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

[steve-in-kville]

Thank you for that reminder. I think many of us have strayed from the reality of the conditions in Haiti. My wife has a cousin that runs an orphanage there and the stories they share on social media are heart wrenching.

[Biodegradableglitter]

I mean no disrespect but while we are playing quarterback from our easy chairs Haitians are going hungry. The situation is dire because of the political unrest. While our bellies are stuffed with Christmas food our brothers and sisters are in great need.

Meanwhile we pontificate about what how mission boards should be run better. They at least get in the dirt and try to meet peoples needs. It’s messy business and there are no easy answers but they’re doing more than I’m doing at this moment. They have my admiration.

It’s time to get on our knees and pray. Pray for the country of Haiti. Pray that our missions could run with integrity.

No disrespect taken. First, how do you know the commenters are in their easy chairs? I know a couple of them who certainly are not.

Second, I agree mission work is challenging. Also, I believe prevention of/proper response to child sex abuse by missionaries is a reasonable goal, worth striving to solve.

Prayer is also essential. Many people are praying for these things. Great reminder.

[mike]

I mean no disrespect but while we are playing quarterback from our easy chairs Haitians are going hungry. The situation is dire because of the political unrest. While our bellies are stuffed with Christmas food our brothers and sisters are in great need.

Meanwhile we pontificate about what how mission boards should be run better. They at least get in the dirt and try to meet peoples needs. It’s messy business and there are no easy answers but they’re doing more than I’m doing at this moment. They have my admiration.

It’s time to get on our knees and pray. Pray for the country of Haiti. Pray that our missions could run with integrity.

I appreciate this post, but of course this is a thread about the criticism a Haitian is is directing toward our missions, so it seems fitting for us to do a lot of self-examination and analysis here. I have nothing but respect for the missionaries working there, especially given these issues. I imagine that their work has never been more thankless than it is today. The issues we have been discussing serve to make me less inspired to do what they are doing. It's not that I'm not willing to support them.

[ABC 123]

I mean no disrespect but while we are playing quarterback from our easy chairs Haitians are going hungry. The situation is dire because of the political unrest. While our bellies are stuffed with Christmas food our brothers and sisters are in great need.

Meanwhile we pontificate about what how mission boards should be run better. They at least get in the dirt and try to meet peoples needs. It’s messy business and there are no easy answers but they’re doing more than I’m doing at this moment. They have my admiration.

It’s time to get on our knees and pray. Pray for the country of Haiti. Pray that our missions could run with integrity.

It is my sincere hope that frank discuss like this thread helps rid the monkey from the backs of the people on the ground in places like Haiti. They don't deserve the added burden of improperly installed fellow missionaries undoing all their hard work in the next tent over.

[hillperson]

About the book we have the book. I think it should be required reading for those going into mission work. We need to read it and learn from it.

[Josh]

I mean no disrespect but while we are playing quarterback from our easy chairs Haitians are going hungry. The situation is dire because of the political unrest. While our bellies are stuffed with Christmas food our brothers and sisters are in great need.

And we can’t do anything about gangsters running a country, unless you consider the CAM workers kidnapped something worth repeating.

Meanwhile we pontificate about what how mission boards should be run better. They at least get in the dirt and try to meet peoples needs. It’s messy business and there are no easy answers but they’re doing more than I’m doing at this moment. They have my admiration.

Did you read the book?

The problem is that “getting in the dirt to meet people’s needs” ends up hurting them when a mission board isn’t run properly.

It’s time to get on our knees and pray. Pray for the country of Haiti. Pray that our missions could run with integrity.

There is already a great deal of prayer particularly for those topics. I’m not sure the missing piece here is “people aren’t praying enough for missions”.

[I Timothy]

Unfortunately I don't think this book will have much impact on CAM or the way it operates. I have family who donates to CAM (still, even after this). Let's be honest about the priorities of typical CAM donors:

1) Running a small business
2) Making a profit in their small business
3) Finding low cost labor to run their small business
4) Minimizing the taxes from their small business
5) Marketing their small businesses with a wholesome image
6) Turning their small business over to their children through planning
7) Making sure their inputs are delivered on time and under budget
8) Making sure their products are delivered on time and at top price
9) Building a church with minimal cost
10) Time with family
11) Educating their youth with minimal costs
12) Finding cheap transportation
13) Finding cheap healthcare
14) Making sure their own children don't know about their sexual sins
.....
99) Ensuring CAM does the proper thing

CA church leaders, community leaders and business leaders have many more pressing issues than what happened to the poor in Haiti. Small business management is all encompassing and doesn't leave much time or resources for something trivial like JM. Most CA like CAM because it makes them feel good about themselves quickly, they get to bundle old clothes while getting a tax write off. Who would want to disrupt this convenient system? The truth about CAM and what is happening in Haiti is the least of their life concerns. It's not on their daily radar, they want to read a feel good story about a missionary and then move on to their real business of making money.

