Mission Tourism
All of us are about to learn a lesson about the success of sustained relief, or the failure of relief without it.
I am proud to say that churches in North Alabama have given by my estimation well over 10,000 health kits to the people of Haiti. That's 10,000 lives that have been given some semblance of normalcy (however small or fleeting) by you and your neighbors. Praise God! It is evident that when the need is great, the churches in this conference turn first to Christ's words of service.
However we must not stop now. Haiti was in a desperate condition even before the quake, and the time is now to help Haiti become a whole nation once again. My personal experience of Haiti, though brief, struck the center of my being--it was unlike any other poverty I have seen. Yet the people are resilient and tireless in their efforts to care for their country, families, friends, and neighbors.
I was in New Orleans only a few months ago and saw what happens when we get caught up in the news cameras, hot topics, and our nation's fleeting 24 hour news cycle. Much of New Orleans is still in disarray, and has been forgotten long after the storm has passed. I would like to congratulate our churches who still go to the Gulf Coast to repair the damage from that storm almost 5 years ago; but many have gone and left, never to come back.
We cannot make the same mistake with Haiti: their crisis is living and will go on living for quite a while. I urge each and everyone of you to consider making a sustained effort to Haiti for 2 or 3 years, or another mission project of your choice.
Too often we practice what I call "mission tourism". We show up to work, but never forget to take pictures and reminisce after we leave, only to never return. Christ calls for a lifetime of service, not just one week out of the year.
I hope all of our churches will take the time to make sustained mission efforts in whatever field they are (or are not) involved in currently. Our world is hurting, and Christ's words are the answer.