It’s summer. That time of year when everyone goes to the beach, has barbecues, enjoys the outdoors, and writes articles about why short term mission trips will harm everyone who encounters one.
While short term mission trips can undoubtedly have a negative effect, the issue is not with the length or cost of the trip, but with the intentions and the motivation behind the effort.
MYTH #1: Short-term Mission trips are detrimental to local economies!!
They can be, but they don’t have to be. If a group of wide-eyed teenagers runs in to build Western style houses for $30,000, or to “fix” a facility to Americanize it, they almost certainly are. That doesn’t have to be the case. At Hawassa Hope, we do not sponsor donor-led building projects. In the cases when we do rebuild houses, it is done with donor funds, but not their imported materials and efforts. Hawassa Hope makes every effort to support the local economies in the communities in which we work. We need a house built? Great! Who’s a local contractor that can be hired?
MYTH #2: Just send your money, it’ll do more good!!
Money is great. What’s better than money? Advocacy. Now, we certainly won’t turn away any donations, and do not want to undermine the effect that our donors have! However, just because one thing is good, does not mean it is the mutually exclusive way to get involved. Most people who go on our trips turn out to be some of the biggest advocates for Hawassa Hope. Without people advocating and sharing about Hawassa Hope with their friends, we would not be able to do as much as we have! And yes, these projects do require funds, ALL of which is brought in by people who believe in the mission. Advocacy is necessary in every organization.
MYTH #3: Short-term missions can’t have long term effects!!
Again, this one goes together with the advocacy mentioned above. You go on a trip and then in-turn advocate for clean water in Ethiopia, your advocacy inspires others, a clean water project is fully funded. Long term effects are not out of reach for short term missions! And let us not forget the power of prayer. Prayer is not a cop-out effort!
The pros and cons of short term missions could be discussed all day long. It’s certainly been a huge topic of discussion on blogs in recent years. The fact of the matter is, there is no blanket answer. Some short-term missions trips are in fact more harmful than beneficial, but that doesn’t mean they all are. If your purpose in going on a trip is to save Africa and eradicate the hunger crisis, it probably won’t work out well. But if you can go into a trip with an open mind, an accepting spirit, and a willingness to learn, you will almost certainly be inspired to act.
Our short term missions trips are not about building projects or solving everyone’s problems “our way.” Instead, we hope to educate and inspire people to be advocates for change!
You can make a difference in the lives of the vulnerable!