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Dear Team Member,

Thank you for your involvement in God’s global work by going on a short-term

mission trip! Along with this manual from RCC, you may have an additional

manual from the mission organization you are working with on the field.

Please adhere to their guidelines and needs as well.

Should you need anything in the process, please don’t hesitate to contact

your Team Leader __________________ at ________________ (phone)

or ______________________________ (email). OR you may contact

Heidi Wareham, Missions Director, at the office by calling 498-9264 or

emailing heidiwareham@rochesterchristian.com . On behalf of the Missions

Ministry Team at Rochester Christian, thank you for choosing to GO, and we

look forward to hearing all that God did in and through you!

“May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.”

Psalm 67:3

There are parts in this manual used with permission: 2003 Southeast Christian Church of Jefferson County, Kentucky, Inc. All rights reserved.

Orphans of persecution, India

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Table of Contents

Team Covenant 5

Why We Go 6

How We Go 7-21

Maximizing the Benefits of Short-Term Missions 8-20

Don’t Chase Buffaloes 21

Ten Ways to Wreck a Good Trip 22

Cross-Cultural Considerations 23-24

Support-Raising 25-31

Fund-Raising Mindset 25

Spiritual Preparedness 26

Developing Prayer Partners 26-27

Writing the Letter 27

RCC Guidelines in Support-Raising 28

Tips for Writing the Letter 29

Sample Letter & Response Card 30

Letter from Business Office ($ Guidelines) 31

Passports & Safety 32

If You’re Flying 32

The Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag Diet 33

General Health 33-34

Reminders 34

All About Testimonies 35

When You Return Home 36

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TEAM COVENANT

As a member of this team, I agree to:

1. Remember that I am representing Rochester Christian Church, and, more importantly, Jesus

Christ. I will model Jesus in my behavior and attitude. 2. Remember that I am a guest working at the invitation of my host. I will remember the

missionary’s prayer, “Where you lead me I will follow, what they feed me I will swallow.” 3. Remember that we have come to learn. I’ll resist the temptation to inform our hosts about “how we

do things.” I’ll be open to learning about other people’s methods and ideas. 4. Respect the host’s view of Christianity recognizing that Christianity has many faces throughout

the world and that the purpose of this trip is to experience faith lived out in a new setting. 5. Develop and maintain a servant’s attitude toward all nationals, my teammates, and toward God at

all times. 6. Respect my team leader at all times in all decisions. 7. Refrain from gossip. I will use words to encourage others, not to tear them down. 8. Refrain from complaining. I know that travel can present numerous unexpected and undesired

circumstances, but the rewards of conquering such circumstances are innumerable. Instead of

whining and complaining, I’ll be creative. 9. Attend all team meetings before the trip as well as any follow-up meetings. 10. Remember not to be exclusive in my relationships. If my boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse is on the

team, we will make every effort to interact with all the members of the team. If I am

attracted to a teammate, I will not attempt to pursue a relationship until after we return

home. I will refrain from any activity that could be construed as romantic interest in a

national. 12. I am not involved with illegal drugs and will abstain from consumption of alcoholic beverages

or the use of tobacco while on this trip.

13. Remember that I can be sent home, at my own expense, if I do not adhere to this covenant or if

my Team Leader believes it is in my best interest or that of the team.

14. Participate in individual and team times of worship and devotions. I will be faithful to pray for

my Team Leader, my teammates, our hosts, and the nationals.

15. Focus on our purpose and use common sense at all times. I will radically love God and be

irrationally devoted to others.

16. Ensure the trip is communicated to the RCC church family shortly after returning from the mission

field. This may include a video testimony to be shown during services, a written testimony to

be sent to supporters, and/or a personal testimony to the RCC Missions Committee.

Signed ______________________________ Date __________________

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WHY WE GO So… why are we doing this short-term trip?

1. We are commanded in scripture to go. (Matthew 28:19-20)

2. We are compelled to stretch ourselves spiritually, culturally, and relationally.

(James 1:2-4)

3. We are committed to encouraging our partners in the field. (Ro. 1:11-12)

4. We are compassionately sharing with and demonstrating to others the hope we have.

(Mark 12:29-31)

We go to be a blessing and are incredibly blessed in return.

OUR IMPACT

When our partners host us for a short-term trip, our teams impact them. As a team, we

make it or break it. Think about the hardships our teams can create as well as the

encouragement we can bring.

Negative Impact

1. We create more work for them.

2. We disrupt their regular ministry plans.

3. We unwittingly insult them.

4. We impose our American values and methods on them.

5. We exhaust their energy, time, and resources.

6. We unintentionally cause dependency on outsiders.

Positive Impact

1. Build them up with encouraging words.

2. Affirm their work and efforts just by traveling to visit them.

3. Improve our relationship by spending time together.

4. Dream and develop new ways of serving God together.

5. Gain a better understanding of their ministry and return as advocates for them.

6. Learn how to better partner with and pray for them.

Partnership: What’s it about?

Either a current supported partner of RCC or a future/potential partner will host the

short-term trip. We have chosen our partners prayerfully, and those who may become full-

time partners are involved in a process of consideration that is not flippant or simple. We

value these missionaries and labor jointly to communicate the Gospel. They are our hands,

feet, and mouths on the field, and their hosting our short-term trip is invaluable to us. It

plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining relationships with our partners in the field.

As you leave, our partners should feel as though they were encouraged, served, and

esteemed.

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HOW WE GO

The RCC Missions Team values a holistic approach to missions, one that addresses the whole

need of individuals and communities and also helps without causing harm. One holistic

approach to missions the Team has been implementing, especially in our work in Haiti, is

called Community Health Evangelism (CHE). CHE seamlessly integrates evangelism,

discipleship, and church planting with community health and development.

This section of the manual is intended to give you a brief overview of this approach and the

reasons behind it. More information can be found on the CHE website: chenetwork.org.

We also highly encourage all trip participants to read the book When Helping Hurts:

Alleviating Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian

Fikkert.

Applying Principles of CHE to short term ministries, short term ministries should…

Leave nationals with a vision for what they can do for themselves

Involve nationals in identifying needs & resources and making plans

Build cooperation, get people working together

Keep faith and works together

Promote complete obedience to all Jesus commanded

Focus on use of local resources

Avoid creating dependency on outsiders

Initiate work that is sustainable and multipliable

Involve nationals as active participants rather than passive recipients

Build capacity rather than creating dependency

Give the gift of dignity

Go beyond relief to development

Go beyond cure to prevention of disease

The following two articles provide great examples of how to “do” missions without causing

harm…

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Maximizing the Benefits of Short-Term Missions

by Glenn Schwartz,

Executive Director of World Mission Associates

INTRODUCTION

A burgeoning interest in Christian missions has produced a new interest in short-term

service. This has resulted in thousands of short-termers going out across the world, some

under the direction of the Holy Spirit, some for their own benefit (as on a glorified

vacation), but all, hopefully, for the benefit of those they seek to serve. Peterson,

Aeschliman and Sneed in their book Maximum Impact Short-Term Mission (STEMPress:

Minneapolis, 2003) say there are now at least one million going out each year into short-

term mission service (p. 243).

For the purpose of this article, I have divided short-term missions into two categories: 1)

short visits of two to six weeks by those taking a “working vacation” (or holiday); and 2)

longer visits of six months to two or three years. Longer STMs (Short Term Missions)

are most often taken by young volunteers, professionals on sabbatical, or retired persons

willing to give a year or two of service. However, the major emphasis of this article will

be on the shorter visits of two to six weeks.

The effectiveness of short-term missions has been written about in various missionary

publications in recent years. (A brief list of books and web sites appears in the

bibliography of this article.) The main purpose of this article is to deal with something

that one does not see addressed in any of the books I have read on short-term missions. I

am referring to the relationship between short-term service and the possibility of creating

unhealthy dependency on outside people and funding. In this article I will make various

suggestions regarding how to avoid dependency on short-term mission trips. Included

among these will be suggestions regarding sound cross-cultural practice.

