Reverse Furlough, Part 2: The Not-So-Great Stuff
Posted by C. Holland on Nov 20, 2009“Reverse Furlough, Part 1: The Good Stuff” is available here.
Yet, like all things, there are some not-so-great things to consider about the Reverse Furlough:
Adapting to Different Expectations
Some sponsors just wanted a “look-see” and really didn’t need much in-depth information. Others wanted all the info, background and history we could provide. One group was more motivated to do repair work on our building than anything else. The difficult part of adapting was that it was almost impossible to tell what each of these groups wanted before they arrived, so we were learning on the fly as to what they wanted to see or experience.
Mission Field Also a Popular Tourist Destination
We didn’t realise with the first couple of guests how much this played into their expectation of the trip. You start figuring out quickly who came here to actually see/do ministry and who came on a vacation under the guise of a “mission trip”. Everyone seemed to suffer from the misconception that we were only engaged in ministry on Sunday for an hour, so we would certainly have the rest of the week to play tourist with them. “What sights do you want to see?” they’d ask. It was really, really hard not to have a snarky reply like, “This is your trip, not mine. I’ve already seen [tourist attraction], and I don’t spend my days wanting to see it week after week. I thought you were interested in ministry, not tourism.” Because no one wanted to drive or rent a car over here, it fell to us to chauffeur people around which took a huge chunk out of our days. I’m cool with people taking a couple of days out to see our country; just be upfront and tell us this, and don’t expect the entire “mission trip” to run like a tour package when you said you wanted to see/participate in ministry.
Costing Us More Than Planned
While a trip back to the States for a year would cost us considerably more cash, the earlier supporter visits quickly taught us to be upfront with our visitors about how much our budget could support them, too. The food, electric, petrol and heating bills all increase when we’re accommodating a visitor and, while we welcome visitors, it’s necessary to plan for these increases, asking for assistance from the visitor if necessary. We had a supporter surprise us with a visit a year and a half ago, who hadn’t understood the exchange rate or the high cost of basic living here, so he attempted to get us to pay for everything. We simply could not afford to do what he asked, and it ended up losing us his support. Had we known he (and his group of five) were coming over, we could have communicated and planned much better.
Alternating Between Two Cultures at the Same Time
I’ve written before about the paradox of being part of two different cultures in “The Double Life of the Missionary”, but that referenced the separation between the two. I currently live in one and am originally from the other. What I wasn’t prepared for was the dissonance in having people from my former life in the States temporarily become part of my very different life here in the mission field. There were times that my mind felt off-balance when I would hear a voice or see a face that I had last seen in the States; it was an odd state of confusion that felt like, “Wait, you’re not supposed to be here…where am I?” Having to remember the American word for something or trying to explain cultural context to our American friends was much more difficult than I had anticipated.
Always a Potential “Loose Cannon”
We noticed that less-travelled individuals had a harder time adapting to the temporary change in surroundings. It was with our unexpected supporter visit that we quickly learned why some visitors should not be immediately introduced to our nationals until we can evaluate the situation; he seemed intent on insulting anyone or anything that was unlike his way of life back in the States. And I remember witnessing an American mission team that was working at another church here. A man dressed in a garish rainbow-striped shirt and suspenders walked up to a national in the church and said in a slow, deep Southern drawl: “Ya know, y’all tawk funn-ay he-ah.” I wish I was making this up, but I’m not. Even though we better knew the supporters we hosted this year and spent time prepping them for better cultural sensitivity, there was always a fear in the back of our minds that they’d say something innocently outlandish and/or insulting to those we minister to—and it could kill our ministry in this area of the field.
Despite the potential problems, these Reverse Furloughs have strengthened our bond with most of those who visited this year. Two of the pastors of supporting churches have not only committed to longer financial support but have been interested in greater interaction between their churches and ours, planning future mission trips in a couple of years and informing their congregation about the spiritual need in our mission field. I believe everyone has left with a greater and more complete understanding of just what it is we do here and why it will take so long to see a harvest of souls in such a spiritually dark nation. Praise God for their faithfulness to continue the journey with us!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!Related posts:
- Reverse Furlough, Part 1: The Good Stuff
I’m a Missionary, Not a Travel Agent
Reverse Culture Shock, Kid-Style
Missionary Confidential by Email
I jest. Good one!
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:18 am
“A man dressed in a garish rainbow-striped shirt and suspenders walked up to a national in the church and said in a slow, deep Southern drawl: “Ya know, y’all tawk funn-ay he-ah.” I wish I was making this up, but I’m not.”
I about spilled my coffee when I read that! That’s def the downside abt the lack of a language barrier in short-term missions. Full disclosure: my USAmerican guests constantly say stupid things but mostly I don’t translate them. I feel bad for you that you don’t have that option!
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Yeah, it was one of those moments I wished I could hit “rewind” and then “record” over it. Though it wasn’t directly my ministry, as a fellow American it made me look bad by association. It was also a funny time; if you could see exactly how the guy looked (words just can’t describe it well but the shirt gives you a clue), it made what he said even more outlandish!