my time with these people.

On that Sunday, I introduced myself to the 800 faces who looked at this Muzungu, by saying Orayhota (did you sleep well), they responded-Kurunge (we are well). I said Mukama siimwe – Praise the Lord-. They said, “A siimwe”- Praise Him- They were smiling. I said, “Mukama akehu Omugisa”- God Bless you. They responded, “Ego, Calle, Kurunge” all affirmations. They clapped and some gave a high pitched “La,la,la,la,la….”.  I then read the first 2 verses of psalm 8 in Runyoro which speaks of the majesty and sovereignty of God, and in English I invited this empowering God to fill our hearts in order that He might instruct us.

 I then preached from Mt. 16, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” God had given this scripture to me as I asked myself, “How can I use scripture to support God’s call for us to leave our comfort zones as is required in order to be Godly stewards of our resources.”  I referenced Noah, Moses, and best of all Jesus who left the comfort of heaven to take on human flesh and die in our place.

 When I finished preaching several Christians from the congregation came forward and spoke in Runyoro. I thought they were making announcements of upcoming events, but Francis told me they were confessing that they had been robbing God in their offerings and wanted prayer that they might change their ways.

God’s Holy Spirit manifested itself in giving me the message

As I looked ahead to future preaching dates, I asked Rev. Francis what the scheduled readings were for those Sundays. He told me what they were, but said, “Feel free, my Brother. Preach on what God places on your heart.”

 

Patti and I would read the Psalm, OT and NT readings from the daily office every morning before I would go to St. Mt. and I would think about what I was learning about the people I was meeting and ministering to.

 In the 2^nd week of my internship, I went to the women’s fellowship where I was asked to “Give a Word”. This means to give a teaching of some sort in whatever way you are led. I am so glad I have read the Daily Office as now I have some basis for God to give me something to say.

 In the prayer time that follows I am made aware of several issues of demonic oppression. Mrs. Margaret Asiimwe has given a witness of how she and Rev. Francis spent all night in deliverance ministry in the home of one of their Christians who had become involved in witchcraft.

 One of our readings that week had been Mt. 21 where the Jewish religious leaders ask Jesus, “By what authority do you do these things...” meaning by what authority do you reinterpret the Writings of the Law and the Prophets; by what authority do you  raise Lazarus from the dead, cleanse the Temple of Money changers, cause a fig tree to wither at your command.

 My teaching point was that Jesus is God Himself and he is the author of God’s Word so he has authority; He is the creator of life so he has authority over death; He Himself is the true Temple and has authority over all things spiritual, He is creator of all and has authority over Nature itself.

 It occurred to me that these God wanted these Ugandan Christians to understand that at the Name of Jesus, EVERY KNEE in heaven and on earth and under the earth MUST BOW and EVERY TONGUE CONFESS that Jesus is Lord of all. Satan and demons pose no threat to those who understand this; to those who have released themselves to Him.

So this is what I preached at St. Stephens Church in the village of Rwijeere. At one point I said, “My Brothers and Sisters, when you command Satan himself, in the name of Jesus, to leave a place or a person, he MUST LEAVE. He has no choice.” They broke out in applause and started the high pitched “La,la,la….”.

I had asked Francis if it would be appropriate to invite people to come forward to dedicate or rededicate their lives to Christ at the end of my sermon and he thought it would be. So when I finished preaching he did that. I preached at 2 services there that day and both times everyone in the church came forward to be prayed for.

 Again God had revealed himself in letting me know what my audience for that day needed to hear from Him, and He opened their hearts to hear it.

 The last Sunday that I preached was on July 14, at the village church of Kijura called St. Peters. He took me to visit with the lay leader in charge of this church and I asked what the greatest pastoral challenge was that she had. She very quickly said that most of her congregation was made up of families where the mother and father were not married. She suggested I might preach on this issue.

Two weeks previous to this I had been given the opportunity to teach a class of 15 to 18 year olds, in the church sponsored school. The topic had been appropriate and inapprop courtship behaviors, choosing a partner for marriage, and characteristics of a Godly marriage.

There is a whole sermon I can assure you in that experience alone, but these kids had come up with some questions for me to answer that were very telling. As I wrote my sermon about the importance of marriage which is blessed by God through a priest, I addressed several of these questions.

 3 of the questions were,

          - If it was OK for men to have many wives in the days of Noah and Abraham, why is it wrong   now?

          - Why does a man ever want more than one woman, or a woman want more than one man?

          -          Is divorce acceptable if the man or the woman is infertile?

 So I preached on the scriptural bases and affirmation of the sacrament of marriage. My interpreter was the chief warden for the church. As I was preaching I noticed some laughter coming from the choir that was seated right next to me, and I thought they were probably laughing nervously because they were living with people they were not married to.

 As I finished preaching I suggested that those who were living in unmarried ways might contact Rev. Francis and ask him to schedule marriage ceremonies as he would be only too happy to do this. Francis then said to this congregation, “Ladies if you are not married to the man you are living with and are now willing to be married to him, will you come forwardd to be prayed for. Women began coming forward, some coming from the choir, and soon the altar rail was full. We layed hand on each of them and prayed a blessing on them.

 They went back to their seats. Francis then asked the men who were living with these women to come forward if they were ready to make those relationships right by getting married, so that they might be prayed for.

 No one came. I closed my eyes and prayed very earnestly. I opened one eye and saw one man at the rail. I went back to praying and before long more began to come. I understood what the laughing had been about as I say my translator, the chief warden come forward and kneel down. We layed hands on each of them and prayed a blessing.

Later that afternoon, Francis was supposed to pick me up at 4 to go to the home of one of the Christians for prayer. I called him at 4:45 to see where he was, and he said he was on his way. As I got on the back of his motor bike, he apologized for being late, and said he was held up by the 10 couples who had come to his office at the church for counseling and to register to be married.

I wish I could somehow describe to you just how counter cultural such a thing as this is in Uganda. This response was not secondary to a 5 week teaching on marriage and family relationship. It was not because I was so convincing in my 30 translated minutes on what God’s word says about marriage.

The Spirit of God Himself had gone ahead of us and lit the kindling that had already been layed through the teaching and pastoring of Francis and the lay leader Beatrice. I was simply blessed to be the Muzungu match for what God had already prepared.

Now, Folks, what you have heard in this testimony of God’s continual revelation of Himself in a recent 6 week period of my life is only a reflection of how He showed up to empower and enable my preaching efforts as I sought to be His Ambassador in Masindi, Uganda.

In fact He revealed himself in every aspect of our time over there. Here in a place where the water must be boiled in order to drink it safely and where  food born intestinal parasites are common, we had not one sick day. 

In a place where, the education and commitment of pastors is sometimes much less than one might hope for, I was placed under the mentorship of one of the most Godly and Gospel committed men I have ever met.

 The list of evidence of God’s revelation of Himself goes on and on. My prayer for you is that your spirit has been quickened by my report of the reality of the Living God who wants better things for you than you can desire or pray for. He will go before you as he has always gone before His people, and if you allow it He will light a path for you that is more fulfilling than any path you might ever walk. Amina, Mukama Siimwe, Mukama ahehu Omugisa.