At the outset, I wish to emphasize that short-term workers can have a positive experience

and at the same time make a positive impact on the community to which they go. The

fact that too often short-termers have counterproductive experiences or are ineffective, is

my reason for drawing attention to the subject.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOOD WILL TURNS TO ILL FEELING?

My first encounter with short-term missions was in Central Africa in 1961.[1] While

there I learned about a North American program created to send university students on a

six-week visit to Africa to assist in humanitarian projects with the purpose of "building

goodwill between the youth of two nations."

As part of this program a group of Americans and Canadians came to Bulawayo,

Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) where I lived and worked. About four weeks into

their six-week visit the group suddenly left. I heard about their premature departure and

went to the building site to ask what happened. Since they were from North America, I

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thought it was good to learn why they left early. The local builder in charge of the project

gave the following explanation:

What the Americans didn’t know is that we here in Africa also know how to build

buildings. It isn’t that they didn’t work hard. The trowel was too slow to put mortar

between the bricks, so they used their bare hands to speed things up. But they must

remember that we built buildings before they came, and we will build buildings after they

leave. Unfortunately, while they were here, they thought they were the only ones who

knew how to build buildings. Finally things got so bad, we had to ask them to leave.

Obviously this short-term mission was counter-productive to "building goodwill between

the youth of two nations." Ironically, when I visited the site some months later after the

building was complete, there was a bronze plaque beside the entrance saying, “This

building was built by the youth of Southern Rhodesia, the United States and Canada to

foster goodwill between the nations”. Sadly, it had turned out to fall short of its goal.

In a second incident, a group of North Americans helped to build a school building in

West Africa. A local church in West Africa accepted their offer to provide manual labor

from North America in order to complete the project. The Americans moved in and

worked daily under the direction of one of their own members - a building contractor

from North America who accompanied them. In situations such as this, the local builder

in charge of the project usually steps back while the "experienced" North American

directs the work.

When the Americans left, they had a good feeling of "what we did for them." And truly a

building was left behind. Some time later, I interviewed several of the Americans who

participated in that short-term project. It was not surprising that some of them looked

back with a rather dubious feeling about their contribution. One was so embarrassed

about the arrogance the short-termers displayed that the suggestion of another mission

trip to build another building (this time in Asia) seemed almost repulsive. Indeed,

thankfully not all short-term efforts are like this. The challenge is to avoid the “great

white outsider” syndrome.

A third incident involved a church building erected in a rural part of Ecuador by well-

meaning North Americans. On one occasion a group of short-termers saw the well-built

building and asked about it. Local people said, “We refer to this as the gringo church.

Gringos came from North America and built it, but we do not use it. We have our own

places of worship.” This building was the result of the efforts of well-meaning but

misguided outsiders.

A fourth incident occurred in Guyana, South America. A missionary told how he had

taken a group of young people from North America to Guyana to build a church

building. After three weeks of dedicated effort, the building was at last completed and

presented to the local people. The North Americans returned home convinced that they

had made a good contribution to needy people. Two years later the missionary, now back

in the USA, got a letter from the people in Guyana. It read, "The roof on your church

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building is leaking. Please come and fix it." The importance of this is well understood

by those who are familiar with issues of “ownership”.[2]

A fifth incident occurred in West Africa where a short-termer was working in a two-year

assignment. She served in an area where a medical doctor - turned church planter - was

trying to get a local congregation to increase their awareness of missions and

evangelism. He was elated when the pastor reported that their annual missions

conference increased the total offering from forty-five dollars last year to sixty-one

dollars this year. It was truly a time for rejoicing. The congregation even began to plant

a new church some kilometers away. As the short-termer was about to leave, she took

pity on the congregation and gave them what amounted to her life savings – six thousand

eight hundred dollars - to build a new church building. Imagine, the impact of that sum of

money thrust into a situation like I just described. The result was that the pastor simply

began to ask where he could find more of that kind of money. One can only feel

compassion for the missionary who had been teaching principles of self-support. He saw

his efforts at raising awareness about the importance of local resources go down the

drain. Unfortunately many short-termers have no idea of the impact that kind of giving

has on those they try to help.

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

By now you have probably concluded that these five illustrations represent a bleak

picture of short-term mission efforts. Lest this cast an aspersion on all short-term mission

trips, I suggest that we rather compare these negative experiences with sound missionary

practices which lead to the planting of healthy, sustainable churches in cross-cultural

situations. Allow me to illustrate in the following way.

Missionaries have successfully planted churches cross-culturally in many parts of the

world where they earned the right to be heard. This has come to be known in missionary

circles as “incarnation”. Those missionaries learned local languages without expecting

the people to whom they ministered to learn their language. They paid attention to the

cultural elements to which the Gospel would need to speak. They exercised creative

listening in order to be heard when they did eventually decide it was time to speak.[3]

And what was the result? In some places, people movements to Christ followed.[4] This

meant that significant numbers of people came to Christ and whole societies were

changed. This kind of cross-cultural evangelization will hardly occur when the time

frame is a two or three-week visit into and out of a society, with little knowledge or

understanding of local language and culture. Short-term missionaries will hardly have

opportunity to experience a people movement because, like many missionaries, they

don’t know what one is or how it works.

And what about a positive short-term experience? Some programs such as YWAM

(Youth With A Mission) and YES (Youth Evangelism Service – a Mennonite sponsored

program) have demonstrated that there IS a wholesome way to prepare for short-term

missions. Both programs require in-depth discipleship training, sometimes as much as

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three months or more. One young woman having gone through such training, went to

Indonesia several years ago when Christian/Muslim conflicts were very much in the

news. The group she was with spent their time in prayer and intercession, relating to local

people and learning as much Indonesian language as they could. They played with

children orphaned in the religious conflict, taught English and had discussions with local

teenagers, taxi drivers and even Muslim clerics. They were so well accepted that Muslim

leaders invited them to teach English classes in the mosque! At the end of their time in

Indonesia, Christians and Muslims came together in a local church to thank them and bid

them farewell – so great was the respect for those young people and what they had

contributed to the community! This could hardly have been done in a two-week period

and especially without the kind of cultural sensitivity they learned during their training.

Before sending out His disciples on a short-term ministry assignment, Jesus told them,

“Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16b). Short-termers and long-

term missionaries alike would do well to remember these words when venturing into

cross-cultural ministry. Both will find that listening, learning and “being” are essential to

an effective ministry.

THE ALTERNATIVE DEMONSTRATED BY YWAM AND THE MENNONITES

Some time ago I was asked who is doing short-term missions right. I wish I had been

quicker to respond and tell about the YWAM-DTS program and the Mennonite YES

program to which I referred earlier. The following are some of the strengths of these

programs:

In both programs the participants are given a serious introduction to cross-cultural

issues. This includes information on how people in other religions think and

worship.

They include training in spiritual warfare, something the average westerner often

knows little or nothing about.

The training also raises awareness about how we as Americans are viewed in the

eyes of the rest of the world.

Participants are forced to examine themselves as individuals, including personal

strengths and weaknesses. This means learning to understand not just themselves,

but also others on the team with whom they will serve. By the time such young

people reach the point of ministry, they have had some of their potential personal

problems nipped in the bud.

If anyone wants to give young people a wholesome cross-cultural experience in

short-term missions, this kind of training is essential.

WHY DO NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES OCCUR IN SHORT-TERM MISSIONS?

Obviously the purpose of short-term mission trips is to provide a positive spiritual

experience for both the givers and the receivers. In the above examples, applying a few

simple rules to the training of short-termers could well have changed a negative

experience into a positive one. Unless appropriate training is given, more and more

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short-termers will have less than satisfactory experiences for themselves and those they

try to help.

First, in the preparation of short-termers, the anticipation of “doing good” for someone

else is frequently overplayed. Americans are to be commended for their willingness to

help those whom they perceive to be in need. Our worldview includes a substantial

portion of charitable or philanthropic concern. Some of it is driven by the benefit of a tax-

deductible receipt, some by a spirit of adventure, but much of it is genuine compassion.

