OUR NEW VISION- Part 6: Conclusion

Family and Friends,

Greetings on this fine day!  Our God is amazing, and He has a wonderful adventure for each one of us...

Note:  this post is part 6 of 6 in the OUR NEW VISION series.

Thanks so much to everyone who has participated in this adventure in big and small ways.  We truly believe God has an amazing plan for each of you, marked by various adventures along the way, and it is our sincere hope that the little stories and encouragements you find on this blog will inspire you to live that out in a new and fresh way.

Speaking of new and fresh, we hope that the OUR NEW VISION series has helped you reconsider your concept of modern missions.  Here is a brief recap of what has been said...

            Part 1:  Introduction
                        -God is leading faithful followers of Jesus to reform our approach to
                         missions

            Part 2:  What Failure has Taught Us
                        -We do not need to fear failure in missions.  We are free to attempt
                          great things for God as He leads, taking great risks along the way. 
                          The real risk is playing it safe.

            Part 3:  Finding Strength in Weakness
                        -God is most glorified when we operate out of weakness, not strength.
                         Globally, in the places where there is the most weakness, in a worldly
                         sense, there may also be a hub of great spiritual strength.  Haiti is a
                         good example of this phenomenon.

       MINISTRY NAME:   H.I.M.  Haitian International Missions 
                                                 
            Part 4:  Native-led = Spirit-led
                        -The biblical example of leadership development empowers native leaders
                         to direct their own people, through the help of the Holy Spirit. Our
                         ongoing vision for ministry will spring from the hearts of Haitians, not a
                         comfortable American board room.

            Part 5:  God Ordained Facebook
                        -In this day and age in which we find ourselves there are unparalleled
                         tools and opportunities to reach the world for Christ.  Not only that, but
                         we can forge true and lasting cross-cultural friendships with our fellow
                         servants around the world.

To round out the discussion, consider one final thought regarding our values and priorities, and after that we will preview what you can expect in the next few weeks and months on this blog.


FINAL THOUGHT-  IT IS TIME TO TAKE MISSIONS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. 
         
The desire and design of this ministry is to bring about positive and lasting change in Haiti and beyond (truly allowing Christ's kingdom to reign), and we believe this requires a radical rethinking of the traditional approach to missions in this complex country.  We cannot emphasize this enough.  No matter how many books come out illustrating the potential for American (usually Christian) non-profits to do harm in Haiti (see "Killing with Kindness:  Haiti, International Aid, and NGOs" by Mark Schuller) many of us blindly continue to approach the country as if a little compassion, a prayer, and some old shoes are all we need to change lives.  Sadly, we can easily end up creating more dependency, long-term poverty, and weak spirituality than before our visit while somehow remaining oblivious to the reality of the situation.  Instead, we will hold to these truths:

                   -We will relentlessly assess our ministry (or more to the point, allow the native
                           people to assess our ministry for us) for its effectiveness, basing our
                           success or failure not on traditional measuring sticks (budgets, buildings,
                           & butts as it were) but on changed lives, changed communities,
                           sustainability, and biblical faithfulness.

                   -We will embrace transparency and accountability.

                   -We will embrace creativity and ingenuity in the ministries we support.

                   -We will avoid and combat any type of condescension or pity towards
                           Haitians. We will interact with Haitians as equals at all times, fostering
                           true collaboration.  Similarly, as God leads we be a voice for the
                           voiceless by approaching and challenging any entity or force that seeks
                           to dominate, abuse, or belittle Haitian people...whether that be
                           members of the Haitian government or elite class, Americans, or other
                           outsiders.
                          
                   -We will not exist to facilitate so-called "vacationary trips."  (vacation plus
                           missions)  This sounds harsh, but if we don't say it, who will?  Having
                           been on the receiving end of some teams who fit this description and
                           witnessed the questionable impact on local people, we believe this
                           practice must be thoroughly reformed.  Obviously, another series of
                           blog posts is required at this point...

                   -Above all, We will relentlessly build relationships.  This is priority #1.  We
                           will strive to truly understand and encourage one another and in the
                           process grow closer to God our Creator.  To that end we will not employ
                           passive supporters or utilize empty funds on the American side of things. 
                           More on this later...


Again, we are aware that some of these statements can come across as being harsh or overly critical of what has been done in missions, so we want to reiterate our sincere appreciation of every American Christian who seeks to be involved in international missions, as well as confessing our own failings and mixed motives at times.  However, we all must be more critical than ever of what we are doing and carefully consider the earth-shattering reality that we cannot take this calling to "Go into all the world" lightly.  The spiritual destiny of countless people is at stake in Haiti, in the USA, and all over the earth!  If we dare to take on that awesome responsibility, as we absolutely must, it cannot be done lightly.  We must fall on our faces before the throne of God in true humility while simultaneously committing ourselves to being informed, educated, and trained for the task. 

Would you decide on a whim to be a surgeon and attempt a procedure without going to
          medical school and practicing in a laboratory?
Would you climb into a space shuttle with no previous instruction, assuming you will
          figure it out as you go after launch?
Would you blindly open a daycare, sign up a few dozen kids, and assume the education,
          nurture, and discipline will just come to you moment by moment?

Then why do we think we can engage in the incredibly complex task of international missions without in-depth and ongoing education, spiritual preparation, language training, cultural research, PRAYER, and familiarization with historical and current missional approaches and trends?  If medical services, space exploration, and education require extensive preparation, how much more the winning of souls and the transformation of cultures!

HERE IS THE CHOICE:  Judge ourselves critically on a daily basis through the direction of the Holy Spirit, repent, and put in the hard work required to do missions better every day...  or just do what we've always done, fly by the seat of our pants, assume it will be good enough, and be prepared to be judged later.

              WHICH APPROACH WILL YOU CHOOSE, FELLOW ADVENTURERS?????


Look for the following posts in the days/weeks/months to come...


           "Introducing Zacharie" 
(a 2 part series to help you get to know the awesome Haitian National Director of H.I.M.)
    
           "Hurdles to Overcome:  OUR CURRENT NEEDS"
(we will articulate how people can get involved currently from developing the non-profit
  business to making connections with Haitians to pledging financial support, etc...)

           "Concert of Prayer for Haiti"
(we will be launching a sort of traveling campaign for missions to be hosted by churches in
 this region.  People will come together for prayer, worship, and teaching on missions.  We
 will challenge our readers to facilitate these events.)

           "Challenging American Norms and Conventions"
(No we are not in an argument with Cory's dad, Norm.  Ha! Ha!  This multiple-part series
will call into question many of the accepted practices of our culture which tend to
counteract our call to missions.)

           "KOTAY  LAKAY"  (Where is home?)
(This is a series of novels Cory is writing based on a Haitian boy with a remarkable
destiny who is adopted by a family in Iowa.  We are considering releasing the book(s)
in installments on the blog...)


Assess Your Adventure Today!
-the grimm family adventurers