Month: August 2014

Earlier this summer, I co-led a team of students on a mission trip to Malawi, Africa.  Here’s the third installment of what I learned:

LESSON 3:  RELATIONSHIPS TRUMP EVERYTHING

Things move slowly in Africa.  By that I don’t mean that Africa is backwards or inferior.  What I mean is that conversations, business exchanges and encounters with people on the street move at a slower pace.  You might say they linger.

I’ll be honest, there’s part of me that hates slow, and if I’m honest that part is the larger part of me.  I’m very task oriented.  I don’t like it when people trap me in conversation when I have places to go or things to do.

While we were in Malawi, the CURE hospital staff assigned us the task of redesigning and decorating a playroom for the children.  We really enjoyed painting cartoon animals on the walls and creating a warm and embracing environment (when I say “we,” I mean the students who had artistic talent).  However, in my estimation, the entire project took about three days longer than necessary.  The reason was that every little decision had to be consulted by 19 different people.

“Have we decided on where to hang the TV?”

“Hello Aaron!  How are you?  How was your evening?  Did you sleep well?” …15 minutes of conversation later…

“So, where should we hang the TV?”

“Well, we really need to consult with Joe because he is the one who leads the ministry with the kids.”

So, I go and find Joe.

“Hey Joe, where do you want to hang the TV?”

“Hello Aaron!  How are you? [shakes my hand and then continues to hold my hand throughout the rest of the conversation] How was your night.  Did you sleep well….” 15 minutes of conversation later,

“So, where should we hang the TV?”

“Well, we should consult so and so because of some random reason.”

For the record, we never actually hung the TV.

The funny thing is that the Malawians actually care about listening to everyone’s opinions and truly care about the questions they are asking you.  And, if you don’t reciprocate the questions you are perceived as a jerk because you aren’t valuing the conversation and therefore the relationship.  Which, if I’m honest, is probably true.

For crying out loud, even the peddlers in the market asked me how I was enjoying their country, told me their names, shook my hand for about 50 minutes as they inquired about my family all the while gently leading me to the stalls containing their mahogany wares.

I learned that Malawians value relationships more than anything else.  When a Malawian invites you into their home, they literally wash your hands for you.  In everything, task is secondary and relationship is first.  So what if the playroom is behind schedule?  We connected and cared for each other.  That’s what friends do.  And, if you’re wondering, the project was completed on time…ish.

Like I said, at first I hated the pace of everything but then we began to recognize the value of their way of life.  When asked how she planned to change her life based on her experiences in Africa, one of our students explained that she planned to take time to actually answer her mom’s questions after school instead of spitting out a quick “Fine” before running to her room to watch Netflix.  She realized that Malawians value relationships in ways that we as Americans don’t.   That realization alone is probably worth the cost of the plane ticket

I can’t help but think that we, in the US, have some things to learn about listening, asking good questions, putting people first and valuing relationships.  I’m attempting to slow down, listen a little more and value the relationships God has gifted me with.  Just don’t interrupt me while I’m doing something or try to hold my hand while we talk…

LESSON FIVE:  LOVE

I experienced something profound in Malawi. I treasure Jesus’ commandment, “Love one another.”  I believe that it truly is the greatest commandment. It is the pinnacle of what Jesus embodied and taught.

I vividly remember an Andy Stanley sermon from the Orange Conference a few years ago, in which he stated that whenever the church leverages love it advances and whenever it leverages something other than love it gets off-course. I’ve observed the Church “leveraging something other than love” over and over again in American culture as churches align themselves politically or engage in cultural wars over various issues. It seems that we too often get sucked into leveraging “being right.”

This time, though, at a small hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, I observed the church leveraging love.

You see, I spent a week serving at CURE hospital.  CURE International in an amazing organization. It is overtly Christian. It unabashedly promotes Jesus as Savior and King but it leverages this message through the gifts of physically healing children and treating people with dignity and respect.