“Doing” (what we accomplish) is often in conflict with the importance of “being” (who

we are). This important distinction could well be at the root of the problem. Someone

once referred to such people as “human doings”, rather than “human beings”.

The importance of doing may be inspired by the need to report “what we have done”. It

is hard to raise support – even for short-term missions – based on being. Yet there is

something about our witness which is greatly enhanced when people see us for who we

are, rather than for what we do. In the book Mack & Leeann’s Guide to Short-Term

Missions (InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL, 2000, pgs 72-76), there is an

illustration of a group of young people who went to Kenya on a short-term mission. One

of the young women was assigned to work in the home of a church leader in which the

wife was about to deliver a child. The young woman found herself doing laundry,

preparing meals and cleaning the house. She wondered how she would ever report this

menial type work to those back home who gave financial support to help her get there.

When all was said and done, however, expressions of gratitude by the local people

proved that her servant attitude was worth it all. In this case, “being” spoke louder than

“doing”. Her willingness to serve left a lasting positive impression on the local people.

Imagine how we in America would feel if people from another country - like Germany or

Korea - came to our church and took over our Summer Vacation Bible School, asking us

to serve as their interpreters because they did not speak our language. What if the

illustrations they gave our children about how to live were, for the most part, culturally

irrelevant? And how would we feel if while these “foreigners” were with us, they

dominated our schedule and made it difficult for us to get our work done. Sadly, this is

often the impact of poorly planned short-term mission trips.

Frequently short-termers go out with an air of superiority because of the assumptions

which we as westerners hold. We assume that short-termers have something important to

say to the rest of the world, even if they are young and inexperienced, compared to those

among whom they go to serve. In some places where short-termers go, the Church has

been in existence for decades (maybe a century or more) before short-termers arrive on

the scene. Our judgment of the local people may be affected by our need as westerners

for a certain standard of cleanliness or adequacy of shelter - based on what we feel is

appropriate. Those we are trying to serve may not share those same felt needs. Little

wonder that sometimes outsiders are often either envied for their wealth, or resented for

their cultural insensitivity.

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Second, the attitude that an "outsider" can do the job better than “local people” is often at

the heart of how we as westerners view ourselves. Take away our sense of superiority

and you cut at the very heart of who we think we are and why we believe we exist. This

kind of arrogance has enormous implications, not only for the Christian movement, but

also in international affairs. It should not be surprising that such attitudes can lead to the

negative feelings many non-westerners have toward us as Americans. A sense of

superiority has been instilled in us since the day we learned to speak English. Our songs,

sermons, educational system and political speeches all reinforce this idea. To say that

such assumptions are deeply engrained in us would be an understatement.

What are the implications of this air of superiority for those involved in cross-cultural

missions? Perhaps those who fly airplanes into tall towers are trying to tell us something

about how the rest of the world sees us. The scripture is clear that as God’s people, we

are to demonstrate a broken spirit and a contrite heart. The rest of the world may be

trying to show us that our arrogance is not compatible with the Christianity we profess.

A third reason for the often-negative aspects of short-term missions is that westerners

often give the impression that our wealth is the secret to helping people come into right

relationship with God. I have written extensively on this subject in other places. I will

deal with this more in the suggestions given later in this article. While this is not the place

to deal in depth with issues related to finance, suffice it to say that unless we learn to

recognize who is truly poor, and how to help appropriately, the danger is that

misunderstanding will arise and an otherwise good short-term experience will have

negative consequences.[5]

It is true that someone must help with the tremendous needs of a hungry, hurting and

dying world.[6] Our challenge is to find a way to help that does not leave others with the

impression they are too weak, too helpless and too uninformed to help themselves.

Frequently, dependent churches are living in the midst of resources which are adequate,

not only for themselves, but for the work God is calling them to do.

A fourth reason behind negative short-term mission experiences relates to the matter of

ownership. Too often, outsiders unwittingly become “owners” of the projects on which

they work. I once had a conversation with a group of short-termers and posed the

question, “Whose project is this that you are working on in [South Africa]?” The answer I

got was revealing. “Oh, we let the local people help us with the project.” It is this spirit

which is behind the statement I made earlier – “the roof on your church building is

leaking”.

A fifth reason for negative short-term experiences is that short-termers most likely have

inadequate training for the complex task of communicating the Gospel cross-culturally.

In the video series entitled the Vision for the Nations, Dr. Lloyd Kwast gives the

following different aspects that are important in cross-cultural communication:[7] oral,

written, pictorial, kinesics (body movement), audio, silence, artifactual, touch, optical,

spatial, time, olfactory (smell) and oculesics (eye contact). What chance do most short-

termers have of knowing the importance of these factors in cross-cultural

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communication? Little wonder that those in whose culture we find ourselves are often

offended by the kinds of things we do. Unfortunately, most of them are too kind to tell us

of the many ways we break the rules, even as we are trying to communicate something as

important as the love of God.

AN ALTERNATIVE DEMONSTRATED BY A CIVIC ORGANIZATION

Western Christians could learn something from international civic organizations. Several

years ago I attended a meeting of a local civic club. The speaker of the evening gave a

slide presentation on his six-week trip to India in a “youth” exchange program. (He was

a "youth" of 35 years of age, and an owner of a substantial farming operation in the

United States.)

Several things impressed me as he spoke. First, he did not say one negative word about

the culture of India or how things were done there. He did not talk about how terrible the

food was or how unsanitary the conditions were. Rather, he spoke positively about visits

to factories, farms, and communities and about the hospitality he received in the homes of

host families. As he spoke, I asked myself how a secular organization could send out half

a dozen Americans who would come back with such a positive experience and

wholesome report?

HOW DID THE CIVIC ORGANIZATION PULL IT OFF?

First, this group went specifically to learn. They were not expected to tell how it was

done in America. They were told to learn how things were done in India.

Second, they were not isolated on Western style mission stations or in Western hotels

from which they could look down on the culture from a high-rise building. They lived

humbly and with gratitude in homes of their Indian hosts.

Third, their orientation before leaving for India prepared them to be learners. It must

have been refreshing for the people of India to entertain Americans who had left their air

of superiority at home.

One wishes that short-term mission groups could learn a similar kind of humility. It

would be helpful if we, as westerners, came to realize that our ideas are most acceptable

to others when we are most accepting of theirs. The Christian missionary movement

would do well to take this to heart in relation to both short-term and long-term missions.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE DOING TRAINING FOR SHORT-TERM

MISSION PROJECTS

The following list of suggestions is not by any means exhaustive. In a short article such

as this, one can only begin to scratch the surface. However, with short-termers, one at

least needs to begin with the basics, which is what I am trying to do here.

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Anyone promoting short-term mission projects should make it clear that those going to

serve are learners. It is one place where on-the-job-learning is legitimate. This is

especially true where there is little or no cross-cultural training provided beforehand.

One of the more disturbing trends in short-term missions today is the anti-intellectual

attitude that “simply going” is the important thing. This is shown in the following

statement from one of the books on short-term missions:

For every additional hour required of preparation, for every additional characteristic

demanded of our recruits, there will be thousands – perhaps millions? – who remain

sidelined as too average, too real, too foolish to that particular expression of “Missio

Dei”. In our feeble attempts to birth a missionary without spot or blemish, the world

continues going to hell without Jesus Christ. (Peterson, Aeschilman and Sneed, p. 29)

Short-termers – especially those without cross-cultural training - should be told that they

are guests, not specialists. Short-termers often go to places where the Gospel has been

preached for decades - and sometimes centuries. In such places young people should not

be given the impression that they are taking the Gospel there for the first time. One

complicating factor is that those paying for the trip want to know that the Gospel is being

preached. In reality, the short-termers may find themselves “preaching the gospel” to

mature leaders in the church who themselves are capable of being trainers – if the visitors

were in the frame of mind to be learners.

