Wycliffe Bible Translators UK has sent three all age Engage summer teams overseas this year: one to Cambodia in partnership with Action Cambodia; one to Burkina Faso; and the third which will return from Cameroon in a few days time. We believe that these teams have been successful, but we will certainly be reviewing the feedback and learning for the future in the light of much debate worldwide about short term mission.
Wycliffe UK Director Eddie Arthur has posted an insightful blog on this topic.
Short term mission teams are an important aspect of the life of an organisation like Wycliffe Bible Translators. Most people who become involved in mission long-term start off making a short term visit to the field with a summer team of some sort. (Read more)
Eddie’s blog also quotes colleague Phil Prior’s provocative challenge for western churches to re-assess what they may be offering to African or Asian churches in the light of… what if the western church got a similar communication from overseas?
Don’t start by thinking about what it’s like in some African village to have a visit like this. Think what it would do in your church. What’s this saying? You can’t take care of your own people? You don’t know enough to teach the people? You don’t have a different group for the children, they go with the adults, so should you start something for my visit? What about the building, if someone else builds it is it yours? Then how to look after a group of 20 people in a different culture? And when you welcome guests isn’t it polite to offer a meal, so that’s 21 people to cater for?
You’ll need to read the whole of Phil’s blog What on earth are we doing with mission? to fully understand this comment – but it really is food for thought.
Meanwhile we have got some excellent feedback from a translator colleague who has been hosting the Cameroon team on the Ndop Plain:
“Praise the Lord for help with the first two weeks of the Engage Team. The children’s clubs in Bambalang went well. They were well attended, and the children received the message well. In the second week, part of the team assisted in the three day teacher training workshop held in Ndop. There were 30 participants from 9 languages, and the technical and general logistical support that the team provided was invaluable. The workshop would not have been possible without them. This is the final week and the team are running a further four day children’s club. They have also been using the ‘Sabre’ based recorded scriptures around the local compounds, playing the Christmas Story. We are excited at being able to teach consultant-approved memory verses from translated scripture. Pray for the club, for a good debrief in Mbingo and for safe travel to Yaounde and onward.”
So if you want to find out if a Wycliffe UK Engage team is a worthwhile thing to do both for the team participants and the local host communities, you could start by browsing the Engage pages on our website.
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John 20:21 