CURE in Malawi employs several Muslims and they love working for CURE. There are prominent Muslim families who support CURE financially because they believe in their values and mission. Did you catch that? That just doesn’t happen! They donate their hard earned money to support an infidel hospital because it loves children so well.

Muslim families have become Christ-followers because CURE representatives came to their villages, professionally and relationally demonstrated how they could heal their child’s club foot or cleft palate, and then did so–caring for their family with dignity and love throughout the entire process.

Across the world, Islam and Christianity are at war.  The news in Iraq is particularly disturbing.  And yet, here is an overtly Christian organization in Africa, a region that has repeatedly been torn apart by religious wars, that employs, services and receives financial support from Muslims and in the process, has demonstrated the beauty and power of the Gospel in such a way that it has become compelling to Muslims. This is an incredible story and we have much to learn from it.

As Andy Stanley said at the Orange Conference, when we leverage love, the church grows and advances. What if we just loved? What if we simply served with no strings attached?

What if Christian organizations were the type of organizations that Muslims or, perhaps a better example in American culture, homosexuals wanted to work for them because they were treated so amazingly well? What if, because we loved homosexuals so well that Jesus became compelling? What if Christian organizations behaved so lovingly that Muslims or homosexuals willingly donated their hard earned money to supported their operations?

What if we simply loved people so tangibly and powerfully that they couldn’t help but notice our good deeds and worship Jesus? I think there’s something about that in the Bible…

image credited to Michiel Van Balen via Flickr

LESSON FOUR:  STUDENTS ARE POWERFUL

“Students are the church of tomorrow.” I hear this line all the time but is it true?  Are they the church of tomorrow?

A few years ago, you may have heard me make this statement, but now I embrace a different belief about students. Students are the church of now. Not only is this true, but the Church desperately needs students right now for their unique insights, passion and ways of approaching the world.

In addition, research and experience have shown that students who are entrusted with the mission of the Church now are far more likely to stick with following Jesus in life beyond high school. Like in sports, if we keep them on the sidelines, they’ll likely lose interest and quit.  But, if we dare put them on the field, there is a chance that their insights and passions might just change the game.  The truth is: the Church needs what they bring–not tomorrow, but right now.

A few weeks ago, I co-lead a team of high school students on a serving trip to a CURE International hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. While we were there, our students helped uncover a new approach for the hospital staff. You see, the hospital staff was completely focused on the children under their care, and for good reason. They were healing children physically and doing their best to impact them spiritually. Our students, many of whom have years of experience leading small groups of 2nd or 4th graders jumped right in, helping to lead a VBS, and just loving on kids like pros. But, they took it one step further, they invited all the mothers and guardians who were there with their children to participate. They pulled them into the crafts, gave them toys and prizes, painted their nails, and encouraged them.

At first the hospital staff resisted and requested that our students focus on the children exclusively but our students insisted. Our teenagers intuitively understood the value of a family based ministry model, even if it meant accidentally giving the Muslim family a beanie baby pig.  Oops.

It was incredibly moving for me to watch the transformation that took place in the hospital ward over the course of the week. All these children and women were terrified. Many of them assume that this is the last stop for their children. The traditional remedies didn’t work, the village holy man couldn’t heal their son. This is a last ditch effort. There were very few smiles and the level of anxiety was palpable.

Over the course of the week, purely through expressions of love and generosity, the atmosphere transformed. There was dancing, laughing, hugging and play. In the end, a few members of the hospital staff pulled us aside to share how thankful they were that our students had revealed the importance of loving and serving the mothers as well as the children. This wasn’t something we planned to do. It wasn’t part of the ministry strategy. It was simply something our students observed and acted on.

It was beautiful. I was so proud of our kids and it reminded me of how valuable our students are, not 10 years from now but right now. Put them on the field.  Let them into the game.  It’s the best thing for them and for the church.  We need their fresh approach, passion and ingenuity.