Short-termers should be made aware of the dangers of simplistic answers to complex

cultural issues. How can one who has never lived in or studied a culture know how to

respond to complicated issues such as work ethics, marriage customs, or elements of faith

where religion is characterized by incredibly delicate and complex issues? How can one

speak about the Good News of the Gospel to animists unless he or she is familiar with the

basic tenants of animism? I speak from experience, because I went to serve among

animists in the early 1960s without any understanding of what an animistic worldview is.

Chances are slim to none that short-termers will be familiar with such issues in another

culture.

When one begins to understand and appreciate the complexity of someone else’s

worldview, it becomes unthinkable to argue against the need for training cross-cultural

workers as suggested in the quote above. If a young person came to his pastor and said,

“I think God is calling me to be a medical doctor”, would anyone in his right mind say,

“Just, go for it; you don’t need medical training. As long as you are called and sincere,

go practice medicine.” Yet he or she may be a sincere person!

Much of the dependency we see in churches around the world is the result of well-

meaning people who went out to serve without so much as a basic knowledge of the

indigenous principle - including the fact that churches can be self-supporting from the

very beginning. There are plenty of examples to show that this is possible.

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Short-termers should be reminded that their own testimony has validity but also that it

should be shared discreetly. They should be reminded that their own testimony is not

necessarily normative for the rest of world. People in many parts of the world simply do

not come to the Lord the way many North Americans do. What might be more important

than giving one’s own testimony would be to listen to the testimonies of the people to

whom the short-termers go. Being willing to listen could communicate that we as

westerners can actually listen as well as speak.

Short-termers should be told that who they are is far more important than what they do.

(This is good advice for long-term missionaries as well.) The problem is that many times

short-termers feel they must justify going so many miles and using so many dollars by

having something tangible to show for it – like a finished building or a show of hands

after an evangelistic event. It could be that this desire to have something to show is at the

root of our ineffectiveness as short-termers. It is why learners, with the right attitude,

might actually accomplish more than activists who must leave something visible behind.

Short-termers who feel that they must have something to show for the time and money

spent might consider other alternatives. For example, it is much cheaper (though maybe

not as glamorous) to have a cross-cultural experience in an inner city in North America.

There are cities where non-English languages abound. Even here, it is important that one

go with the attitude of a learner.

Remember, it is much cheaper to go to an inner city in one’s home country than to travel

overseas. It is also possible in a nearby North American urban setting to develop a long-

term relationship and not just to make a foray in and out, never to go there again. One

can even learn a foreign language by associating with those in an inner city. This kind of

experience is an ideal proving ground for those thinking of long-term cross-cultural

service. If one survives an inner city experience and enjoys it, that is a good sign that

long-term cross-cultural service might be rewarding and effective.

Every short-termer should be reminded of the difficulty posed by our relative wealth

compared to that of the people whom we visit. One of the temptations of short-termers is

to become overwhelmed by what appears to be poverty when looking at the rest of the

world from our perspective.

Here it is helpful to distinguish between absolute and relative poverty. People living in

absolute poverty most likely will need outside assistance or they will not survive. This

help may need to be given in the form of medicine, food, shelter or the like. Relative

poverty – the kind many short-termers encounter – means that people may not be as well

off as we are, but they are quite capable of surviving in the society and surroundings

where God has placed them. Those who live in relative poverty are often susceptible to

the kind of dependency we should all seek to avoid.[8] It is easy to give people the

impression that since their houses or church buildings are not as good as ours, they need

financial assistance for an upgrade. When outsiders give that impression to the person

living in relative poverty, local people may begin to long for something they did not

17

know was a need. As one church leader in Uganda said recently, “We did not know we

were poor until someone from the outside told us.”

Short-termers should be reminded that their compassion must not result in doing for

others what they can and should do for themselves. Sometimes the difficulty is knowing

where the line is drawn between absolute and relative poverty. Leaders of short-term

mission groups would do well to reflect on issues such as this before undertaking a short-

term trip.

Short-termers should be told that a good learner will not only listen to those in the

community where they are visiting, but they will seek to learn about the place they are

going. Reading Operation World or some other book about the country or local

communities will give the short-termer an appreciation of what they will encounter. It has

often been said that the longer an outsider stays in one place, the more he realizes how

little he understands. This often doesn’t dawn on short-termers because time is so short;

they feel they must to act, whether their actions are wise or not.

Another area of required reading for every short-termer relates to cross-cultural

communication. Here is where the skills of a good learner can be developed. Every

short-termer should be required to read a small book by Drs. Tom and Betty Sue

Brewster entitled Bonding and the Missionary Task: Establishing A Sense of

Belonging.[9] Everyone considering cross-cultural service – long-term or short-term -

should read and digest the contents of this little book.

A second way to get good training for short-termers, especially the leaders of short-term

missions, is to take the course Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.[10] The

course has been revolutionary in introducing the missionary heart of God to those

interested in serving Him wholeheartedly. Among other things, there are lessons on

cultural and Biblical issues that will help to better inform those leading short-term

missions.

Be careful to check the motives for a short-term mission trip. The following notice in a

church bulletin shows how questionable motives can sometimes be.

[Our congregation] is sponsoring a women’s only mission trip to beautiful Guadalajara,

Mexico! We’ll spend the week of June 11-18 in Guadalajara (also known as the shopping

capitol of Mexico!), where we will have the incredible opportunity to minister to, pray

for, and teach women in a vibrant church community. And this trip isn’t a “rough-roach-

in-your-bed” kind of experience either – we’ll be housed in nice clean hotel rooms, eat

lots of salsa, and have plenty of time to shop! Our hope is to take at least fifteen women

(including teenage daughters) on this Mexican Ministry Outreach . . . we trust that God

will expand our hearts for Him as He expands our ministry to the women of

Guadalajara. If you’re remotely interested in this great commission adventure – or if

you’re just in the mood for Mexico after all this winter weather – call for more details

about this fantastic outreach opportunity.

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How do we expect to get the right people and engage in appropriate ministry when the

benefits are portrayed in this way? Thankfully, there is an alternative. It is to encourage

such a group of women to go as learners, not teachers (and especially not as shoppers).

They can be told that they are going primarily to listen and learn. They should be told that

living among the people, might not be so bad after all. And what if they did experience a

roach or two? It might give them a little appreciation for how the other half of the world

lives.

Whenever possible, keep short-term mission groups small. Imagine the impact when a

large group of outsiders descends on a small community or congregation. Their presence

is obvious, potentially disruptive and can easily cause embarrassment. Smaller groups are

easier to place in homes. They are easier to talk to. They are less likely to stand out like

the proverbial sore thumb in a community. In terms of a work team, a small group is less

likely to outnumber the local volunteers who should retain ownership of their own

project.

One ideal way to look at the size of the group is to consider a team small enough to be

easily accommodated in the homes of local people. They will be guests in homes, rather

than a large group that needs special catering. By all means, do not take along someone

who will do the cooking for the group. Also, let the building project be in the hands of the

local builder, not one imported from the outside.

CONCLUSION

There are many good reasons to consider short-term mission trips. When done well,

short-term missions can be a blessing to those in both the sending and receiving

societies. However, in order for the experience to be beneficial for both sides, it is

necessary to build into the process the right attitude from the very beginning. This right

attitude, coupled with good training in cultural sensitivity, could well turn an otherwise

negative experience into one that is positive. When done right, a servant-attitude may

develop which will turn some short-termers into life-long missionaries or life-long

supporters of missions. Doing it right from the beginning is worth all the effort it takes.

Glenn J. Schwartz,

Executive Director

World Mission Associates

December 2003

Note: I welcome interaction with anyone who would like to discuss issues raised in this

paper. I can be contacted at the following address:

World Mission Associates

600-C Eden Road

Lancaster, PA 17601

Phone: (717) 299-1427

FAX: (717) 299-2943

E-Mail: GlennSchwartz@msn.com

Web Site: www.wmausa.org

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Bibliography

Bonk, Jonathan. Missions and Money. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, NY, 1992.

