In the Name of “Mission Work” book about CAM/Mast

[mike]

The author's grievances go beyond CAM to to missions and NGOs in Haiti generally. He says that these groups tend to raise large amounts of money for Haiti, but in the end, the local people lose out, and missionaries who truly care about Haitians are rare.

I think that is a really unfortunate result after the incredible amounts of time, effort, and funding that has gone into Haiti over the years from untold numbers of organizations. What have all these groups been doing wrong all these years? Is it worth trying to figure out? Or should we just stop supporting these mission efforts?

[just_thinking]

Two apologies:
1. sorry about the typos (commenting on the fly from my phone)
2. sorry about the crassness right out of the gate. I don't really do not do the online forum or SM too much, because I don't have time

I have watched this forum from a distance for some time (although not all the time by any stretch) and various times thought of getting involved. I just do not have the bandwidth to do so on a regular basis. I am a very committed individual of the CA community. I would suggest there are a lot more who think like I do that just will not show up on this forum because they'll receive the same warm reception to truth. After this post, I will go silent again, much to the relief of many of you.

It is fascinating though to watch the responses here. The realities that I have highlighted still remain largely unaddressed.
I have been accused of character assassination and a few other things in the process. Google definition of character assassination: the malicious and unjustified harming of a person's good reputation. Am I doing character assassination by raising concerns about statements posted on this thread?

I have simply pointed out (and continue to do so) realities taken from what was being written:

Issue 1 - Ernest raised a major accusation in the form of a question which casts huge doubt on the credibility of the book without researching his claim, or reading the book, or providing further evidence (While at the same time claiming to want to hear all sides before forming an opinion. Then, when challenged, he further tried to say it wasn't against the author, which then would mean the gullible author was influenced by others to write what they wanted him to write. How is that for believing that the author is a competent individual able to stand on his own two feet?

Issue 2 - Gary (and others) protecting Ernest because he "knows" him -- that logic has been used time after time to protect bad actions, of Jeriah, and many others. Just because I know someone to be good and trustworthy does not mean they can't blow it or that they are actually as I have perceived them. Dangerous thinking there.

Issue 3 - Ernest saying he has no horse in this race -- is that actually completely true? He has many close friends and "respected" church leaders as former co-workers at CAM. In the circles that I associate with, I believe most would see that as at least somewhat conflicted.

Issue 4 - CAM has done so much good/ many good people there - I get that, on one hand. On the other hand, that logic is extremely dangerous -- it may have been discussed here already, but have we not learned anything from the Ravi Zacharias or Mars Hill situations? https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/po ... mars-hill/

Again, these issues are here for you to do with them what you wish. You can also do with me what you wish.

[mike]

The author details conversation after unsatisfactory conversation with CAM staff in the aftermath of the scandal. It is almost as though CAM's efforts to deal with the crisis were worse than the crisis itself. It is a painful thing to read.

[steve-in-kville]

I have watched this forum from a distance for some time (although not all the time by any stretch) and various times thought of getting involved. I just do not have the bandwidth to do so on a regular basis. I am a very committed individual of the CA community. I would suggest there are a lot more who think like I do that just will not show up on this forum because they'll receive the same warm reception to truth. After this post, I will go silent again, much to the relief of many of you.

I would encourage you to stick around. I don't know where you are in your Christian journey, but in mind that many of us here have witnessed or have been part of scandals that stemmed from a conservative anabaptist organization, watched them covered up, and perhaps a few attempted to speak up only to be punished for doing so. All before the CAM thing broke the news in 2019. In other words, this wasn't our first rodeo.

For those that have been here long enough know that I am not CAM's biggest fan for reasons beyond the 2019 scandal. I try to give them a chance. I realize that they do a lot of good in the world. But as was mentioned upstream in this thread, the way they have responded to these things is almost as bad as the scandal itself.

Sorry, but not sorry.

[Grace]

If you were the author of this book, what way would you have of knowing about all the other things CAM does in the US and around the world, and all the people involved in its work? I think the author is painting with a broad brush also, but I think we should definitely cut him some slack on that.

If the author wrote a book, he certainly had internet access, and a simple search of CAM's website would have revealed that.

The author's grievances go beyond CAM to to missions and NGOs in Haiti generally. He says that these groups tend to raise large amounts of money for Haiti, but in the end, the local people lose out, and missionaries who truly care about Haitians are rare.

I think that is a really unfortunate result after the incredible amounts of time, effort, and funding that has gone into Haiti over the years from untold numbers of organizations. What have all these groups been doing wrong all these years? Is it worth trying to figure out? Or should we just stop supporting these mission efforts?

No we should NOT stop supporting these mission efforts, simply based on one person's very questionable allegations. I do not believe that organizations such as CAM, other Anabaptist and non Anabaptist mission organizations raise large amounts of relief items, provide medical care, dig wells, provide clothes, food etc. never reaches the local people. Neither do I believe that the missionaries do not care about the Haitian people. They leave their nice homes here in the United Stated, Canada, etc. to serve the poorest of poor, facing major inconveniences, threats of being mugged, a climate that they are unaccustomed to, etc. To say they don't care, after making huge sacrifices is just wrong.

[Grace]

I realize you are just quoting a review of a book you haven't read. But instead of taking a single sentence out of context as the writer did, it may be useful to look at the actual page from which that quote is taken. He is actually criticizing Haitian church leaders even more...