To even think of investigating CAM or bringing in Grace is a threat to the entire CA system, not just to CAM. The CAM board members see the big picture and are intent on protecting it at all cost. JM is a product of the CA system, he didn't grow up on an island and then suddenly go rouge.

[Grace]

Unfortunately I don't think this book will have much impact on CAM or the way it operates. I have family who donates to CAM (still, even after this). Let's be honest about the priorities of typical CAM donors:

1) Running a small business
2) Making a profit in their small business
3) Finding low cost labor to run their small business
4) Minimizing the taxes from their small business
5) Marketing their small businesses with a wholesome image
6) Turning their small business over to their children through planning
7) Making sure their inputs are delivered on time and under budget
8) Making sure their products are delivered on time and at top price
9) Building a church with minimal cost
10) Time with family
11) Educating their youth with minimal costs
12) Finding cheap transportation
13) Finding cheap healthcare
14) Making sure their own children don't know about their sexual sins
.....
99) Ensuring CAM does the proper thing

CA church leaders, community leaders and business leaders have many more pressing issues than what happened to the poor in Haiti. Small business management is all encompassing and doesn't leave much time or resources for something trivial like JM. Most CA like CAM because it makes them feel good about themselves quickly, they get to bundle old clothes while getting a tax write off. Who would want to disrupt this convenient system? The truth about CAM and what is happening in Haiti is the least of their life concerns. It's not on their daily radar, they want to read a feel good story about a missionary and then move on to their real business of making money.

To even think of investigating CAM or bringing in Grace is a threat to the entire CA system, not just to CAM. The CAM board members see the big picture and are intent on protecting it at all cost. JM is a product of the CA system, he didn't grow up on an island and then suddenly go rouge.

Wow, there are no words for a vitriolic post as this one.

One has to wonder if 1 Timothy and Don'tperish are one and the same.

[Neto]

Unfortunately I don't think this book will have much impact on CAM or the way it operates. I have family who donates to CAM (still, even after this). Let's be honest about the priorities of typical CAM donors:

1) Running a small business
2) Making a profit in their small business
3) Finding low cost labor to run their small business
4) Minimizing the taxes from their small business
5) Marketing their small businesses with a wholesome image
6) Turning their small business over to their children through planning
7) Making sure their inputs are delivered on time and under budget
8) Making sure their products are delivered on time and at top price
9) Building a church with minimal cost
10) Time with family
11) Educating their youth with minimal costs
12) Finding cheap transportation
13) Finding cheap healthcare
14) Making sure their own children don't know about their sexual sins
.....
99) Ensuring CAM does the proper thing

CA church leaders, community leaders and business leaders have many more pressing issues than what happened to the poor in Haiti. Small business management is all encompassing and doesn't leave much time or resources for something trivial like JM. Most CA like CAM because it makes them feel good about themselves quickly, they get to bundle old clothes while getting a tax write off. Who would want to disrupt this convenient system? The truth about CAM and what is happening in Haiti is the least of their life concerns. It's not on their daily radar, they want to read a feel good story about a missionary and then move on to their real business of making money.

To even think of investigating CAM or bringing in Grace is a threat to the entire CA system, not just to CAM. The CAM board members see the big picture and are intent on protecting it at all cost. JM is a product of the CA system, he didn't grow up on an island and then suddenly go rouge.

Wow, there are no words for a vitriolic post as this one.

One has to wonder if 1 Timothy and Don'tperish are one and the same.

Yes, an extremely cynical viewpoint. As a former career missionary myself, it would be very sad to think that those who sacrificed to support our ministry work had such poor motivations for giving. I can say, at least, that we never experienced anything like that. One example: There was a rather poor couple who were also members in the congregation in which I grew up. Once when we were there on furlough he handed me a wad of cash. No, it wasn't some huge sum. But they were good friends of mine, and I knew that they were struggling financially. In fact, this money they gave was what they had been saving up to replace the worn out tires on their car. I tried to refuse the gift, but he insisted. It is one of the most humbling experiences in my life, to accept a gift from someone like that, someone who made a real sacrifice to give.

[mike]

Unfortunately I don't think this book will have much impact on CAM or the way it operates. I have family who donates to CAM (still, even after this).

I said basically the same thing a couple pages back, but not for the same reasons you give. I'm glad the book doesn't take as cynical and bitter a tack as your post; it would certainly harm the book's potential impact if it did. I still donate to CAM, and it's not because I think they are a perfect organization.