Brewster, Thomas and Elizabeth. Bonding and the Missionary Task. Lingua House: Dallas, TX, 1982.

EE Tawo (A video produced by New Tribes Mission, 1000 E. First St., Sanford, FL 32771, USA)

Greene M.D., H. Lee. A Guide to Short Term Missions. Gabriel Publishing: Waynesboro, GA, 2003.

Johnstone, Patrick. Operation World. OM Publishing: Carlisle, Cumbria, UK, 1995.

Petersen, Roger; Aeschliman, Gordon; and Sneed, R. Wayne. Maximum Impact Short-Term Mission.

STEMPress: Minneapolis, 2003.

Stiles, J. Mack & Leeann. Mack & Leeann’s Guide to Short-Term Missions. InterVarsity Press: Downers

Grove, IL, 2000.

Tippett, Alan R. People Movements in Southern Polynesia. Chicago: Moody Press, 1971

Web Sites: There are many web sites that have information on short term-missions. I recommend putting

the term “short-term missions” into a search engine such as Google and you will find many web sites

related to the subject. The following are only a beginning of what is available:

www.shorttermmissions.com

www.missionfinder.org/summer.htm

www.experiencemission.org

For articles on issues of dependency and self-reliance among mission-established institutions see the

website for World Mission Associates: www.wmausa.org.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

[1] I was there on a two-year short-term program with my denomination – the Brethren in Christ Church. I

later returned to serve in Central Africa as a full-time missionary for another five and a half years.

[2] For more information on ownership and other issues related to dependency, see Lesson One of the

eight-hour video series produced by World Mission Associates. It can be ordered on the World Wide Web

at www.wmausa.org.

[3] By contrast, short-termers must speak within the short period they have whether they have done any

listening or learning.

[4] For those who are interested in what a “people movement” is I recommend two sources, among many

others. One is a book called People Movements of Southern Polynesia by Alan R. Tippett. Chapter 7

particularly gives the rationale for a people movement and how it works. The other resource is the video

produced by New Tribes Mission entitled EE Tawo which shows how seriously one missionary in New

Guinea studied the language and culture before inviting people to make a decision to become believers.

The people movement that followed was dramatic. Short of a miracle, discipling a people group this

thoroughly can hardly be done during one two-week short-term mission trip.

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[5] There are about seventy articles on this and related issues on our web site www.wmausa.org. Regarding

who are actually poor, I recommend an article on our web site entitled Searching for a Meaningful Way to

Help the Poor. See also, Missions and Money by Jonathan Bonk, listed in the bibliography.

[6] I am currently developing the idea that the ideal place to get help for needy people is the Church – a

local church healthy and functioning in the communities of the world which are in need. This means that

many times the best help can be found among believers right in the communities where the need exists.

Unfortunately, too often outsiders do not recognize the importance of resources within arm’s reach of those

local believers. For more on this subject, look for the paper entitled I Believe in the Church on the WMA

web site or request it from the office of World Mission Associates. It should be available in early 2004.

[7] Every short-term team should be required to watch the video series Vision for the Nations before they

are allowed to set foot on an airplane for cross-cultural service. It is available through the William Carey

Library at www.perspectives.org.

[8] Even when trying to help those in absolute poverty, care must be taken so that long-term dependency

does not develop. For further information on this, see the article entitled Searching for a Meaningful way to

help the Poor on the WMA web site.

[9] It is published by Lingua House (1982) and is available from Academic Publications Summer Institute

of Linguistics, 7500 West Camp Wisdom Road, Dallas, Texas 75236.

[10] Information on this course is available through the US Center for World Mission in Pasadena,

California. Simply visit their web site www.perspectives.org, and the times and locations of courses will

be available. In the year 2003 five thousand people enrolled in Perspectives courses across North America.

21

Don't Chase Buffaloes By Glenn Schwartz

The following story was shared with me following a 1992 seminar in Capetown, South Africa. It is a choice example of how one church leader allowed God to lead him to rely on him and on the people of the local church to accomplish God's purposes.

"Several years ago, I was invited to minister in various churches in America While there, I phoned home to check on my family. My wife was not there, but my sister-in-law answered the phone. After telling me that everyone was well, she gave me this puzzling message. God had appeared to her in a dream and told her to tell me: "When you are in America, don't chase buffaloes." What that could mean I did not know; but after I hung up the phone, I asked God to make the message clear.

One Sunday evening after preaching in a local church, I was given the offering in cash. They did not write out a check for the amount, but simply gave it to me as it was. As I counted the money, I came across an American five-cent piece with a buffalo on it - a buffalo nickel.

When I saw this, I immediately associated it with the message of my sister-in-law's dream. I knew that God was telling me that while in America I was not to pursue money. I accepted this from the Lord, but I did not know how this direction from the Lord would be tested in the next several days.

The next morning I had breakfast with a wealthy businessman. I don't know how wealthy he was, but I later learned that he owned four airplanes. He told me he appreciated my message the evening before and wanted to help with my ministry in South Africa. He was prepared to write a check for any amount! Remembering God's instructions, I replied, "Thank you very much, but the Lord takes care of me and my people in his own way." He gave me no money.

Shortly thereafter I was on my way home to South Africa. On the plane from London to Johannesburg a wealthy white South African businessman was seated beside me. When he learned that I was the pastor of a non-white church in the Capetown area, he offered to help me financially. He was not happy with his own church which supported apartheid at that time. He preferred to help me! This man, too, asked "How much money do you want?" Again, remembering God's instructions, I told him, 'Thank you very much, but the Lord takes care of me and my people in his own way." I got no money from that man either.

I returned home to discover that the people of my own congregation wanted to build their own church building. We have since built a new sanctuary completely from the funds of our own people, and we did not need any "buffaloes" from overseas.

22

Ten Ways to Wreck a Good Trip

1. Act like you are there alone. Stay to yourself. Isolate others.

2. Think you are much too important for the work you have been assigned. If you are

given dish duty, weasel out of it.

3. Don’t pray or study the Bible. You won’t have the time for it anyway.

4. Be well organized and inflexible so nothing can interfere with your agenda.

5. Point out what your hosts are doing wrong. Help them “improve.” Help them be

more like you.

6. If you are single, try to become romantically involved with someone on the team. Try

to be near that person, even if it means that the other team relationships suffer.

If you’re married, get away frequently to spend time together and discuss how you’d

run things differently if you were the leaders.

7. Don’t bother trying to speak the language. Seek out English speakers, and then

communicate only with them.

8. Point out the faults of the people on your team. Try not to be seen with the socially

awkward people on the team.

9. Make sure you don’t eat the local food. Try to find a grocery store that sells

something familiar. If you are forced to eat the local cuisine, complain.

10. Be generally disappointed in how things are going. Whine when things go wrong.

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Cross-Cultural Considerations

This is one of the most important sections of this manual. Please pay close attention to the

following advice:

1. As North Americans we are often very outgoing, having a natural curiosity and

freedom which is not always understood by those in the country and of the culture

we are visiting. Be aware of this. To avoid being offensive, talk to your host.

2. Try to understand that those at the mission locations are working under different

conditions than you are used to. They have adapted their lives to the customs of

the country or culture to help them win people to Christ. Avoid the temptation to

question their way of ministering or their way of dealing with the local people.

3. You will encounter many situations to which you are not accustomed. Always think of

the people to whom you will minister. Don’t complain about the conditions, food,

travel, and so on. Always smile, be cheerful, and show love.

4. Try to learn the phrases of greeting in the indigenous language.

5. Do not give the impression to the nationals that you are there simply to “help these

poor people out.” Rather, show them that you are there to learn and to serve.

6. Do not be too quick to judge a national for what you feel is unchristian conduct. You

may not realize the great change that has already occurred in a person’s life

through the Gospel.

