Local & International Missions

Many believe that missions is for the select few hardcore Christians. From what I have been learning over the past year is that missions work is an ourpouring of the Christian ethical life. I am completely indebted to Dean Samuel Wells and others to the phrases of working for, working with, and being with used in this entry.

In the summer of 2005, I went to Choma, Zambia with a youth group team on a mission trip. It suited my personality and drive to want to serve, to help, to teach, and to deliver supplies. In so many ways, I saw myself as working for the people of Zambia, providing teaching and support in ways they could not do on their own. In the face of the reality of poverty, I was sparked with the desire to help, to do something. This was because I did not know any other means of interacting.


In the years following that trip, my church continued to send groups to Zambia (youth, families, medical team, etc...), but it also became even more committed to its partnership with an impoverished neighborhood in Memphis called Binghampton, or simply The Bing. A ministry called Service Over Self (SOS) had grown out of members of the congregation to show Christ's love by moving into the neighborhood. Once the need for home repair became evident, SOS grew out of being with the neighborhood to work with them to meet a need. (sosmemphis.org). The SOS staff live in the neighborhood and work with the local leadership, never assuming to have the right answers. Instead, they come together as the body of Christ to share love.

Local missions v. international missions: The glamor and adventure of international missions often tempted me, but it was for all the wrong reasons. I always thought it would make me feel like my life had been worthwhile. However, this summer, being with Asbury Temple UMC, I am continuing to learn the real ways we are to live the Christian life. More often than not, we are to be with each other instead of tackling huge service projects for others. Missions shouldn't need to be added to our lives on Saturdays; rather, we should be with the poor, the hungry, and the stranger often. It was inside those relationships that Jesus lived. Once there is a relationship there, the needs will become apparent. Then, the needs can be addressed inside the relationship, not outside of it. This will stop the ways working for reinforces power and status. This can be done locally or internationally. One of the missions organizations that best exemplifies this relationship of working together and being together attitude is Costa Rica Mission Projects. Here is their mission statement.

"When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, he taught us, in dramatic fashion, that if we claim to be His followers, we must be servants to one another. Christian service comes in many forms and we believe that we have been called to provide opportunities for churches in Costa Rica and churches from other countries to serve one another and explore what it means for us to be part of a body that extends far beyond the walls of our own individual churches. Our hope is that we might be able to help foster long lasting, fruitful relationships between the congregations who participate in this ministry. It is very important to us that we avoid establishing or reinforcing already existing relationships of dependency, but rather, that the churches involved will discover the benefits of interaction with one another. We understand the communion that takes place across borders, cultures and languages as a glimpse of God's Kingdom and as a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit among us." (costaricamissionprojects.com).