These ten commandments are not new, but as the season begins in the northern hemisphere when many Christians, young and older, begin to think about which mission trip to go on in summer 2011 – they are very timely and worth reading.
For quite a few years I was responsible for Wycliffe UK’s summer teams. Along with my colleagues, we worked hard to get across these commandments – or something very like them – though in a more modern version as befits a Bible translation organisation 🙂
1. Thou shalt always remember that the primary function of a short-term team is to learn, and not to help.
2. Thou shalt always defer to the long-term missionaries, even when thou dost not agree with them.
3. Thou shalt surely leave all thy agendas at home before thou arrivest on the mission field.
4. Thou shalt be prepared to spend large amounts of time doing nothing, for thus verily is the way of the mission field.
5. Thou shalt be careful to obey in all details, the security rules and advice of the project which thou visitest.
6. Thou shalt be both attentive and accurate in the communication with the mission base before thy visit.
7. Thou shalt be careful to pay for all the expenses of thy visit.
8. Thou shalt take great care in thy giving and spending, lest thou appearest to be filthy rich.
9. Thou shalt be careful to respect the doctrinal and theological views of the project which thou visitest.
10. Thou shalt surely keep thy word in regards to follow-up activities.
(from Paul Cull, leader of Projeto Casa Esperanza in Brazil)
Read the whole post here
Originally posted November 21, 2006
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