7. Due to the unintentional damage caused by “handouts”, you are strongly discouraged

from giving the individuals on your mission location financial or material resources,

either while on your trip or after you arrive home. If you believe you are being led

by the Lord to give, it is best to donate directly to the host ministry/missionary.

8. Be considerate of your hosts’ time. They are not there to be your personal tour

guides. They have a job to do.

9. Avoid references to military, political issues, and to other religious groups. Never

wear Army fatigues.

10. Some words and colloquialism are distasteful or very confusing to people of other

cultures. Check with your host before you put your foot in your mouth.

11. For every team that goes on a mission trip, they will have cross-cultural experiences.

Cross-cultural means that we leave familiar things (language, customs, clothing,

music) and enter into an unfamiliar culture.

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12. As we desire to be witnesses for Christ, we must seek to learn about and respect

other people and their cultures. Here are some additional, important items to

remember:

a) When we go into another culture, we are the strange ones. We are the ones

with the unusual perspectives, the funny accents, and the weird clothing.

Remember that we are the guests in another person’s world. Respect other

people by not criticizing or laughing at them.

b) Watch your language. Do not use phrases like “the wrong side of the road”

or “they dress silly.” When we say these things, we put our own culture value

judgments on someone else. This is being ethnocentric. The things they do

may be different or even opposite to the way we do things, but that does not

necessarily mean that they are doing it wrong. Also, remember that

although you may be in a non-English-speaking country, some of the people

around you may understand you. So, be careful of what you say.

c) Be mindful of your facial expressions. We communicate many things with our

faces – disapproval, judgment, and pleasure. Try to communicate the right

things at the right time. Be honest yet polite & acceptable.

d) Avoid talking at length with someone of the opposite sex, especially if this

isn’t the custom. Dress modestly, in accordance with whatever is locally

acceptable.

e) Time schedules in most parts of the world are much slower-paced than those

of North America. Go with the flow of culture.

f) Learn and be sensitive to proper photography etiquette. You may offend

someone by taking a picture of them or their property without their

permission first.

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Support-Raising

The cost of a mission trip is for most people the #1 reason why they decide not to go.

Whether they are misguided in thinking they could never possibly come up with the cost of

going or whether they don’t think they’ll have the time, resources, etc. to come up with the

money, it’s all the same…they decide not to go. Think about it though…is it REALLY about

you…or God? Don’t let the obstacle of a cost of trip be the reason why you don’t go…let God

provide the way. He’s in the business of overcoming what man cannot!

Fund-Raising Mindset:

Benefits of being a “fundraiser” may surprise you:

* You will better identify with the host missionary you will be visiting. Most missionaries

live by faith and through support 365 days a year.

* You will be stretched in your dependence on God.

* It is a witness to challenge others to participate in your trip costs.

* Wherever you think it will come from- it won’t.

Wherever you don’t think it will come from- it will.

- Don’t be disappointed when friends or family say “no.” - Do be pleasantly surprised when the least likely supporter says “yes.”

* You are recruiting prayer partners as well as funding partners.

* You will have an opportunity to tell more than the 30-second story of your short-term

mission. Support partners want more details and the longer version than almost anyone else.

* Fundraising will increase the exposure for the Host Missionary. It creates an awareness

and a connection among support partners of the ministry.

* Fundraising guarantees a great trip! If you write a check for the whole amount, there is

the danger of developing the “consumer mindset”- “Did I get what I paid for?” Fundraising

partners create an accountability with you to make sure it is a great experience.

Your sacrifices in fundraising will include your initial financial deposit, time, and… your pride. That’s right, try throwing that old American self-sufficiency up on the altar, and you’ll discover amazing spiritual blessings for yourself and others as you share together in your outreach through financial and prayerful support.

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Spiritual Preparedness

It’s important to prepare yourself spiritually through prayer and developing prayer partners

before going on your mission trip.

1) Start with prayer- Totally commit your mission trip to God through prayer!

P repare for a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-20)

R equest fulfillment of God’s Promise to extend His Kingdom through you (Gen. 12:2-3; Isaiah 62:6, Hosea 2:21-23)

A sk and you will receive God’s spiritual blessing on your mission (Matt. 7:7-8; James 4:2)

Y ou can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5)

2) Continue to commit your mission trip to God through prayer:

D on’t rest, do it day and night (Isaiah 62:6, Psalm 1:2, Romans 8:2)

A sk for wisdom and discernment as you prepare for your trip (2 Chronicles 1:11-12,

Colossians 1:3-14) I ntercede for the people group you are going to serve (John 17:20-23) and the

ministry there (Romans 15:30)

L et the Spirit lead you (Acts 1:8, Romans 8:26-27, Joel 2:28-32)

Y ou don’t have to worry (Philippians 4:6-7, Luke 12:25)

Developing Prayer Partners

Asking others to join you in your struggle before God is a great way to ensure God’s spiritual

blessing (Matthew 18:19-20, Romans 15:30). Your prayer partners will commit to praying for

you both before and during your trip.

1) Make a list of at least 10 potential prayer partners. Consider the qualities of a trusted

prayer partner: spiritual maturity, commitment to praying, non-member of your team, etc.

2) Your first letter to your prayer partners:

- contact your potential prayer partners during the preparation of the trip so they

can begin to join you as soon as possible

- include a description of your mission trip, the people group you are going to serve,

and the ministry and missionary partners there. It is also a good idea to include

basic facts and prayer requests about the country to which you are traveling.

- share some of your specific and current needs

3) Keep them informed

- emailing updates is always a great way to communicate in a quick and easy fashion

4) Your second letter

- Just before you leave on your trip, it is important that you communicate with your

prayer partners specific requests while on the field (adjusting to food, smells, fatigue, your

reactions, flexibility, etc.). While you are on the field, you’ll sense the added strength and

blessing of your prayer support.

27

- The following are some prayer requests that you may consider including in your 2nd

letter.

Travel Ministry Safety, good weather Good stewardship of time and resources

Smooth connections and customs passage Courage of team to obey God in faith

I would be at ease during flights Softened hearts of all those we’re serving

Needed materials and luggage arrive Discernment and boldness in confessing Christ

Good attitudes when encountering obstacles An awareness of God-ordained opportunities

Leadership

Health and Safety Wisdom and discernment for those leading

Protection from disease, injury, infections Selfless decisions for good of team and ministry

Minimal weariness from jetlag Peace and confidence in God’s presence

Protection/provision for loved ones back home

Team Dynamics Humility and service-minded hearts

Unity in prayer and spirit

Supportive and submissive to leadership

True hearts of love and acceptance of the people we meet

5) Keeping in touch

- Your relationship with your prayer partners does not end when you get on the plane

and return home. Follow up with a thank you letter describing your trip, answered prayer,

and how God worked through your prayer partners’ support on the field.

Writing the Letter

There are countless ways to solicit financial support for your mission trip. We suggest

writing letters for both prayer and financial support.

- When designing your financial support letter, think of what would get YOUR attention and

be creative with your presentation.

- The time you invest and the quality of your material will directly affect the type of

support team you assemble.

- While letters are very effective in soliciting support, you may wish to supplement them

with other creative approaches (i.e. personal meetings; asking them to replace Birthday,

Christmas, or Wedding gifts with support; write a song…. anything is possible!)

- Make your request personal. Doing so adds to the spiritual benefits your financial

partners will receive (Proverbs 11:24-25; 2 Corinthians 8:3-4)

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Mass mailings to people you barely know are not an acceptable way to recruit financial partners. Fundraising among established groups in the church, such as Adult Bible classes, small groups, etc., requires sensitivity and is not suggested. Now that we offer a growing number of trips, please be sensitive to the fact that you and 4 other individuals may send a letter to the same person who attends RCC. Therefore, please use discretion in sending out letters to those within RCC and make it a goal to send at least half of your support letters to people outside the church. Don’t forget about your un-churched family and friends. You may not even realize that you are planting seeds of the Gospel message and impacting them for His Kingdom’s sake!