I have read the book. And yes he criticizes the Haitian Church leaders, his pastor Dad, Pastor Daner, NGO's, CAM, all mission organizations in Haiti, the workers who sacrificed to help in the country, the workers education levels, the level of aid mission organizations provide, the list is endless.

He does have a right to criticize how CAM handled Jeriah Mast and the abuse he inflicted on young Haitian boys.

He talks about the need to report abuse to the police. In 2013 he reported the abuse to CAM, yet didn't report it to the police. Instead he went to work for CAM and with Mast. So his handling of the abuse was less than stellar as well.

[Neto]

I have not read this book. I have no organizational connection with CAM, nor have I ever had. I have helped stuff envelopes at times, and have given small amounts of funds at times, but no real significant amounts.
But I was a "career missionary", in an organization referred to as a "faith mission", that is, one where the missionaries raise their own support. I also took the time and expense to be trained for cross-cultural ministry. I only mention this because I think that part of the problem and sometimes ineffectiveness of Mennonite mission efforts may come down to a lack of training, and a lack of perception in how you can encourage "ownership" in a social development project in a foreign culture. Mainly, I want to point to just two things, lack of training and how funds are used. But it comes down to this question of ownership of a project by the people themselves. The author apparently felt that funds were wasted, and that money given to help the Haitian people did not reach them. This is not about CAM in particular, but I remember hearing of an American visitor to Haiti who felt that the best way to help the people there was to just go for a visit there with a wad of 20s or 50s, and just pass them out. Cut out the "middle man". That doesn't really help people either, at least not in the majority of cases.

Water drilling. I've seen the pictures of the heavy equipment used to build roads to remote areas in Haiti so that the heavy equipment "necessary" to drill wells could get to the locations. These roads were many times better than the road between our mission center and the closest city. But the major issue I see is lack of involving the local people in these projects. A well drilling rig mounted on a large truck is a great way to get a well drilled and completed quickly and efficiently - in American thinking. But it is also a huge outlay of funding. I had well-drilling equipment made and put in a well - drilling BY HAND for less than $1,000.00. This included all of the drilling equipment except an 11 horse diesel engine, but it also included all of the casing etc. (Might not have included the actual hand pump - we brought that from the States, and probably paid for it separately.)

I'm not trying to brag this up. But listen, I and one other foreigner were the only non-natives who put in this well. The people HAD to help, or it could not have been done. They took turns along with us, turning the drilling pipe (with a wooden handle that clamped onto the pipe). They built the A-frame with jungle materials from which the drilling apparatus was suspended. They controlled the rate of drilling progress by holding back against the weight of the drilling pipe and other equipment, so that it would not get caught in the ground by going down too fast while going through certain types of sub-strata. My point is that they were heavily involved. It was a project FOR them, and largely done BY them. Ownership.

I told someone who was heavily involved in the drilling projects in Haiti that this could be done by hand, with equipment that could be much more easily transported to the sites - most of it by hand carrying it in, on foot if necessary. He said it cannot be done. Well, I said, we actually did it. The corollary "problem" is that this community (Holmes County) is flush with cash, and they are very willing to give for these projects. The people "on the ground" don't 'need' the local people to be involved. And unfortunately, they don't realize how much it would help if they would work harder on these projects (and yes, I mean physical labor) to get that local involvement. It is NEEDED for more reasons than just as a way to "get 'er done". Get in there and get dirty right along side the people. Sweat pools just like they do. Get blisters on your hands. What ever it takes.
Rant over.

[mike]

Again, these issues are here for you to do with them what you wish. You can also do with me what you wish.

Don't fall on your sword. There are many differing voices here, and nobody's doing anything to you. Feel free to keep saying what you're saying.

[mike]

If you were the author of this book, what way would you have of knowing about all the other things CAM does in the US and around the world, and all the people involved in its work? I think the author is painting with a broad brush also, but I think we should definitely cut him some slack on that.

If the author wrote a book, he certainly had internet access, and a simple search of CAM's website would have revealed that.

Looking at CAM's website does not give one the perspective of those of us who have been involved with CAM all of our lives in one way or another in projects all over the world. This guy has no idea of the CAM search and rescue teams that go out in freezing weather in an uninsulated boat on the Delaware river to help state police by sonar scanning the bottom of the river for 3 days strait, 24 hours a day with only a few hours of sleep, to search for a suicide victim for a grieving family, like my son did last week. I'm sorry, it's impossible for him to have this perspective.

If your only real in-person interaction with CAM was what this person experienced you would have a different view than what you do now.

[Grace]

If you were the author of this book, what way would you have of knowing about all the other things CAM does in the US and around the world, and all the people involved in its work? I think the author is painting with a broad brush also, but I think we should definitely cut him some slack on that.

If the author wrote a book, he certainly had internet access, and a simple search of CAM's website would have revealed that.

Looking at CAM's website does not give one the perspective of those of us who have been involved with CAM all of our lives in one way or another in projects all over the world. This guy has no idea of the CAM search and rescue teams that go out in freezing weather in an uninsulated boat on the Delaware river to help state police by sonar scanning the bottom of the river for 3 days strait, 24 hours a day with only a few hours of sleep, to search for a suicide victim for a grieving family, like my son did last week. I'm sorry, it's impossible for him to have this perspective.

If your only real in-person interaction with CAM was what this person experienced you would have a different view than what you do now.

Thanks for that perspective. It confirms that there is a lot of behind the scenes work CAM does that many do not know about. Sadly this book gives much fodder for those who love to disparage CAM.