RCC Guidelines in Support-Raising

To ensure a successful and life-changing mission trip, we ask that you follow the guidelines

below. We believe that if you begin this support-raising process with prayer and follow the

below steps, you will be blessed in the process.

1) Send out support letters to family and friends. Remember your fundraising is for

the group as a whole, even though each is responsible for X amount of money. Any

money raised in excess or money not used will be given to the host missionary. Why?

Because we have been blessed to be a blessing!

2) Think of creative ways on your own to raise your funds. Some ideas…offer to mow

yards for a donation; instead of gifts for your birthday or Christmas, ask for

donations to your trip savings account; cash in all that loose change in your piggy

bank; sell stuff on Craigslist or Ebay; ask friends/family for unwanted items and

host a huge garage sale; receive cash for clothes/shoes/purses at a local

consignment shop; ask for a donation to provide lessons in something you are

talented in (speaking French, playing the piano, playing soccer).

29

Now that you are ready to begin your support-raising letter, here are some tips to ensure a

successful letter!

Tips for composing a successful support-raising letter:

Date your letter

Personalize your greeting

Identify yourself to the reader

Educate the reader on your trip

Explain the purpose of your trip

Tell who invited you or how God has led you to this trip

Explain why you chose to participate

List a couple of personal goals

Tell the reader of planned activities

Explain the need:

Include a summary of trip costs (airfare, food, ministry needs)

Include information from your prayer letters (country and people group

info)

Include pictures if possible.

Ask the reader for specific actions based on:

Ask for prayer support

State deadline for needing financial support

Ask for specific dollar amounts, e.g. Would you prayerfully consider

investing $10, $20, or $30?

State the money is a gift and should be made out to RCC and earmarked

with your name and trip for tax purposes.

Thank the reader for considering their partnership and commitment to

the short-term mission team!

Close the letter and personally sign it.

Include your phone or email for any questions or comments.

Enclose a stamped return envelope in order to increase the potential for

them to send it back. It may also be helpful if you create a postcard

that they can check off and return with the donation.

You will find an example letter and return post card on the next page.

(You can always provide a letter to your Trip Leader to review and help if/where needed

before sending out the letters.)

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Dear, April 2007

For a second year in a row, I am leading a group of 12 to serve a week at a camp in Poland during the 1st week of

August. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to serve alongside Polish nationals who love the Lord and work

for ProEm (www.proem.org). My connection to those that I have been working with in Poland goes all the way back

to 1998 when I took a group of high school students there for a month during my internship at Southeast Christian

Church in Louisville, KY. It is such a blessing that God has allowed me to continue serving there through short-

term trips.

As you look at the pictures that I have included, I want you to think about how you might be able to be a part of

what God is doing in Poland. I am specifically looking for people to sponsor me in leading this trip. By your financial

sponsorship (or partnership, which is what I like to think of it as!), you are providing an opportunity for Polish

children to hear the Gospel Message. This is unique because the majority of the children that come to these

camps have never experienced the love of Christ in a personal way. Another unique aspect of the trip (and where

my team plays a central and key role) is that this is a language camp for 3rd-6th graders. The English language has

become a world language, and in many countries, it is the way to a better life. Not only do the children learn how

God desires to have a personal relationship with them, they learn English during English classes that we (my team)

teach 2 times a day! Outside of teaching English, we provide the crafts, offer afternoon club activities like card

making, choir, dance, and sports games like American baseball. We also help with worship and do puppets before

the morning Bible lesson. As you can see, our days are jam-packed!

I am busy preparing our curriculum booklet, making travel plans, and having meetings with my team! I, of course,

would appreciate and covet your prayers while I’m preparing, while I’m there, and as well for Josh and the girls who

will be “holding the down the fort.”

I’ve enclosed a response card that you can fill out to let me know if and how you would like to be a part of this work

in Poland! Should you choose to sponsor me in going, all money should be in the form of a check & made out to

Rochester Christian Church with Winans/Poland in the memo. All money is tax deductible and receipts will be sent

for $250 or more. Each team member is responsible for $1600 & any money raised will be put towards the group

as a whole. I am personally putting $______ towards my total amount. Any excess money not used for the trip

will be given to ProEm and used for materials or needed items for the camp.

I will send you periodic prayer needs and updates of what is going on. Know that my heart’s ambition is to help you

realize all that YOU can be a part of in what God is doing world-wide, not to simply provide for me to go!

Blessings,

Ann

Sample response postcard for return envelope: Project Poland

____ I would like to sponsor you financially and a

check is enclosed made out to Rochester Christian Church with Winans/Poland in memo line

____ I would like to pray for you while you are

preparing and while you are in Poland

____ I would like more information about what

God is doing in Poland!

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This letter details the guidelines needed from the Business Office. Please read carefully.

Dear Short-term Trip Team Member,

We are providing guidelines in order to simplify the financial/business end of “going” on a short-term trip.

With the amount of trips going out this year, it is imperative that we keep things well organized. The

following are guidelines that you need to follow to best help us in making sure all monies are credited to the

correct individual(s) and trip.

1) Communicate to those you are seeking financial assistance from that if they write a check, make it payable to Rochester Christian Church with your name and trip written on the memo line for

tax deductible purposes. (Even if the individual isn’t interested in tax deduction, please make sure it’s made out to RCC and earmarked with your name and trip.)

2) Please have them mail or give the check(s) directly to you (providing a stamped return envelope is

always helpful). This way you are able to

1) track your financial supporters and follow-up with personal thank you notes

2) bring multiple checks together to the office for the business manager to deposit. (It would be helpful to put all the checks into one envelope with your name and trip on front of the envelope.)

3) RCC mails annual giving statements by January 31 of the following year to individuals who donate to

RCC.

4) Your Team Leader can be given a balance of your account before your team meetings and then given

to you during the team meetings if so requested by the Team Leader.

5) All trip costs are the team member’s responsibility and are due two weeks before departure. If

complete payment is not received by the specified date, you will not be allowed to participate

on the trip. Any funds submitted towards the trip will be used to cover team expenses, and any

excess funds will be given to the host missionary for needs of the mission or people in the

community.

6) In addition, in order to book your flights, the Team Leader MUST have received your payment

in full for the cost of the flights. Your flights will not be booked until full payment has been

received. If the cost of airfare has increased during that time, you will be responsible for paying

the difference. If there is a delay in booking your flight, it is possible there may no longer be seats

available on your team’s flight. In that instance, you will be booked the next best option, at the

Team Leader’s discretion.

7) You are responsible for xxx amount of money for your trip. Should you raise over the amount, it

will go towards the trip as a whole and any remaining money from the trip after expenses paid will

be given to the host missionary for needs of the mission or people in the community. Additionally, if you pay for the entire cost of the trip yourself, any excess money after expenses paid at the end of the trip will be given to the host missionary for needs of the mission or people in the community. (It would be beneficial to mention this in your letter so your supporters know any additional

money you raised is for the team and host missionaries.)

Following these guidelines will help ensure better tracking and organization, as we desire to be good

stewards! May you have a wonderful experience in sharing God’s love to those all over the world!

Blessings,

April Vinyard, Business Manager

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Passports & Safety

As soon as you know you are going on a trip internationally, you need to apply for

a passport. It is required for all trips out of the continental U.S.

To obtain a passport, you will need a certified birth certificate (not the hospital

record), two passport photos and a driver’s license. In addition, you will need to

pick up and fill out a form from the post office and turn in the information to a

postal clerk for processing with the U.S. Passport Agency. All of this can cost

$75-$160, depending on when you apply. You should allow 6-10 weeks for your

passport to arrive. Also, remember that it sometimes takes state agencies

several weeks to provide a certified record of your birth if you don’t currently

have one.

Further passport services and information is available:

http://www.travel.state.gov

We take seriously the safety of our groups while serving in another country.

Therefore, we will base decisions from the recommendations of travel based on

the U.S. Government as found at http://www.travel.state.gov. In addition, we

will register each team member with the U.S. Embassy for the duration of the

trip.

If You’re Flying

Friendly Reminders

Reminders:

While in airports, NEVER make any jokes regarding bombs, guns, knives, etc.

Leave military fatigues, clothing, and bags at home.

This is the time we need you to be completely mature, quiet, and calm.

Stay together as a group. If you need to go to the bathroom, get a snack, etc., go in

2’s and always notify someone beforehand.

When going through customs, follow _______ lead. We’ll wait together until

everyone has gone through customs and proceed to getting our luggage.

When receiving luggage, stay in the same general area. Make sure you have all your

luggage. Once we check to make sure everyone has their luggage, we’ll leave as a

group.

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The Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag Diet

Argonne National Laboratory’s Anti-Jet-Lag Diet is helping travelers quickly adjust their

bodies' internal clocks to new time zones.

How to avoid jet lag:

1. DETERMINE BREAKFAST TIME at destination on day of arrival.

2. FEAST-FAST-FEAST-FAST - Start four days before breakfast time in step 1.

On day one, FEAST; eat heartily with high-protein breakfast and lunch and a high-

carbohydrate dinner. No coffee/caffeine except between 3 and 5 p.m.

On day two, FAST on light meals of salads, light soups, fruits and juices. Again, no

caffeine except between 3 and 5 p.m.

On day three, FEAST again. No coffee/caffeine except between 3 and 5 p.m.

On day four, FAST; if you drink caffeinated beverages, take them in the morning

when traveling west, or between 6 and 11 p.m. when traveling east.

3. BREAK THE FINAL FAST at destination breakfast time. If the flight is long enough,

sleep until normal breakfast time at destination, but no later. Wake up and FEAST on a high

protein breakfast. Stay awake and active. Continue the day's meals according to mealtimes

at the destination.

What is suitable to eat on FEAST/FAST days?

FEAST on high protein breakfast and lunches to stimulate the body's active cycle. Suitable

meals include steak, eggs, hamburgers, high-protein cereals, green beans.

FEAST on high carbohydrate suppers to stimulate sleep. They include spaghetti and other

pastas (but no meatballs), crepes (but no meat filling), potatoes, other starchy vegetables,

and sweet desserts.

FAST days help deplete the liver's store of carbohydrates and prepare the body's clock for

resetting. Suitable foods include fruit, light soups, broths, skimpy salads, unbuttered toast,

half pieces of bread. Keep calories and carbohydrates to a minimum.

General Health

WATER: Always ask your hosts before you drink! Remember, if the water is bad, you

cannot use it to brush your teeth or have ice in drinks.

DIARRHEA: Even the slight changes that result when you go to other parts of the U.S.

can result in intestinal disturbances. To control Diarrhea, the medications

recommended are: Imodium A-D (over-the-counter), Parapectolin or Lomotil (both

prescription).

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SHOTS/IMMUNIZATIONS: Every team member is encouraged to receive vaccinations

recommended by the Center for Disease Control. We support the recommendations of

the Center for Disease Control (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel). Consult your physician to

check your records and see if you need any updated shots. Even if you had the required

immunizations before, you may require a booster.

FIRST-AID: You may choose to bring a small personal first-aid kit.

ALLERGIES: If you have allergies, bring your medication with you.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS: You should have mentioned any conditions or medicines you

are currently taking on your application. If not, make sure to notify any changes or

updates.

REMINDERS

HELPFUL HINTS

Pack 1 change of clothes and toiletries in your carry-on.

Write down your Passport Number, expiration date, and place of issue.

(Keep the information separate from your Passport.)

(Your team leader will make copies of your passport, and we will have them on file at

the church. Your emergency contact should also keep a copy.)

Consider storing shampoo, etc., in ziplock bags during travel.

Bring pictures of your family & friends to show your new friends!

Pack some crackers or high protein snacks in your carry-on.

(Put all snacks in ziplock bags- bugs love food!)

Contact lens wearers- bring a back up pair of glasses. Remember to bring cleaning

solution, etc.

LAST MINUTE REMINDERS (some may not apply to your trip)

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR PASSPORT- DOUBLE CHECK!!!

Dress comfortably for the plane.

Bring a flashlight- check the batteries.

Bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Bring a poncho or lightweight rain jacket.

Bring an alarm clock (battery powered).

Bring sunscreen and insect repellant.

Bring your Bible.

Bring your devotional book.

Bring all of your ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM!!!!!

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All About Testimonies Six Characteristics of Testimonies

1. Your testimony is unique. No one else has been a witness to how God has moved in

your life better than you have. God has revealed Himself to all Christians, but you

have seen Him uniquely in your life.

2. Your testimony is identifiable. Clearly God is working in the story, and life is

better now that He has acted on your behalf!

3. Your testimony creates interest. This does not mean you need to work to make

your testimony funny or entertaining. People love to hear stories. Your story is like

gossip, only it is good gossip about God.

4. Your testimony is relevant. Your testimony shows that the God of the Bible and

history is active today in the lives of His people.

5. Your testimony is personal. God does not only work in big ways, but He is also

interested in your day-to-day affairs. Your testimony shows that God is working

with you personally. He is very important to you personally. Although your

conversion is a big part of your testimony, it’s not the only part. God is always up to

something. Share what He is doing in your life right now.

6. Your testimony is authoritative. You are witnessing to the truth as you have

perceived it. In a court room truth is testimony believed. In sharing your faith, the

same is true. If people have faith in your story, they will also have faith in God.

Parts of a Testimony

1. Introduction. The introduction briefly explains what life was like before God acted.

If your testimony is the story of your conversion, then the introduction will explain

your life without Christ.

2. Crisis. The next step explains why there was a need for God to act.

3. Climax. The climax is when God did something. Jesus is always the hero of your

testimony.

4. Resolution. This is a brief conclusion explaining what life is like now that God has

helped you through the problem.

Keep it brief to hold their attention.

Give details to make it more relevant.

Plan your testimony or more than one for different occasions.

Practice- ask for advice to make your story more clear.

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When You Return Home

When you return home from your mission trip, odds are you will have just been on a

“mountaintop”. You will have felt so close to God, have experienced Him in personal and

powerful ways, and will have had your life changed forever. You may have been brought to

tears by the poverty you experienced and amazed at how joy-filled the people were. You

may have gone on the trip expecting to give so much to the people you were going to

serve…what you didn’t realize was how much they would give to you.

When you come home, you may feel out of place, like you don’t belong here. You may feel

discouraged by the excessive wealth and seeming lack of compassion, concern, and

awareness by your fellow Americans. You may feel ready to sell everything you own and move

to the country you just came from!

What can you do with the change that has occurred within you?

PRAY!

Pray that the fire burning inside you would not be snuffed out by the worries, doubts, and

deceptions of the world. Pray that if God does in fact want you to become a missionary He

would make that clear to you. Pray He would begin opening all of the necessary doors

according to His perfect will and perfect timing. Pray that you would forever be dangerously

surrendered, seriously disturbed, and gloriously ruined for Him!

SUPPORT!

Be faithful in prayer for the missionaries you were working with. Ask for God’s protection,

provision, and guidance over their lives. Pray for them to remain strong in their faith and

committed in their relationship with Him. Pray for the people you were serving: for the non-

believers to have open hearts and open minds to His Truth; for the believers to live lives

that overflow with His grace, love, and mercy.

Be an encouragement to the missionaries all throughout the year. Commit to supporting

them financially. Sign up to receive their newsletters. Keep in contact with them via email.

Send them cards on their birthdays and care packages at Christmas.

COMMUNICATE!

Share your experience with your family, friends, and supporters. Videotape your testimony

to play during worship services. Give a slideshow presentation to the RCC Missions

Committee. Host a gathering at your home. Write a letter to the editor about the needs in

the country you visited and include specific ways readers can help.

PRAISE!

Praise God for who He is and how He can use average people like us to bring glory to His

Name!